Plant Gardens 101

If you think that creating the garden of your dreams with just a few hours of work is possible you are probably wrong since sooner or later it will become obvious that this is much more of a complex task that one could possibly foretell. There is a way you could get the garden of your dreams in just a few days but that would require landscape designers, a landscape crew and a lot of money. It is true that these designers do a wonderful job but the only drawback is that the finished product of these professionals will present their concepts, ideas and personality. It means you will have their dream garden on your property and not yours.

Planning and imagining is part of the work a gardener needs to perform in order to achieve the garden of his dreams. You are for sure wondering if having a garden requires much work? The answer is YES! BUT that work is enjoyable and each hour of effort you put in your garden will reward you with a great sense of accomplishment when you finally take a look at the end result. Just think about the moment when you will be able to stand back and enjoy the beautiful landscape that you were able to built with your own hands. (more…)

Gardening can be a very relaxing and enjoyable hobby. It is a creative activity, which can add color and appeal to your home and yard. Gardening is more than just throwing some plants into the ground, though. For the most enjoyment, and the biggest impact, you’ll need to do some planning, and make some decisions about your garden.

Probably the most important consideration for your garden, is the type of garden. Do you want a herb garden or a vegetable garden? Do you want a flower garden? Do you want flowers that only bloom during the spring, or a variety of flowers to bloom from spring through fall? Or if you want, you can have different gardens in your yard. Maybe a plot near the house for growing herbs, and then maybe some flowers in the corner of the yard to add a touch of color.

Once you know what type of garden you want, you can choose the location. If you want herbs or vegetables, the best place for them is near the house, so that you can access them easily when cooking. If you want flowers or shrubs, you can place them just about anywhere you’d like in the yard. One thing to keep in mind as far as location is the amount of sun that your yard gets. Either take some paper, and draw a rough map of the yard, or simply list the various sections of your yard. Then, beginning in the morning, check the yard every hour and note whether the various sections of the yard are in sun or shade. If an area gets 6 or more hours of direct sunlight, it is a full sun location. 3-6 hours of sun is partial sun/partial shade, and less than 3 hours is full shade. Once you know the amount of sunlight each part of your yard gets, you can choose the appropriate plants. (more…)

Watering a Rock Garden

Watering a rock garden is a matter of the utmost importance, which nevertheless is scarcely mentioned in rock garden literature. InEngland, of course, this is not so vital a matter as with us. With less sun, more rain, and more moisture in the air, rock garden plants, especially alpines, are as apt to suffer from excessive moisture there as they are from lack of it here.

When speaking of the proper means of applying water, however, it is not in reference to either the watering can or a hose with the usual garden nozzle. The former takes too much time, and the latter applies water so rapidly that it will begin to run on the surface before the soil is saturated clear through.

But it is a simple matter to provide a mist like spray which will saturate the driest soil through and through without spattering mud on the smallest leaves or the most delicate blossoms, or causing the soil to run out from the most precarious rock crevices. There is a special type of greenhouse irrigation nozzle which applies the water in this fine mist like spray. (more…)

One glance through a gardening magazine, and we are showered with images of pristine gardens, beautifully appointed with hundreds of varieties of plants, trees, and shrubs. While many of us aspire to have yards as beautiful as those in a magazine, few of us have the time or resources to achieve such perfection. However, with a little work and some good planning, even those of us with the blackest of thumbs will feel good about our efforts in the garden.

When reviewing your outdoor space, try to identify those areas that you’re not very happy with. What do you want to change about them? Do you need some additional flowers or other plants? Perhaps the space doesn’t feel balanced? Climbing plants may be just the answer you are looking for to solve a variety of common problems in outdoor areas.

Many plants, both annual and perennial, fall into the category of climbing plants. The more common climbers are clematis, morning glory, ivy, and honeysuckle. However, many plants that spread along the ground like creeping phlox and periwinkle can provide coverage for unsightly spaces in your outdoor area, as well. (more…)

Let’s talk about lawn care. Turn away from pesticides that poison you, your pets, your kids, and the water supply. Instead try organic products. Not only do they work well, but you’ll notice a difference in how your lawn looks and feels.

Consider buying a “reel” mower versus a gas mower. Reel mowers are the old fashioned ones that you push yourself. Save money on gas and get some exercise in at the same time. When choosing plants for your yard or garden, purchase ones that are grown locally. Other plants may be beautiful, but not suited for your particular climate. Purchasing locally grown plants ensures that they will grow well in your yard or garden and help promote the local growers. When checking out your local nurseries, be sure to ask questions like which plants are eco-friendly, how much water they require, and whether they need shade or sun? You can also check with a local landscaper for advice.

Try keeping a portion of your yard for natural plantings. Native wild flowers or plants that attract butterflies or birds are beautiful and will attract helpful insects into your yard as well. (more…)

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…)

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…)

Now that spring is here, it’s time begin selecting the best plants and flowers for your garden. But before you do, have you ever been guilty of buying plants on impulse only to discover after planting them they look like the forgotten step child, making your garden look ackward? The goal of this article is to teach you how to plan a backyard garden…right now.

Step 1 – Starting with a Solid Plan

Take the time to assess your garden environment. Determine how much sun and shade your garden gets. What type of soil do you have? Is it the well draining type or does it get waterlogged easily? Take note whether your garden is sheltered or exposed to the sun and wind. Now that you have completed your homework, it’s time to buy the best plants for your situation. (more…)

A client in the Heights contracted Exterior Worlds to create an Italian garden with a number of complimentary, classical elements to the front and rear of their home. Their house had a classic Old World appearance to it. It was a two-story structure with a porch and an upstairs balcony. Steps led up to the porch, and shuttered windows with arched tops lined both the porch and the balcony. A stately, old, and very large oak tree grew just next to the house, reaching up and over the top of the house. The architecture and indigenous landscape were an ideal setting to further develop a European look and feel to the property.

We began by installing lights in the trees next to the home in order to illuminate the roof and balcony, and we placed lights under the eaves of the porch and patio to illuminate the surfaces, walls, and windows. We planted a small Italian garden in the front near the trees. In it, we placed a variety of ground cover plant species, shrubbery, and smaller, ornamental trees. This lent an organic sense to a very symmetrical and elegant structure, and helped develop the Classical theme we were asked to create. We completed the design in the front with urns placed on either side of the stairs that led up to the front door. This worked to create a sense of grand entryway that alluded to a sense of Roman antiquity and classical design. (more…)

A well maintained green lawn can enhance the beauty of any house. However for many people maintaining and keeping the lawn in a proper shape is a tough task indeed. This is because they are not aware of the right way to care for their garden. Are you one of them? Then read on as we share great gardening tips with you!

Green plants need water and nutrients. Right lawn fertilizer is responsible for giving proper nutrients to plants and on the other hand irrigation or nature provides water. However, choosing the right lawn fertilizer is quite difficult.

Lawn fertilizers play a great role for proper growth of plants in the lawn. The application of plant nutrients over the lawn seems quite simple. In fact after sprinkling the fertilizer, you should water it so that it penetrates in the underlying soil. So, application of lawn fertilizer is a painless job but what is tough is determining the specific needs of the lawn. (more…)

Certain factors come into play when designing your yard. A well-planned landscape should suit your lifestyle, your family’s needs, your site’s plot plan, and topography. Of course, there is also personal preference as well as the fact that your landscape should complement the architectural style of your home. In general, it helps if you decide whether you want a landscape design that is formal or informal. Think about your hardscape needs and permanent structures first. Any structures such as greenhouses, tool and storage sheds, garages, etc. require level topography along with easy access for traffic, be it pedestrian, wheelbarrow, lawnmower, or vehicular. Once structural and traffic considerations have been planned, then you can consider where to site your gardening areas and plantings. (more…)

In 2003, we received a call from John and Jennifer Randall of West Houston. They had decided to build a French-style home just off of Piney Point near Memorial Drive. Jennifer wanted a modern French landscape design that reflected the symmetry, balance, and patterns of Old World estates. French landscapes like this are popular because of their uniquely proportioned partier gardens, formal garden and constructions, and tightly clipped hedges. John also wanted the French landscape design because of his passion for his heritage (he originally came to Houston from Louisiana), as well as the obvious aesthetic benefits of creating a natural complement to the architecture of the new house.

The first thing we designed was a motor court driveway/parking area in the front of the home. While you may not think that a paved element would have anything at all do with landscape design, in reality it is truly apropos to the theme. French homes almost always have paving that extends all the way to the house. In the case of the Randall home, we used interlocking concrete pavers to create a surface that looks much older than it really is. This prevented the property from looking too much like a new construction and better lent itself to the elegance and stateliness characteristic of French landscape designs in general. (more…)

It does not matter if you have a big or a small garden, most people like to have fresh herbs. Having a natural supply of herbs is wonderful for cooking, grilling and even barbecuing. And with the right herb garden layout it also looks wonderful in your garden. Before you can harvest those delicious herbs you need to consider a few aspects of herb garden layout for an effective and sustainable growth of herbs.

Natural elements to consider
For your herb garden layout, it is important to effectively plan and manage the natural elements involved in your garden. The herb garden layout should integrate nicely into the existing garden layout. However keep in mind what conditions the herbs need (sun, shade, moisture etc.). If you do this, you can successfully create a herb garden layout that will give you fresh herbs all year round. (more…)

There are various styles of garden to choose from, although there are no definitive rules and there is no reason why gardeners should not choose a mixture of designs. Having said that, there are a number of styles that have a proven track record, and it is perhaps worthwhile considering the pursuit of just one of them until you are confident enough to mix different styles.

The basic advice is simple, choose a style of garden that you like. There are however, various other factors that may be worth taking into considerations. Your lifestyle is one of the most important of these.

However much you may like formal gardens, there is no point in designing a neat garden that needs to be kept in pristine condition in order to look its best if you are not naturally a tidy person or never have the time to keep it neat. (more…)

We were contacted by the owner of a Houston, Texas home who asked us to design a series of gardens and landscaping features that would compliment and expand the Mediterranean theme of his house into the surrounding landscape. This house sat on a very large lot of several acres in a secluded Memorial Drive neighborhood located near the 610 Loop. The home featured a symmetrical, linear appearance in spite of its two-story build, and our client wanted a landscape and garden design that would follow these same principles of self-contained regularity and subtle linear motion.

Creating a Mediterranean theme in a Houston, Texas garden and landscape is a bit more complex that it might appear at face value. The southern coast of Europe—particularly in Italy and Greece—is a mountanous area where homes and gardens are built on steep angles and sharp vertical rises. Gardens and fields are often built in terraces that climb the mountains due to the limited planting area and rough, rocky terrain. Limestone is the predominant rock type in Italy and Greece and has become iconic of this part of the world in our collective consciousness. Mediterranean homes and gardens are historically famous for their white stucco walls, olive groves, and carefully sculptured greenery embedded in a rugged limestone backdrop. (more…)

For the house owner who has a little bit of space outside the house, they may thinking about having small garden. Or even ones who have large space so they can have bigger garden either. However, wjat generally happen is garden design and arrangement, most of them normally take this job to professional. Only they have to do is to choose the design from the catalogue that designer give to them and pay when the garden finished.

However, some of them knowing what they are choosing but unfortunately, some of them don’t. Therefore, as there are many style and arrangements of garden design. It is also good to know how they different from each other and which factors you have to consider when you want to have good, attractive and beautiful garden within the budget.

Generally, it is depends on the preference and style of the house owner which type of garden that they are going to have, but apart from that, you may have to that the decision about the type of type of garden have to based on these following elements; (more…)

There are a number of yard and garden elements that provide height. Some of the more obvious of these might include trees, fences, decks, and tall shrubs. However, all of these garden elements have one thing in common: they are permanent. While it is important and often times necessary to have these types of structures, sometimes it’s better to have the option to move your vertical garden elements around, as needed. In this article, we’ll explore four non-permanent vertical elements that you can use to spice up your garden or landscape.

#1 – Hanging Baskets – Hanging baskets are one of the easiest ways to add a vertical element to your garden, plus they have the benefit of being mobile. Most homeowners who do any type of outdoor planting will find themselves using hanging baskets at some point. They come in many varieties, colors and materials to compliment your decor. Most common are the free hanging baskets that allow flowers to drape down all sides as well as up the hanger. By moving your hanging baskets around, you can easily provide a splash of color to a specific area of your yard or garden at any time throughout the growing season. (more…)

A Mediterranean garden is one of the eye catching gardens that have the look and feel of a European get away even when the garden is located in Southern California. This is a tasteful and colorful type of garden that is found in places like Italy, Spain or Greece with a maraud of colors and old world charm.

The Mediterranean garden also includes things made of stone, concrete or ceramics and can include fountains or ponds that lend a cooling and relaxing atmosphere to the garden. In a true Mediterranean garden there are plants and trees that are of olives, citrus, and vines of grapes, along with Pomegranates. Plants that are found in these gardens are Lavender, Rosemary, Oleanders and even the common Geranium. This garden is usually built upon a mixture of edible herbs and fruits among the color and beauty of flowers to make it an appealing and aromatic place to relax. Relaxation is one of the key features in the Mediterranean garden; this can be from a simple stone bench, a swinging seat or the table located on the stone or brick patio. One thing that is out of place in this garden is wood and metal, this is a garden built on old world charm and not the modern conveniences of today, like the wood that is placed to hold some beds in place or help to raise them. (more…)

A well-known resident of River Oaks contacted us and asked us if we could harmoniously blend the organic and inorganic components of her landscape into a design that would complement the classical architecture of her house and exterior masonry. We immediately noticed that the symmetry of her three-story house, and the fine linear designs of the yard and surrounding stonework, were also two very key elements used in Italian gardening. We shared this insight with the homeowner, who agreed that such a design would work very well for what she had in mind.

We began by working on the walkway that ran from the sidewalk up to the front of the house. This walkway curved in from the sidewalk between two small stone walls and converged in a series of very small, ascending steps reminiscent of those in a staircase. This gave us an opportunity to establish an immediate sense of formal entryway by framing the front of the walkway with Agapanthus and a number of other perennial and flowering plant species that bloom in seasonal cycles throughout the spring and summer. We framed the flowering plants with boxwoods to create an organic enclosure whose angular symmetry and self-containment speak to essence of an Italian garden. (more…)

Before you get started with either your balcony garden or gardening on your rooftop, there are some very important factors to consider.

Firstly, and of course the most obvious, make sure that the structure can withstand the weight and the rooftop will not be comprised with anyone walking on it, let alone creating extra weight or watering difficulties. (more…)