An autumnal sadness sometimes creeps into the end of the year, when the days get shorter and the leaves start falling. But now is the time to appreciate one of the overlooked joys of the garden: the play of light across the landscape. Dave has been in this house 20 years and never gets tired of watching the nuances of light in different seasons.
God rewards the early riser....if you stay inside til 10 am you will never see the outline of this tree sketched on the ground!
An autumnal sadness sometimes creeps into the end of the year, when the days get shorter and the leaves start falling. But now is the time to appreciate one of the overlooked joys of the garden: the play of light across the landscape. The low-hanging winter sun sends elongated shadows sloping through our yards, lighting the golden leaves on fire. Totally new experiences of our spaces emerge from the shapes of trees we never noticed in the full leafy bustle of summer.
Their moment in the sun: the humble buttonbush and a coralbark maple.
Go outside!
This house on Bobolink Drive shows what can be done on a small city lot to create a sense escape from the hubbub of daily life with jobs, small kids and constant activity. The covered porch on the garage was a great place to sit and relax, but there was nothing to look at and nothing to engage the kids in nature.
So we added a round pond that creates both: a running track for the kids to race around, as well as a rich source of entertainment with fish, plants, dragonflies, birds and water. For adults, the porch provides a peaceful place to contemplate the reflections of the sky in the pond, or gather with drinks and friends. The blue-grey of the Arizona cypresses echoes the color of the house, and native grasses will fill in to provide rustling noises, movement and food and shelter for birds.
When I moved to Texas years ago, my mother-in-law said, 'Oh, Texas. People say it gets so hot in the summer the ground cracks open, and you look down and see Hell.'
I used to think that was an exaggeration, until this summer. Giant cracks that can swallow a whole baseball bat, the Llano and Guadalupe Rivers running dry--clearly we can’t keep on gardening the way we always have. But what’s the alternative? How do you cope with months of drought followed by five inches of rain in a week, or in a day?
Here’s a half-acre property in North Dallas that was planted last fall and winter, with hundreds of native and adapted plants and almost no lawn. The owner is a master gardener who is fascinated by plants and wants to try them all. These pictures were taken September 23— and we've had only an inch and a half of rain since May. There is no spray sprinkler system in this garden, just underground low-volume drip lines. And for a month this summer, there was no irrigation at all, after a lightning strike jumbled the irrigation controller's brain.
The paths are low-water use zoysia sod, mowed infrequently. Maintenance consists of walking around, picking a few weeds out of the mulch, maybe deadheading some flowers. But this yard is mostly to enjoy!
When I moved to Texas years ago, my mother-in-law said, 'Oh, I had a friend in Texas. She said it gets so hot in the summer the ground cracks open, and you look down and see Hell.'
I used to think that was an exaggeration, until this summer. Giant cracks that can swallow a whole baseball bat, the Llano and Guadalupe Rivers running dry--clearly we can’t keep on gardening the way we always have. But what’s the alternative? How do you cope with months of drought followed by five inches of rain in a week, or in a day?
Here’s a half-acre property in North Dallas that was planted last fall and winter, with hundreds of native and adapted plants and almost no lawn. The owner is a master gardener who is fascinated by plants and wants to try them all. These pictures were taken this week—and remember, we've had only one and a half inches of rain since May. There is no spray sprinkler system in this garden, just underground low-volume drip lines. And for a month this summer, there was no irrigation at all, after a lightning strike jumbled the irrigation controller's brain.
The plants are spaced out according to their mature size, which means you see some mulch for the first year or so. But you never have to pull out plants later because they've become too crowded. If you are willing to wait for the landscape to fill in, you will get much healthier root systems this way, since they have plenty of room and don't have to be disturbed later. The paths are low-water use zoysia sod, which only needs mowing every month or so. The fact about turf grass is, the root depth roughly equals the top growth--so the more you cut it, the more you have to water it, the more it grows and needs cutting--it's a vicious cycle, one which enriches your maintenance crew but doesn't make a lot of sense horticulturally.
This narrow back yard dropped off rather quickly to the alley, making entertaining impossible. Live oaks and scraggly shrubs prevented grass from growing, and the whole aspect was dismal. But with creative terracing and shade-tolerant planting, the space is now a lovely and functional place to have outdoor grilling parties, swim or just hang out.
Building the pool into the grade shows off the beautiful stonework, while easing the downhill transition. A stepped waterfall from the spa to the pool provides a soothing sound and sparkling reflections.
The pool cabana and outdoor kitchen were designed to complement the traditional brick house, with smooth ipe decking and bluestone walkways. Margarita, anyone?
For many of us, living in Texas and having a refreshing pool through the summer months is a necessity to survive. But a pool that eats up the whole back yard isn’t really the best use of space. At this Park Cities home, the original backyard was charm-free, and the pool was so big guests had to squeeze around the sides of it (first photo, below). The plaster, tile and coping were old and tired, too, so it was time to update.
Instead of just dressing up a bad design, the owners decided to remove the old pool and create more inviting, usable spaces. They felt that a southern, Charleston-style garden would echo the architecture of the house. As in Charleston, a small yard feels more spacious when broken into separate rooms for different uses.
The upper terrace was enlarged to create a cozy dining area. In the warmer months, family and friends gather around a big communal table. And in cooler weather, people can scoot their chairs up to the custom brick fireplace.
Separated by a brick planter and low trees, the lower terrace is a formal lawn bordered with a bluestone walk that complements the exterior of the Georgian-Federal style house. This tiny green space lets your eye rest from the hard surfaces of house, walls and terraces.
Here's a pool we designed recently to take advantage of great views of White Rock Lake. Instead of cramming the pool behind the house--next to the alley!--people can sit and enjoy the lake breezes and views from the new porch, outdoor kitchen and pool area.
It took longer to jump through city hoops to get approval for building a pool in the front/side yard. But all of the public spaces in the house are oriented to the lake (makes sense, doesn't it?), so there is little access from the house to the rear yard. Plus the back yard is full of lovely specimen cedar elms, which pool-building activity would have destroyed. So it was well worth the trouble to put the pool and all the entertaining spaces out front.
Many designs were explored in three dimensions, to figure out the best proportions for different elements.
Where's the party?!
Here's a pool we designed recently to take advantage of great views of White Rock Lake. Instead of cramming the pool behind the house--next to the alley!--people can sit enjoy the lake breezes and views from the new porch, outdoor kitchen and pool area.
It took longer to jump through city hoops to get approval for building a pool in the front/side yard. But all of the public spaces in the house are oriented to the lake (makes sense, doesn't it?), so there is little access from the house to the rear yard. Plus the back yard is full of lovely specimen cedar elms, which pool-building activity would have destroyed. So it was well worth the trouble to put the pool and all the entertaining spaces out front.
Many designs were explored in three dimensions, to figure out the best proportions for different elements.
We worked with an architect to make the pool cabana/outdoor kitchen comfortable and functional, as well as beautiful. And the spa, sunning area and fire features were tried out in different places, working around the existing slopes and trees to make the whole ensemble fit naturally into the site. Although it makes our 3D modeling person a little crazy, it's way cheaper to work this all out on paper first!
Where's the party?!
Garden lovers had a quintuple treat last Saturday during the Garden Conservancy's Open Days in Dallas. The weather was cool, overcast and perfect for taking pictures, and the 5 gardens delighted visitors with their diversity and quality. Here are some highlights:
The lead garden this year is a rarity in Dallas: Vertical! This Kessler Park Mediterranean villa is surrounded by terraces that make the most of the steep site overlooking the Stevens Park golf course in Oak Cliff. Visitors raved over the owners' hydrangea collection and the multiplicity of party spaces.
The tour continued with a charming Oak Cliff bungalow owned by plantsman and garden designer Mike Munsterman. The small lot is divided into a series of garden rooms for dining, vegetable gardening, cutting flowers and even raising city chickens.
You'd never suspect what lurks behind the garden walls of Homer Street. The original 1923 Tudor house has been restored to perfection, and a matching garden house/conservatory is a trip back to Edwardian England. In between, the sheer intensity of planting in the formal garden rooms had everyone asking, "Now what plant is that?". Amazing.
"Magic!" was the word heard most often at this Tulip Lane garden. The koi pond, the shady perennial garden, waterfalls and beautifully detailed gates, fireplace and walkways enchanted visitors. More than one asked, "Can I live here?" Stay tuned--we're working on finding great gardens for a fall tour, since many of our favorite garden plants in Dallas look best in October!
