Landscaping in North Texas: 6 Steps for Success
Color, variety and texture are the three big keys to a gorgeous landscape no matter what the size of your yard. A beautiful landscape can drastically improve your home’s “curb appeal” and make your property the envy of the entire neighborhood.
If your North Texas yard has you less-than-impressed, take it to the next level with some simple (but effective) steps. These landscaping projects aren’t hard, and they don’t require a massive investment of your time. They can, however, quickly transform your yard into the private retreat from the world you desire.
1) Pick Low-Maintenance Plants for Your Projects
You want to enjoy your yard, not spend all your time tending it, so pick plants that can thrive in North Texas landscapes without a lot of extra attention.
Crinum plants, or spider lilies, for example, grow well in the area, and their draping foliage and large, fragrant blooms make them a late-summer favorite. Daylilies flower best in full sun and love the heat, so they can quickly liven up bare patches in the yard. Fall Asters and Black-eyed Susans are both Texas natives, so they’re hardy, drought-tolerant plants that will provide loads of color in the fall.
2) Adorn Your Front Yard with All Kinds of Flowers
A bright array of flowers in your front yard will soften your landscape and make your home seem more inviting to guests. Pay particular attention to the areas in your front yard that are visible from the street and near the entrance of your home when you’re looking for places to add flowers.
As you plant, pay attention to the mature height and form of everything you intend to cultivate. Put the flowers that will grow tallest and thickest in the back and short plants that flower close to the ground or throw their blooms up on delicate stems in the front. Try to aim for a mix that will have some plants flowering in the spring, while others take over in the summer and fall for ongoing interest.
3) Add Some Climbing and Hanging Vines
Letting loose, blooming vines climb over fences, up retaining walls and around lamp posts automatically creates a romantic, secluded feel that will set your landscape apart from all others. Because of the way they grow, vines are perfect when you don’t want bulky shrubs taking up space but still want something flowering and green near a structure.
Clematis vines grow quickly (up to eight feet in a season), and their colorful blooms look fantastic draped over arbors and pergolas or flowing out of large containers. Coral honeysuckle will attract hummingbirds to your yard, and wisteria adds instant southern charm.
4) Make Use of Planters and Baskets
If you want to liven up your steps, porch, back deck or the front of your home, make liberal use of planters and hanging baskets. They’re easy to maintain, and bring instant visual interest and a sense of comfortable abundance to an area.
If you’re uncertain about your ability to design a beautiful garden, pots, planters and window boxes are a great way to get some practice. You can turn them into small, self-contained gardens just by remembering the following rule: You need filler, thrillers and spillers in each grouping. Find a dense, low plant that fills in the space, something that will bloom big and bright to thrill the eyes and something that will spill over the edge and drape down the pots as it grows.
5) Capitalize on Blooming Shrubs
Who says shrubbery has to be dull green all the time? Texas sage, red yucca and oleander are native shrubs that put out bright, vivid blooms that instantly add character and charm to your home year after year. Vitex, or Chaste Tree, actually needs the Texas heat to flower best, and Fringe Flower starts blooming in early spring and can continue throughout the summer.
You can mix evergreen shrubs with early-spring bloomers for extra color, and use low-growing shrubs as accent pieces wherever you need a little green “filler” to soften the look in a spot.
6) Pay Attention to the Driveway
Your driveway serves a necessary function — but it certainly isn’t pretty on its own. You can preserve its practicality and still create a soft, inviting look through the careful addition of flowing flower beds around its edges.
Here, you want to pick slow-growing plants and flowers that won’t creep into the driveway all the time. Mix plants with different textures and colors around landscaping rocks for additional beauty and interest, and don’t be afraid to curve the beds to soften the driveway’s hard lines.
If you aren’t sure about your options, it’s okay: Your local landscape professional will be more than happy to help you examine your choices and make all of your North Texas landscaping dreams come true.
