Plant Gardens 101

The Houston climate makes it one of the best places to plant a garden in the United States. Houston experiences a warm climate much of the year, and even though it is exceptionally hot in the summer months, the humidity latent in the atmosphere serves plant life very well. Because of the richness of the soil, the moisture content of the atmosphere, and the relative infrequency of hard freezes in the winter, virtually any type of plant species can thrive here. Tropical flowering plants, a variety of shrubs, perennials of all colors, and a rainbow of seasonal flowers can all be grown successfully in this part of the world.

With such a diversity of plant life available, Houston gardens can follow both traditional and non-traditional forms depending on the needs of the client. Our philosophy is to always respect the architecture with a design that mirrors structural keynotes and adds an organic sensibility to the façade of the house. As such, we prefer to view a garden in the context of the surrounding residence and particular neighborhood. We have all seen hundreds of amateur gardens throughout the city that are basically flower beds clustered at the bases of trees. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, it lacks the ability to significantly differentiate one residence from the other. (more…)

A crude image or effigy of a person—often entertainingly dressed—that is set up in a farm field or garden to scare crows and other birds away from food plants.

Gardens usually reflect their owners in one way or another. An untidy, relaxed person will often have an untidy and relaxed garden, whereas as elegant person who likes everything to be in its place may well opt for a formal garden. Such a garden is usually a positive feature of the home rather than just an outdoor space.

What is a formal garden? Generally, a formal garden is one that has some formal qualities about it. This usually means that the shapes within the garden are geometric. Thus lines tend to be straight or in precise curves, such as a circle, rather than sinuous and informal. Beds are frequently square, rectangular or circular. Sometimes they might even be triangular, but this is an awkward shape in the garden because the corners are difficult to plant as well as being tricky to mow around.

Another aspect of formality is that there is often regular repetition, in other words certain plants or even whole beds may be repeated at regular intervals. This creates symmetry, which is an important part of such gardens. Calmness and tranquility are the qualities that usually sum up the formal garden. (more…)