A wrought iron fence takes a utilitarian structure and turns it into an expression of your individuality. By definition, fences are functional. That is, they are enclosures that present an adequate blockade around a yard or other such expanse of land for the purpose of security, primarily prohibiting or controlling intrusions from the outside.

But they can be oh-so-much more.

Wrought iron fences represent an acknowledgement by the homeowners that their living environment is not restricted to the primary structure. When you install a fence that is more than pure function, you use a comprehensive design approach that extends to the ends of your property lines. With the eloquent vocabulary found in wrought iron, you say that your home extends beyond your interior spaces, out through the windows and into the landscape design.

Today true wrought iron is not produced on a commercial scale. Because of the expense, true wrought iron is used mainly for authentic conservation projects. Most landscaping products described as wrought iron, such as wrought iron driveway gates and a wrought iron trellis, are actually made of something called mild steel. The term is still used because these items were formerly made of wrought iron or have the appearance of wrought iron.

Mild steel, a type of carbon steel that is relatively inexpensive to produce and has good welding properties, imposes few limitations on the freedom of design. It can be twisted and turned into interesting spirals and circles, leaves and grape clusters, woodland creatures and medieval gargoyles.

However, use a discerning eye when choosing the design for your wrought iron fence. An Italian Baroque pattern looks out of place with a modern landscape design, for example. Being a strong material, wrought iron works particularly well when it can showcase its intrinsic strength.

Some people forgo the elegance of wrought iron fences because of the lack of privacy they provide. But you can have both privacy and elegance by combining an iron fence with a living wall of plants.

What plants to use along such a fence line? Shrubbery is the obvious candidate. Select shrubs that will attain the desired height and width. You will also need to factor in the amount of sunlight the planted area will receive.

For a more formal look, use hedges. With the proper pruning regimen, a hedge can turn into a living, green privacy fence. They also have the advantage of giving you control over the height you want to have. Of course, the trade-off is in the added maintenance. Alternatively, you can design for low maintenance by planting shrubs that can be left to flourish in their predestined form.

Other garden landscape issues that you may want to address include mixing other plants within or up against this living wall. The mixture of plants can relieve the formal austerity of hedges. You can also layer plantings for maximum effect. By putting the tallest plant selections in the back row, shorter shrubs and tall perennials in the middle row, and your shortest plants in the front, you create an interesting vista.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Wrought Iron Fences or Landscaping Design

[tags]Wrought Iron Fences[/tags]

You’ve seen the headlines: Alicia, a major hurricane, hit the Upper Texas Coast in 1983. Hurricane Ike made landfall in 2008. In April, 2009, unnamed thunderstorms dropped record amounts of rain throughout the afternoon, five to six inches in some places.

Houston has a drainage problem. If for no other reason than these naturally occurring, yet unpredictable, weather patterns. The solution? A quality drainage system that protects your property, home and family from unwanted water.

A quality drainage system is all-encompassing. That is, it addresses all drainage issues including proper grading, the engineering process that creates positive drainage away from structures. A properly designed drainage system also takes into account neighboring properties and is careful not to drain onto them.

Your drainage system should include site-specific solutions. Sometimes the problem is the soil. Houston’s clay soil is infamous for its near-impermeable surface. Your Houston lawn service crew can help that situation with regular aeration. If you have drainage problems around garden beds, one solution is to raise the beds, a process that will lift your plants out of the waterlogged soil.

Drainage systems should have little negative visual impact. Like all good infrastructure, it should do its work beneath the surface and without a lot of fanfare and notice.

Downspouts and gutters should blend with the architecture of the house. French drains and channel drains should be filled with decorative gravel and stones. Deck drains can use specially-designed covers, usually made of metal, brass or stone, that actually enhance the look of your deck or patio design.

The right amount of drains is another critical aspect of a quality drain system. By using enough drains, you are able to keep the landscape relatively flat. Otherwise, surfaces have to be pitched and slanted so that they drain to the few installed drains. You could easily end up with a landscape that resembles a Wal-Mart parking lot.

A quality drainage system can be installed with little to no harm to trees and other vegetation. Tree preservation is critical during any construction project, but especially those where digging is involved. During the pre-planning phase, make sure measures are in place to take care of all your trees.

When interviewing drainage contractors, be sure to ask them for references from customers for whom they’ve installed drainage systems. When you speak to those references, ask them how the lawn looked two to three weeks after the installation.

If it’s a top-notch job, the grass should be back to normal by this time with no disrupting lines showing where the pipe was laid. If the contractor failed to care for the existing lawn and the grass was not in good shape within a relatively short time, move on to the next name on the list.

Drainage systems provide many benefits, but if you still need incentive, glance at the headlines again: Tropical Storm Frances struck the Upper Texas Coast in 1998. Nearly 37 inches of rain were recorded at the Port of Houston during Allison’s five day rampage in 2001.

Protect your valuables, both life and property, with a quality drainage system.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Quality Drainage or Landscaping Design

[tags]drainage systems, drainage contractors, French Drainage[/tags]

Modern outdoor lighting places heavy emphasis on architecture in such a way as to create a sense of living outdoors. It is more effect oriented than function oriented- as if the feeling of being inside has been taken from the home interior and placed around structures and gathering places throughout the yard. Selective illumination is then spaced around trees and gardens to distinguish the organic nature of outdoor space from the more sterile and cerebral elements of the inside of the house. This has to be done very carefully, though, so we do not undermine the feeling of modern living we aim to create.

Showcasing the architecture of the home itself is our top priority in a modern outdoor lighting. The house is the first thing people notice when they drive up to the property. No matter what we do to the landscape around it, the house defines the property. Its size and style make it the dominant on the landscape, and it is symbolizes the most personal and private elements of its residents.

Every house has certain elements that characterize it as unique in comparison to neighboring residences. These features lend it character, and help it take on a life of its own. When prospective homeowners buy a house, they are often unconsciously drawn to architectural designs that most reflect their own personalities and lifestyles.

The modern outdoor lighting expert understands just how important of home architecture and looks for ways to highlight these key features as representative of the entire home design. At night, only the elements illuminated will be visible, so it is essential that the basic points of definition be pinpointed and mapped out. In order to do this correctly, landscape architects first surveys the property by walking a full 360 degrees around the house.

They isolate and itemize these features first, and then they go back and determine from which vantage points they can be illuminated to give them maximum preeminence on the landscape. Once the survey has been finished, they make their calculations integrate them into the master landscaping plan. This master plan makes it easier to then work with a professional lighting company whose abilities in modern outdoor lighting can be directed not only toward a home-value improvement, but toward a property-value one as well.

The type of equipment used in modern outdoor lighting must be premium quality. It should be tested and rated as specification grade-a level of quality that far exceeds retail home lighting fixtures. Specification grade fixtures can be installed by the outdoor lighting contractor in one of two fashions. They can be installed from concealed positions that create patterns of apparently sourceless illumination over rooftops, balconies, and chimneys. Or, they can be installed as decorative elements in their own right that beautify and compliment home architecture with ornamental fixture colors and designs. In both scenarios, however, the angle at which the light strikes the rooftop, balcony, window, or chimney is the most important issue. Without striking the proper angle of incidence, there will be glare that can spill over into neighboring properties, or there will be shadows that can obscure entire portions of the house.

Once the home is illuminated, a circle of luminance then expands past its walls into the landscape beyond. Public gathering areas such as pools and patios are always paid close attention to in modern outdoor lighting. With the right type of lighting, a pool will become a mirror to the home, and its patio will become a new form of living room, punctuated by anything from decorative lamp posts that stand like sentinels around its perimeter to pool of artificial moonlight cast by mercury vapor lights around the bottoms of nearby trees. Ornamental landscape features like statues and fountains are also treated with special emphasis in modern outdoor lighting design. As are artistic creations, they contribute a powerful sense of a uniquely human experience to the outside world in which they are displayed.

While the intention up until this point has been to illuminate structure that will make guests feel at home outdoors, modern outdoor lighting designer must also pays homage to the natural world that surrounds these islands of comfort. In many projects, bamboo shoots, rows of yew trees, and the larger species of boxwoods can be planted near garden patios, outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, and patios near Zen gardens.

Such organic elements can subsequently be magnified with uplights that turn them into walls of living greenery. Many such treatments can be done throughout the property to create the feeling that guests are lounging in outdoor living rooms that further bring the indoors to the outdoors, the comforts of the home to the diversity and freedom of the yard.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Modern Outdoor Lighting or Landscaping Design

[tags]Modern Outdoor Lighting[/tags]

Houston landscape designers are presented with unique challenges: coastal plains weather, dense soil, drainage and flooding issues, and a variety of insects and plant diseases. Whether your project is a small garden design that only encompasses landscape planting or is a complex construction project, you can get a real return on your investment by hiring professional Houston landscape designers.

Houston Landscape Designers: Choosing One
It is important to distinguish between off-the-shelf landscaping design and a designer who can capture your personal vision. In the interview process, always ask to see a portfolio and visit the company website to determine if the design firm under consideration has the sense of style you appreciate and is one who can design a landscape that complements your home and lifestyle.

In your early discussions, try to be as specific as possible about your wants and needs. Perhaps your family would enjoy a summer kitchen or a luxury swimming pool. Or maybe your want other hardscapes, such as an arbor, winding pathways or distinctive gates. Understanding these landscape elements, their relationships to each other and the open space, and interpreting them well separates the best Houston landscape designers from the rest of the pack.

Houston Landscape Designers: The Process
After selecting a landscape designer, the next step in the design process develops out of the meeting notes, site analysis, program of uses, and the design professional’s experience. At this conceptual level, the landscape designer commits the overall design to paper, including the general use areas and their sizes, landscape lighting, irrigation systems and drainage systems, lawn areas, and plantings. An overall cost study is developed as well.

Once you have agreed on the overall design intent, sizes of use areas, general material selections and their applications, you are ready to begin the implementation and construction phase. The documentation for this phase covers three areas: 1) landscaping design drawings for permitting. 2) landscaping design drawings to convey final design intent and material selections for you and the installation contractor 3) landscaping design drawings, called construction documents, with specifications for materials, specifications for their installation and installation methods.

As for permits, each municipality has its own set of requirements for landscape plan approvals. The norm is a submittal of the entire permitting package to be approved or rejected by a committee board. For this reason, it is important to hire a landscaping designer who is fluent in these areas, one who knows what vital information to include, such as lot coverage ratios, engineered drainage plans, pool fencing layout and specifications.

Houston Landscape Designers: The Long View
Finally, it is also a good idea to use a landscaping design company that performs project management and landscaping installation in addition to the design work. You want someone with great ideas who also knows the availability and best use of materials, local contractors and their methods of construction, and overall cost and budget development. In short, you want a landscape designer who can deliver an on-time, on-budget landscape design that flourishes in the Houston climate over the long term.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Houston Landscape Designers or Landscaping Design

[tags]Houston Landscape Designers[/tags]

“Green” is an interesting word these days. It, of course, still means the primary color green. However, recently it has taken on the new meaning of being ecologically helpful, prudent and sustainable. Within the context of a home landscape, it means talking about a “green” green garden.

With a design for a green garden, the goals are basically the same as for any other landscape project, except we focus on using materials, plant and non-plant, that reduce the Big Four of ongoing maintenance: watering, trimming, weeding and mulching.

Following are some ideas for your home landscape design that use less energy and money-to help you get a green garden and still get to keep some green in your pocketbook:

- Plant drought-tolerant and disease-resistant varieties of bushes, trees, ornamentals and grass. Good choices include pampas grass, spring bulbs, and black-eyed Susans. You might even choose older rose varieties, which are hardier than modern large-flowered hybrids. A green garden such as this reduces the water requirement and the number of chemical treatment needed to fight diseases. Houston landscape designers will be able to point you in the right direction for other plants that grow well in our climate.

- Install drought-tolerant lawns or lawns that don’t require mowing on a frequent basis. In some areas, you might even consider artificial turf.

- For ground cover, consider the varieties that need little regular trimming, such as Ardisia, Mondo or Liriope. These types of ground covers reduce the need to mow, weed and mulch and yet still create beauty-perfect for your green garden.

- Use gravels as a ground cover to reduce regular mulching, mowing and weeding. Gravels cut down your cost, but at the same time add interest and texture to your garden landscape.

- The use of urns and vessels to plant annual flowers-rather than using large bed areas that need replanting and regular maintenance-has a two-fold benefit. It reduces the cost of replanting and allows you to keep the flowers fresh looking while keeping maintenance contracts within your budget.

- With your hardscapes, choose dark or earth tone materials that require minimal upkeep to look great. In your patio design and other areas with hard surfaces, use long-lasting materials like concrete, stone, artificial wood or pressure-treated pine, as opposed to cedar which has a relatively short life span.

- Boost irrigation systems by adding a water retention pond as part of your green garden. French drains work well, too. Professional drainage contractors can design drainage systems that allow storm water to be retained on the property. This attribute reduces run-off to the city’s system and allows the water to recharge into the earth. If you have a large enough property, you may be able to use the water in the sprinkler system.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Green Garden Design or Landscaping Design

[tags]Green Garden Design, Landscaping design[/tags]

The Houston landscape today is very different from the landscape that European settlers found when they first arrived in Texas. At that time, the areas around Buffalo Bayou and its many tributaries was a dark swamp populated by cypress and magnolia trees. In many places, the forest was so impenetrable (and filled with mosquitoes) that even the Karankaway Indians would not venture too far in.

Over the years, the Houston landscape gave way to industrialization and residential development. It has never lost its greenery or its waterways, however, and today is still home to a wide variety of oak and pine tree species that line the bayous and scenic roadways that connect the outer rims of the city to downtown.

Houston’s climate is hot and humid in the summer and temperate and humid during the winter. This makes it very amenable to growing a plethora of both exotic and indigenous plants. Because of this, it also makes it possible for the professional landscaper to provide the homeowner with an eclectic range of options when it comes to styles and types of gardens. Because of our mild winters, we seldom see much freeze damage to plants, shrubs, and trees. In fact, Houston landscapes are known throughout the South for having flowers of some sort or the other throughout the year. There are a number of species, such as pansies and cyclamen, which routinely bloom in the winter.

The downside of the Houston landscape is the heavy rainfall which we can receive at virtually any time of year. If the temperature is warm or hot, heavy rainfall will produce outbreaks of mold and fungus within a matter of 24 hours. This is not only bad for human allergies, but for garden plants as well.

Steps have to be taken to minimize the impact of mold and fungus on gardens by proactively managing irrigation and at times chemically treating gardens with anti-mold and fungal agents. This type of work should never be done by anyone other than an expert botanist who knows the effects of such treatment on each species of plant within the garden, and who understands the impact that irrigation changes may have on the garden as a whole.

Throughout almost every corner of the Houston landscape, we find heavy clay soils that pose a number of challenges to gardeners and landscapers. Houston soil tends to hold a great deal of water when it rains. Drainage systems have to be built into gardens to prevent standing water from accumulating around sensitive plants that can die if exposed to excessive water.

One method of doing this is to aerate the soil so that water percolates in far enough that it can be absorbed by plant roots and filter down below the harder layers of clay near to the surface. At times, it is necessary to take the clay out to some degree and replace it with bedding soil. Larger gardens or more elaborate Houston landscape projects may require concealed drains that route the water to retention ponds and curbs.

Because water cannot always easily filter through the clay soils, they can sometimes be poor in nutrients. Amending the soil may be necessary to enable it to better host a diversity of plant life, or specific exotic plants that require nutrients that do not occur naturally in Houston landscapes. The inconsistent moisture content of the earth here can also cause other problems for landscapers.

The expanding and contracting of the earth can actually cause the ground to shift and move. During the summer, the soil dehydrates to the point that cracks often appear in the ground. When sudden rains roll in from the Gulf, the water fills the cracks and causes earth displacement. Structural foundations will be strained as a result, even in the largest of buildings. (This is why foundation repair is such a successful industry here on the Gulf Coast).

To compensate for the instability of the Houston landscape, professional designers have to use creative methods to ensure that the outdoor structures they build will remain in place and intact. Patios and pool decks are often built on piers and beams concealed underground. Pools are made with thicker concrete and thicker rebar. While these preventative measures cannot overcome the forces of Nature, they can provide enough of a sturdy framework to maintain the stability and cosmetics of exterior forms.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Houston Landscaping or Landscaping Design

[tags]Houston Landscap And Southern Gardens[/tags]

Houston landscape architects are much more than gardeners and lawn maintenance professionals. They are degreed professionals whose training includes botany, irrigation science, construction, and outdoor lighting techniques. These multi-specialists often spend up to seven years in undergraduate and graduate studies to master these disciplines, and the expertise they develop in the process enables them to introduce sophisticated designs and structures to properties that magnify the aesthetics of Nature and unify human architecture with topography and vegetation.

To best serve their clients, Houston landscape architects begin every project with an in-depth consultation with the client. Understanding the expectations of the homeowner is necessary prior to initiating any work on the property. Some people are looking to simply improve the appearance of the front and back yard, and consequently have a strong preference for gardens, natural pools, fountains, and ornamental sculptures.

Others are looking to create outdoor entertainment space that offers comfort and amenities equivalent to those found indoors. Still others are looking to create special play areas for their children. It is the duty of the landscape professional to ask as many specific questions as possible to get a clear picture not only of what the ultimate purpose of the design is going to be, but also what details will be most suitable to that homeowner’s particular tastes and lifestyle.

What next when hiring a Houston Landscape Architect
The next step in the design process is a walk-through of the property where a thorough analysis is made of the terrain. Topography can vary significantly in different parts of Houston. Landscape architects often work on properties that lie close to flood plains and bayous that present significant challenges to water drainage. Devising effective methods of managing water runoff without diminishing the property’s aesthetic is one of the many nuances of this science that can only be learned after years of disciplined training and experience.

Sunlight is also a major factor that landscape architects study in detail before proposing a preliminary design. The amount of shade versus light, and the amount of time each day that certain areas receive light, will play a major role in determining what plant species can be added to the landscape. Designers also have to take into account how the overall design will look in comparison to adjacent properties. If neighboring homes, buildings, or yards are too blatantly visible from a client’s locations, steps will have to be taken to create a more self-contained aesthetic that provides the homeowner with a more unique and personal experience.

The ultimate purpose of this analysis is to develop a strategy for shaping the terrain to meet the objectives of the Houston homeowner. The true Houston landscape architect works with Nature, not against it, by looking at the many elements that constitute the big picture of the landscape and seeing where they can be developed according to the desires of the clients. Areas that are shaded by trees can often be developed into summer gathering areas.

Places near the backs of yards, or tucked away in the corners of the lot, and play host to a patio that overlooks a quiet fountain. Some areas, such as the places along fence lines and areas adjacent to the house itself, are highly suitable to ornamental gardens planted in any number of styles. Open spaces should be utilized as play areas for children and building areas for arbors, outdoor kitchens, and swimming pools.

Because of Houston’s temperate climate, it is possible to plant almost any kind of vegetation here. Landscape architects can offer their clients a wide range of choices when it comes to garden species, shrubbery, hedges, and trees. Professional landscapers need to remind their clients, however, that the actual choices in vegetation should be based on the goal of complimenting the architecture of the home and fully developing the greenery of grasses and indigenous tree species. Both the size and type of vegetation can play a significant role in how a home looks to visitors. Garden styles like Italian, French, Zen, and Modern all add very distinctive elements to a landscape that are more suitable to some architectural styles than others.

Last but not least, one of the most important benefits that Houston landscape architects offer to their clients is an entirely litany of specialized services subcontracted from professionals who specialize in certain forms of masonry and construction. Swimming pools, outdoor buildings, special walkways, and landscape lighting represent very unique niche disciplines that must be carefully integrated into a comprehensive landscaping plan in order to truly serve the best interest of the homeowner.

It is best to let a professional manage these services because contractors tend to be more comfortable working in partnership with other contractors. More effective communication is ensured in this manner, and a more harmonious blend of individual parts to the whole will result.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Houston Landscape Architects or Landscaping Design

[tags]Landscape Architectural Services, Landscape design[/tags]

Houston can be a very difficult environment for garden designers. The heavily compacted, clay-like soil of our landscape makes it hard for the roots of certain plants and trees to gain a sturdy foothold in the earth. Heavy rains can suddenly flash flood yards and streets in a matter of hours, drowning and killing plants that lack professionally-installed drainage systems. These are not the only challenges that garden designers are faced with, either. In summer months, high humidity often pushes the heat index well over 100 degrees and creates a breeding ground for plant stress and illness.

Such climatic extremes ultimately take their toll on both organic and inorganic elements of the landscape. Pool patios, outdoor decks, landscape lighting, masonry, and brickwork all suffer along with plant life during these wide swings in temperature and barometric pressure. To better counteract these negatives, Houston garden designers have to bring more to the table than simple cultivation skills. They have to understand construction and architecture, and they must have in-depth knowledge of what types of materials will best work in different parts of the Houston landscape.

Irrigation and drainage expertise are two critical skills that absolutely must be integrated into any organic designs that professionals create. Water delivery and runoff must systems must be concealed unobtrusively, but still work with impeccable effectiveness, so that ornamentation, functionality, and structural components all blend seamlessly into an aesthetic that continues to grow and thrive in spite of wind, rain, and temperature changes.

Garden designers can be categorized into four basic types of companies. Each type offers its own unique level of expertise and quality of service.

1. Conceptual Garden Designers
These professionals create a master plan for your garden, but they do not handle of the construction of outdoor structures or the planting of vegetation. Such a master plan is truly a valuable tool to begin with.

However, without someone to help the client launch the logistics of the plan, complications invariably develop when the homeowner attempts to transfer the conceptual to the actual. Unexpected variables such as the costs and viability of specific building materials, labor costs of construction, attempting to deal with subcontractors more comfortable working with general contractors than clients direct, and the attempts to establish some form of ongoing maintenance soon transform the deceptively simple into the frustratingly complex.

2. Landscaping Garden Designers
These professionals specialize in the installation and cultivation of garden plants, and they are excellent at meeting client expectations within the parameters of a specified budget. However, few of these companies have any advanced training in formal garden design. Clients looking for the sophistication of a parterre garden, traditional French garden, Italian garden, or Japanese garden will probably have to look elsewhere to locate a company with experience in installing these very complex forms.

3. Horticultural Specialists in Garden Design
Horticultural experts normally work in nurseries and garden centers and offer consulting services to the community at large. These people truly know a great deal about soils and plants. They even know what types of plants will grow best in certain locations within a yard. Some have also gained training and experience in building irrigation and drainage systems, and many have picked up basic construction skills in planter and patio design. You must be cautious, however, not to allow their expertise and enthusiasm to oversell you on the number of plants you need. Horticulturalists love to create variety through species diversity, not necessarily ornamental design.

4. Landscape Architects as Garden Designers
These professionals specialize in combining advanced design and horticultural expertise with a sophisticated understanding of advanced construction and general contracting. They are able to take a garden design plan, subcontract the specialists needed for each element of that plan, then manage a team of teams in the construction of outdoor buildings and hardscapes. These companies can harmonize inorganic forms with the complex, organic patterns of carefully selected and cultivated vegetation.

They can weave the entire landscape into an outdoor living experience that respects home architecture and compliments functionality with superior aesthetics. Landscape architects plan, initiate, manage, complete, and preserve the garden through a program of ongoing maintenance. The only negative for many Houstonians is the higher fees these companies tend to charge. As a general rule, landscape architects such as Exterior Worlds do most of their work in the wealthier neighborhoods of River Oaks, Tanglewood, Bellaire, and Rice Village.

Ultimately, you always have a choice when deciding which type of garden designer you want to work with. Carefully weigh your options beyond the basic consideration of cost before making a final decision. Such factors as plant life, maintenance, aesthetic sensibility, and uniqueness of design all represent both tangible and intangible factors that play a great role in determining what will ultimately work best for you.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Garden designers or Landscaping Design

[tags]garden designers houston[/tags]

Hardscapes-the non-plant material of your landscape design-play a critical part of any garden landscape project. When combined with green, growing plants, they create an outdoor living environment that invites you, your family and friends to come in, to sit and enjoy, to meander and explore.

Types of Hardscapes
- Pool decking. This hardscape runs from the pool to the house, connecting these two major areas. Popular choices are flagstone, brick or wood. Special attention needs to be paid to using non-slippery surfaces since it is part of a wet area.

- Entry walks. Both functional and aesthetic, entry walks provide easy access to your home and yards. The look of this particular hardscape can range from a grand entrance to a simple garden path.

- Wooden decks and arbors. Although most people attach them to the house, decks can also be freestanding. Other popular hardscape structures made of wood include arbors, pergolas, loggias and gazebos that create a decorative entrance or frame a focal point. They are attractive ways to make a strong statement or point to a sense of something happening on the other side of a fence.

- Gardens pathways. Paths direct the eye and connect different spaces. They can be dressed up or dressed down, depending on the material used.

- Retaining walls. A retaining wall is usually a short wall used to hold the soil in place. A good landscape designer will construct these hardscapes in such a way that they blend in or create visual interest.

- Seat walls. These low walls bring definition to a space-and also double as seating when entertaining large groups.

- Driveways and motor courts. Typically vast expanses of concrete, driveways and motor courts can be constructed in ways that complement the house and landscape design.

For Your Consideration
There are many different types of hardscape materials. They include:
- Concrete. A popular choice, concrete is durable, inexpensive and can be poured into a site-specific shape. It can be colored, stained or textured to create long-lasting beauty.

- Pavers. A man-made brick that recalls old world charm, pavers can be installed to create intricate patterns, including cobblestone. Laid on sand or a concrete base, usually without mortared joints, they are environmentally friendly.

- Wood decking. When choosing wood as your hardscape material, the byword is dutiful and beautiful. Pressure-treated pine is the mainstay of decks, but cedar and a South American wood called ipe (pronounced ee-pay) are also popular. Cedar, which has a natural resistance to decay, is an exceptional choice for arbors because of its dimensional stability. It lies flat, stays straight, retains fasteners and provides a firm base for many types of stains and paints. Wood decking is great for tree preservation because of its very small footprint when combined with proper post-construction techniques.

- Stone. Types of stone used in hardscape construction include cut limestone, sandstone, quartzite and slate. These materials are available in cut pieces, like square, rectangles or irregular pieces. Stone is normally laid on a reinforced concrete slab (usually 4″ thick), cemented, and then grouted between the joints.

- Cast stone. A masonry product that provides ornamental or functional features to buildings and other structures, cast stone gives the appearance of natural stones such as limestone, granite, slate, travertine or marble. They are made from fine and coarse aggregates, Portland cement, mineral oxide color pigments, chemical admixtures and water. Shapes include squares for paving, columns, planters, door surrounds and are available in virtually any color.

Drain Away
An important component of any hardscape project, a landscape drainage system should be taken seriously-especially with Houston’s infamous torrential downpours. It makes the difference between having usable hard surfaces or dealing with seasonal small lakes and swamps. A skillful landscape designer can design patio and driveway drains in a way so that they invisible or, at the very least, discrete.

Lights! Action!
Landscape lighting and water-such as an outdoor water fountain or swimming pool-can bring your hardscape elements to life. If used, lighting and water will, of course, require electrical and plumbing work. However, both elements really ratchet up the impact. Lighting makes your landscape a 24-hour-a-day delight and water provides movement, creating both visual and auditory pleasures. They are the killer apps of the landscape design world.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Hardscape Design or Landscaping Design

[tags]Hardscape Design[/tags]

In your landscape design, a wrought iron trellis creates an accessory accent. It gives the eye a place to rest when viewing the landscape as a whole. Most often, wrought iron trellises are paired with plants, usually a vine, to give the plants an acceptable place to climb to higher places. Trellises are also effective when situated in an open expanse to provide elevation.

Part of the landscaping vocabulary called garden structures, a category that includes outdoor gazebos, garden arbors and garden arches, trellises can be made into a dizzying variety of shapes and styles. Just to name a few of the wonderful designs you will find: symmetrical grids, simple lines, repeating patterns, ornate flourishes, fleur-de-lis, trefoils and realistic elements like grapes or small birds.

A wrought iron trellis is a thoughtful element in any landscape, but it becomes particularly effective from a visual point of view when combined with a wrought iron fence or wrought iron gates in the same motif. By picking up the same theme and using it in different places, you unite the landscape.

Another feature of landscape architecture that trellises play off well against are outdoor water fountains. The combination of solid iron and soft green, moving water and soothing sound, can be entrancing. A trellis can also be an effective addition to your patio design by providing a place for the softening touch of greenery, perhaps against a blank wall. They can be put to good use in formal and informal outdoor rooms, too.

Besides the pleasing aesthetics that a wrought iron trellis provides, it can have some practical uses as well. It can serve as an attractive screen to hide any unsightly elements in your yard, such as a utility easement or air-conditioning unit. A trellis can be put to work as a de facto room divider to separate different zones. For example, you can use it to create the illusion of a transition area between an outdoor kitchen and an open-air deck.

A trellis can be worked into practically any home landscape design, even a theme landscape. A Mediterranean landscape design, with its emphasis on casual spaces for entertainment and characterized by the practical vegetation found in the Mediterranean area, is ready-made for trellises. In an English garden design, you are almost required to have one! A trellis even works in a modern landscape design. With the right design, of course. You might even think about using it as an interesting juxtaposition to a contemporary water fountain.

An important consideration for any outdoor trellis is its hardiness. In Houston, a trellis must withstand the extremes of our weather from the blistering heat of summer to the regular torrential rainstorm to the occasional freeze.

Metal that has been galvanized and powder coated, in particular, works well for our climate. While the initial expense will be a little more than with plain metal, in the long run, it usually turns out to be a better investment because it lasts longer and is easier to maintain.

Jeff Halper has a passion for landscaping and landscape design, for more information visit Exterior Worlds you can read more about Wrought iron Trellis or Landscaping Design

[tags]Wrought Iron trellis[/tags]