Kay, I will have to let someone else answer about the limestone, as here in North Texas, we have a lot of clay.
It is much easier to amend than the limestone, but I am certain you will get some good, sound advice from someone who knows.
WELCOME!!!!!!

Welcome to the neighborhood! I'm in the Highland Lakes area and you already know a lot about it! You did not mention deer. Did you know about them?

Yes, you'll probably need a pick ax, lol, unless you are in a valley, I suppose. I don't know how much call there is for landscape designers here. I have not seen many yards that look like they were professionally done. Probably due to the deer. It's very hard, in my area, to plant things without barriers.

*My favorite mulch (and this is kind of a hot topic) is cedar chip. It lasts for a long time, is supposed to be insect resistant, and is cheap. I do hope to one day have a "living mulch" of low growing plants and to quit using the cedar chips.

*I don't know the names of our weeds, but I have plenty in the back yard. In the front, the only problem I have is what I THINK is called crab grass. Not sure...

*A lot of people have sprinkler systems. I don't, as I have buffalo grass, natives, and drought resistant things. I'm pretty sure my yard could be considered zeroscaped, even though it looks like a "normal" yard.

*Scraping - We are just now getting a few subdivisions in this area, prior to that builders were not buying chunks of land. They would just get a lot here or there. They do scrape some, but I guess it depends on both the homeowner and the builder. We demanded that they leave some of the cedar trees. Out here is mostly cedar with a few oaks here and there, and lots of tall native grasses. They usually try to save oaks, as it adds to the price of the real estate. The closer you get to Austin, the more clear cutting you see (for typical subdivisions).

My opinion differs with you on organic matter being crucial for most plants. I've planted quite a few native things that I've only watered a hand full of times, gave no fertilizer, and did not dig a very big hole (because that's next to impossible). These plants have just grown by leaps and bounds, some far more than I wanted! lol But, it's just your choice in plant material. Things that don't love rocky, limestone, dry soil will need babying, of course.

Hope this helps and that you can find work!

I think that you will find different opinions on all those questions...I live in Kerrville and we are big into natural and lots of the big new subdivisions around say in Austin are too but there are always the high dollar places that scrape the area as you put it....I am lucky because the property we bought actually has lots of dirt and while I do have rock....I have lots of soil while my neighbor on the one side is solid rock...Master Gardner program is big in the area and right here in Kerrville we have a nature center and a native plant center...

I use mostly cedar too because I chip my own and the clearing of the cedar provides plenty...I was told not to use it because nothing would grow but that hasn't been the case...If I run out of my own, then I buy the cheap stuff at the supermarket ....

My worst problem I caused...I wanted good sturdy grass fast and seeded with bermuda grass seed and now it is a constant battle to keep it our of my garden...it sureserves me well in the yard though...in the summer I mostly ignore it and the first fall rains bring it back...we are on a well with 5 others so we conserve all summmer...I do have a big tank that holds 1700 gals of rainwater that I collect from the roof...You will love this area...we do get hot but the hill country is not as hot as other areas of tx and to me it is much easier to bear than Florida heat...

*My favorite mulch (and this is kind of a hot topic) is cedar chip.*
Okay, you've got my curiosity up. Why is cedar mulch "kind of a hot topic" in Texas??
*I was told not to use it because nothing would grow but that hasn't been the case...*
Is this the reason, ruthieg?
And, trsinc, I'm right with you on this one:
*My opinion differs with you on organic matter being crucial for most plants. I've planted quite a few native things that I've only watered a hand full of times, gave no fertilizer, and did not dig a very big hole*
BECAUSE I am the ultimate lazy gardener! I've found that the people I work for, however, seem to like to amend (especially if they have someone else to actually do the work!)
Thanks to you both, and to Carrie, for your responses!
Kay

You are welcome, Kay. I was hoping to see how many other's we had out here in the hills, lol. Maybe not too many? Oh, well...

The "hot topic" mulch (any kind, not just cedar), is due to many conversations we've had here in the past. There are many opinions about mulch and termites and which is best/what to do, etc. That was the first I'd ever heard about nothing growing in it, though. Hasn't been my experience either! lol And if I end up with termites, I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And LOL, I am a lazy gardener as well :) In the past, though, I've killed a few natives with amendments and babying. So, when we moved here, I took it easy with that stuff and discovered they like our soil, if you can call it that, as is. But ONLY ONLY ONLY the ones that love our native rocky, dry soil out here. I'm beginning to think we may have something special in the rock??? lol

Weeds:
- Bermuda grass - by far my biggest nemisis
- Johnson Grass
- Dallis grass / crabgrass

Nutsedge is an annoyance, Dollarweed is overhyped and not really a problem.

Soil amending needs to be done gradually and over a long period of time.

Oak wilt is a huge problem. You should study up on that.

Native Ash Juniper (Cedar) is everywhere and the predominant shrub/tree. There is a lot of debate on how many to keep and what to replace it with. They are sponges taking up enormous amounts of groundwater and nothing will grow under them.

There are some ranches in the hill country that have turned exposed limestone to native grass prarie over several years those are interesting case studies of controlled burning and removal of the cedar.

I have never had an irrigation system, but I think I will put one in at my current house due to the size of my yard.

St Augustine turf is the most prevelant, but uses the most water. Many people are now looking into Buffalo and Zoysia.

kkelley
I noticed one thing missing from you list - along with high water cost is electricity - also a hot topic in Texas as we are paying significantly higher rates than the rest of US ?
You'll love it here - a whole new scene from florida and all those things you hear about the Tx sky - it's better in person~ Welcome!!!
~Angie~

Here are some thoughts from the southern fringe of the Hill Country, AKA Canyon Lake. Water and electricity are expensive but to well heeled folk moving here it doesn't seem to be an issue to scrap bare the native vegatation and transpose what ever city concept of plants they choose to use. They bring in "top soil" (with weeds:( and want their city lawn grasses. I guess what I am saying is many new folks moving in and think they want what they had from where ever they came from to grow here. Some even succeed to a degree but many learn over a few years not to try and subjugate Mother Nature and learn to adapt often after they have destroyed their ecosystem. On the other hand there is a groundswell of people moving in that appreciate Mother Nature and try to adapt to their environmnent and utilize the local plants to make their landscapes an extentsion of the surrounding area.
Getting involved with the Master Gardner program will be a big plus. It is what I did when I came to Texas from Hawaii 11 years ago. I would also look at the Master Naturalist program to further educate you about the local flora and fauna.
Deer will be an issue so learning about the basics of plants that are deer resistant (there is not such a thing as deerproof IMO:). Many folks will do raised beds to adapt to the area instead of trying to punch holes in the limestone rock. I would expect you to do just fine with finding work after a period of adjustment and real Hill Country living.
Welcome to the Hill Country and enjoy the majestic beauty that abounds here and look to educate those behind you how to help keep Austin weird and the Hill Country, the Hill Country. An Eagles song says a lot for how I feel about the Hill Country or any place we humans call Paradise. The song is Paradise Lost.
I love the Hill Country and try to help other keep it that way as a horticulturist and garden center manager.
Mulch of choice local when possible, red cedar if not. I am of the camp that termites are not an issue except those that build on the ground. I am on pier and beam so I would see tunnels before any damage would be done. Not much leaves my property unless I can't figure out a way to reuse it some way.
Welcome and Happy Growing David

Welcome, kkelley!

They say "Texas is like whole 'nother country"! Boy, is that true. It's so different for gardeners that I created a website to save others from making the same mistakes I did.

A lot will depend on where you are going to be living. Some areas are big into landscaping, some not.

My little town doesn't do much in irrigating of lawns because every other lot is undeveloped with "cedars", little bluestem and wildflowers. Here we just try to survive the deer.

In more developed areas the turf weeds may be more of a problem, One to watch out for anywhere is greenbiar, a vine that will cut you to shreds.

I use hardwood mulch because I think it breaks down faster, adding organic matter. I use oaks leaves when I want to kill off something underneath.

Watch out for "sandy loam" that developers bring in, it's SANDY alright, no loam.

The Hill Country is full of fabulous gardeners, some quite well known. The trend for natives is getting stronger and more people are giving up the big lawns.

The website below has some great links to information about Hill Country gardening.

Welcome and happy digging (with a mattock!)

Here is a link that might be useful: Hill Country Gardens

If you Gardenweb-ers are any indication of what people are like in the Hill Country, I am going to the right place!
Thanks so much for the input, and the warm welcomes. I'm not there yet, but plan to move in August. I can't wait!
I spent some time researching oak wilt, because I did not know about that, and it is the very thing I need to know. My DH was in Texas once and observed the neighbor of his friend having some trees pruned... the arborist working on them told him they pruned the trees every year to try to stay ahead of the oak wilt. From what I've read, pruning will only slow down the inevitable. Better to remove the tree, or prune the roots to avoid spreading the fungus. Is this oak wilt a problem for any of you?
Okay, so electricity is expensive. So... that means gas should be cheaper there than anywhere in the nation, huh?
And David, you have made my day. Love the Eagles, and LOVE weird people, weird places, weird things. I'm not much of one for big cities, but sounds like I'll do just fine with Austin! DH and I are planning to take the Master Naturalist training... it sounds much like an extension of the work I do here with the FL Yards and Neighborhoods.
Txspice, thanks for the link! Beautiful website, and I am going to check in out in detail.
We just had some much needed rain here in north FL, so I think I'll get out and do a little digging myself. (in sand... I'm gonna miss that...)

Good luck on your move kkelley!

I am in North Texas, but just found out that we're moving to the west Austin area this summer. Can you, or anyone else here, recommend some resources on where to move?

Our wants:

*Access to a lake
*Great view--over a canyon, a lake, or just a great back yard
*Good schools (my kids are in middle school)

Not necessarily in that order. ;)

Hello Kay, Welcome to Texas.

I can't say much about the hill country as for growing stuff but I can say it is beautiful country side. I love taking trips down there. Lot's of things to do down that way.
I visited a ladies garden that is up here by Denton and she uses a lot of plants that don't take water, if you go over to the Gallery look for Junes gardens there are 4 or 5 threads, even though it's father north it would still work for the hill country.
Her land is all lime stone and she mixes the stone and soil together making mounds, sorry I didn't get a good picture of the new bed she's working on cause it shows just what type of conditions she's working with.
It can be done taking it one day at a time. Also there are lot's of swaps in Texas and if your able to make it up to Fort Worth for one of our swaps we'll sure to send you home with lots of plants. I'm just getting to the point of giving more than receiving and I love it, it's so much fun. Both the getting and giving :)
Keep in touch with us and let us know when your here and if you'd like I can maybe mail you some seeds in the fall.

Barb