Landscaping Trends in Texas

October 7, 2013 | By webadmin

Here at Roundtree Landscaping, we always keep up with the latest trends in landscape design and maintenance. While the following trends may not be totally new to you, they are movements that we see growing in Texas. It’s good to consider some of these trends and the benefits they can offer you when thinking about installing or renovating a new landscape.

Water Conservation

It’s no secret that water is a precious resource that needs to be properly managed. With most of us in the DFW are under some form of watering restrictions, we’ve had to change how we care for our landscapes. Here at Roundtree, we’ve stepped up our in-house irrigation services to be able to offer the most up-to-date irrigation methods. We can renovate your entire irrigation system so that it used much less water more efficiently. Drip irrigation technology has also improved, and we can outfit your landscape with this efficient type of watering system.

We’ve also started installing attractive rain barrels to help you make the most of rainfall.

And most importantly, we always consider the most water-wise plant material when creating your new design, or renovating your existing landscape. Choosing plants that are acclimated to our Texas climate and moisture levels are key to success.

Sustainable and Green landscape design

Conserving water isn’t the only thing to take into consideration when designing a sustainable green landscape. You must also consider all plant maintenance, such as pest control and fertilization methods. More and more commercial, municipal and residential properties are being designed with overall sustainability in mind. Eco-friendly pest control and fertilizer applications are a must for these types of landscapes.

Container Plantings

Container planting has really taken off, especially with larger properties, office buildings and more municipal spaces. We don’t always have a lot of space to work with when we’re designing a landscape and often creating container plantings provides the perfect solution. Containers can bring color and small shrubs and trees into a space where there may not otherwise been a way to plant them. Lightweight pottery options have exploded in the last few years and we can now source very large containers that are easy to install. Containers are an excellent way to liven up a walkway or entrance. We can also turn traditional containers into soothing water features.

Mediterranean Style Landscaping

In Mediterranean style landscaping, we’re back to conserving water. Moisture is typically scare in these types of landscapes and so they work well for our Texas climate. In a Mediterranean inspired landscape we’d incorporate water-wise plants with warm bold foliage colors. We’d also incorporate container plantings in featured rustic style pottery, so commonly found placed in Mediterranean designs.

Plants that are perfect to use such a landscape include rosemary, lavender, Artemisia, lamb’s ear, juniper, citrus trees, star jasmine and many more. Toughness, beauty and fragrance!

Small Space Urban Gardens

As many of us choose to stay inside city limits to minimize commuting time and live in lower-maintenance spaces, “tiny gardening” has become popular. With so many new “dwarf” plant options on the market, we can now recreate what might have been much larger gardens, on a smaller urban scale. You may only have a small patio with a bit of yard space at your townhome, or perhaps only a balcony. We can now plant many dwarf varieties of fruit trees and other ornamentals that are to scale with these small spaces. Container plantings are also perfect for small spaces.

Green Roofs and Rooftop Gardens

While our Texas climate doesn’t make it easy to grow green roofs, we are making progress. Even in Dallas, we’re seeing downtown urban rooftop green spaces expand. If you think about it, Klyde Warren Park is technically a green roof. It stretches overtop the Woodall Rodgers Freeway. More residential homes are now being designed with green roofs. They help save energy in homes, capture rainwater and much more. If you have a townhome, your outdoor space may be relegated to a roof deck. We've transformed townhome roofs into rooftop gardens. It's such great way to use the space!