Landscaping help, Austin, TX
Leslie Raver
5 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (6)
PROYardvaark
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Help! Where to find gritty mix around Austin, Tx?
Comments (11)Before I was successful in locating the individual ingredients for my own Gritty Mix version, I purchased bonsai mix from a large local garden center. It was ungodly expensive, though, for a very small bag. Another option may be purchasing small amounts of fir bark or a ready mixed orchid medium if there are any local orchid greenhouses/growers... and if the fir bark or mix they use is of small enough pieces. I don't require very large quantities of medium, so I buy small bags of a product called ReptiBark reptile bedding. It's very clean fir bark, though many people say the pieces are a bit too large. I think the small bags contain a decent enough size for my use... though I do notice that the larger bags contain larger pieces that are too big. I use perlite, which can be obtained almost anywhere garden supplies are sold. I prefer coarse perlite, but I'll use the regular stuff and simply sift it if I can't find the coarse stuff. I purchase granite chips at a farm supply store... around these parts, that's either Rural King or Farm & Fleet. The product is just granite chips, sold as grit for chickens/poultry, and it does require sifting or rinsing to remove dust. Turface is hard to come by for me... there's no local NAPA store, and I know one must be careful about other brands and types of oil dry/calcined clay... I omit it if I can't locate any, and I work with those items I can find. I find it extremely helpful to soak the fir bark in water overnight before using in a mix... so it doesn't become hydrophobic. Another good place to search for various medium ingredients would be Hydroponics type stores....See MoreHelp identifying a weed in Austin, TX
Comments (2)I think my Mom helped nail this one. She called it Sensitive Plant, though it may actually be in a different Genus. It looks most like Yellow-puff (Neptunia lutea) from what I can tell. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptunia_lutea Now the tricky part... how do I kill it without hurting my St Augustine?...See MoreHelp identifying weed - Austin Tx(Multiple pictures)
Comments (2)Take a sample to your local Texas A & M Cooperative Extension Service office for help in identification. http://agrilife.tamu.edu/locations-window/?KeepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=400&width=600 kimmq is kimmsr...See MoreNeed help sourcing stone for 1950's house in Austin, TX
Comments (1)Are you new to the Austin area, since I believe that type of stone is extremely common there? Its usually referred to as Hill Country limestone, and it can be ordered in different color mixes, shapes, and sizes. It is native stone that is quarried all over that part of Texas, so its not hard to find. The general color mix choices are white, grey and pale brown, and when you order in bulk you can specify a percentage mix for each color. Most of what I can see in the pictures is the grey color. There are several stone companies up and down Highway 281 and other areas near you that sell stone. They are usually just off the road and you can drive in and just browse the pallets of stone. Yours is a rectangular cut stone, so you just have to find a dealer who can provide the size and color you need. Bruce...See More
emmarene9
5 years ago- PRO
Yardvaark
5 years agoAround the wall, find a simple scheme that allows you to bring in flowering shrubs, maybe a perennial, and some groundcover. Uncarefully laid masonry objects (or rocks) placed above grade in order to create a bed edge, has a tendency to look like construction materials left over. It would be better to inset a mowing strip flush with grade and make it at least 8" wide (instead of 3 1/2").
In general terms, the house leans toward being smothered and cluttered, so I'd work to have fewer objects overall, meaning consolidate plants where possible. Instead of having segmented hedges of separate shrubs, let them grow together into solid hedges that coordinate well with architectural features. None of the vertical plants interspersed between the hedges are "singing" to me and I would do away with them. Find places for color ... not quarts but 5-gallon buckets worth or more.IMO, the tree canopy is too low and looks oppressive. I'd get rid of the low, horizontal limbs. Where grass has no hope of growing well, it would be better to transition to groundcover.
Not least, the walk -- especially for such a wide house -- needs to be widened. And the planters flanking it need to go.
Leslie Raver
5 years agoHi sorry about late response. Yardvaark, love your ideas! Emmarene, I attached more photos. The summer months get dry and super hot here. But the fact we have gigantic oak trees should help protect whatever we plant. There is a soaker hose throughout the front bed. When you say the beds aren’t deep enough do you mean I should add dirt to them? I have removed all the flax Lilies throughout the front bed as of yesterday. It already looks cleaner. Here’s some new photos of the angles you asked for
Related Stories
ARCHITECTUREWhat’s Fueling Austin’s Edgy Modern Architecture?
A look at the blossoming design scene in Texas’ capital city — and what’s behind all the experimentation
Full Story
LANDSCAPE DESIGNA River Runs Through It in Austin
A design firm with a modernist aesthetic combines geometry and naturalism in a Texas yard with a new meandering creek
Full Story
PLANTING IDEAS3 Color Palettes to Help Set Your Garden’s Mood
Select plants in these color combinations to create an outdoor space that’s cheerful, energizing or calming
Full Story
HOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Eclectic and Colorful in Central Austin
A vibrant color palette and playful touches (amazing kitchen!) give a family's ranch style home a fresh update
Full Story
SAVING WATERXeriscape Gardens: How to Get a Beautiful Landscape With Less Water
Conserve water and make gardening much easier with the xeriscape approach’s 7 principles
Full Story
GARDENING GUIDESHartweg’s Sundrops Blankets Southwestern Landscapes in Yellow
The vivid flowers of Calylophus hartwegii add sunny color to drought-tolerant gardens from spring through fall
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESRegional Modern: Austin, Texas
Contemporary and modern Austin homes reflect the area's climate and eclectic style
Full Story
INSIDE HOUZZThere’s a Party in the Backyard, Says a Houzz Landscaping Survey
Entertaining, growing edibles and solving problems are goals for homeowners planning to revamp their yards
Full Story
HOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: DIY Labor of Love in Austin
Eclectic, hands-on style defines this family’s home after they downsized to just over 1,000 square feet
Full Story
HOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Modern Urban Oasis in Austin
Rebuilt family home features indoor-outdoor living, a master bedroom 'treehouse' and playful touches
Full Story
Leslie RaverOriginal Author