The devil's gardener

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.

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 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 of overcrowding. If you are willing to wait for the landscape to fill in, you will get healthier root systems, since they have plenty of room and don't have to be disturbed later.

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!

 

The devil's gardener

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.

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Party in Preston Hollow: A dark and hilly yard gets a makeover

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?