Are you looking to take your North Texas landscape to the next level? When you upgrade your landscape, you can make your property more appealing, functional, and enjoyable.
This might sound like a big undertaking, but it doesn’t have to be a massive change. Simple landscape enhancements can go a long way in transforming your property.
In this guide, we’ll dive into some of the simple but effective upgrades that you can make to your North Texas property. We’ll cover some of the important considerations to keep in mind and how to find the landscape enhancement services that are right for you.
Understanding Your Texas Landscape
Simple Landscaping Enhancements
Effective Upgrades for Curb Appeal
Water Features for a Zen Backyard
DIY Landscape Enhancements vs. When to Call Professionals
Choosing the Right Landscaping Company in North Texas
Here in North Texas, we have some unique challenges that must be considered before you invest in landscape enhancements. One of the biggest considerations is our dry climate. As a region that is prone to drought conditions, common landscape enhancements for your home like flowers and new shrubs might need some TLC.
Fortunately, there are solutions. This is a key reason why irrigation systems are so popular in our region. Along with that, smart plant choices are also important. We’ll cover the best plants for Texas heat.
Of course, not all landscape enhancements need to be plant-related. There are other great additions like decorative stone, water features, and landscape lighting that can go a long way in enhancing your property without water worries.
The decisions about which enhancements are right for you will depend on the specifics of your property as well as exactly what you’re looking for. Since every property is unique, you’ll want to make sure that you are choosing a customized solution.
Updating landscaping does not need to be an enormous undertaking in order to achieve your goals. Landscape enhancements can be as simple as plant installations and mulching. Maintaining a healthy lawn can also go a long way in keeping your property looking its best.
You can add a lot of value to your property with simple enhancements. Let’s look at a few ways to do just that.
If you are thinking about how to upgrade landscaping, you might be considering some plant and shrub installations.
Adding flowers is a great way to incorporate color and wow factor. If you’re looking for seasonal color, incorporating annual flowers can be a great way to upgrade your landscape with some new color.
With annual flowers in North Texas, you need to think about bloom time. A landscape designer who has a strong knowledge of plant material can ensure that there is always something colorful and blooming, no matter what the time of year.
You’ll also want to consider where on your property you’re installing the plants so that you make sure that you are meeting their needs in terms of access to sunlight and watering requirements.
Sometimes, homeowners are specifically looking for drought-tolerant plants that do not require as much water. Since drought conditions are common in our region, this makes sense. Some of the best plants for Texas heat include Abelia, Liriope, Lantana, and Barberry. These plants do not require as much water to continue to perform optimally and make a good choice for homeowners seeking a low-maintenance landscape.
Another way to upgrade landscaping is with a fresh coat of mulch. Mulch can be such a valuable addition to your Texas landscape. Not only does a freshly mulched plant bed look fantastic but the mulch also contributes undeniable health benefits like suppressing weeds, insulating plant roots, and adding nutrients to the soil.
While some homeowners like adding stone to their plant beds (and there is certainly a no-maintenance aspect to that), stone simply can’t offer the same benefits. You’re also limited to what you can plant in a stone garden since rocks can raise the soil temperature and create an environment that is not suitable for some plants. You’ll have to be a lot more selective in your plant choices if you’re going with stone.
Mulch can be beneficial to your landscape year-round. We recommend mulching twice a year, in both the spring and the fall. This helps you get all of the seasonal benefits out of mulching while also keeping your landscape looking great. We have many clients who mulch three times a year to maximize the benefits.
While we often think of mulching in terms of plant beds, mulch rings around trees are also a great way to upgrade your Texas landscape, particularly if you are adding some new trees. Mulch rings look great and also have some benefits to your trees, like insulating the roots and helping them to retain moisture.
Mulch rings also happen to make mowing around a tree easier. It can be really difficult to mow around a tree and people frequently end up bumping into the tree trunk, which can lead to damage and your tree’s decline. But extended mulch rings make mowing so much easier.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your property, you want to make sure that you don’t overlook your lawn. While this is not necessarily considered a landscape enhancement, we would be remiss in failing to mention it since the turf areas of your property go hand-in-hand with the landscaping.
The best lawns in North Texas are kept looking that way with some key lawn care services. Here’s a quick overview of what to keep in mind for the proper lawn care in Texas.
When it comes to the front yard, you want to think about curb appeal landscaping since this is the area of your property that is visible to everyone else.
Obviously, you as a homeowner enjoy your front yard and take pride in its appearance. But you also want to consider landscaping to add value and wow factor to your property.
Here are a few considerations when it comes to landscape enhancements in the front of your home.
Adding landscape lighting is a great way to boost the curb appeal of your property. An attractive landscape lighting design can be a game-changer. Now your property will not only be beautiful and enjoyable during the day, but in the evening hours, too.
For curb appeal lighting, you’ll want to consider lighting up some of the architectural features of your home. For instance, if you have beautiful stonework or maybe some columns on your front porch, these can be great features to light up.
Trees are another front yard feature that look gorgeous when they are lit up. When lit using various landscape lighting techniques, your trees and shrubs can take on a dramatic “look” in the evening hours.
While curb appeal is a key benefit of landscape lighting, it’s not the only one. Great landscape lighting will also make your property more functional, safe, and secure. You (and your guests) will be able to safely use and navigate the property at night. Landscape lighting can also be a deterrent to criminal activity.
Adding rock enhancements can also go a long way in updating landscaping to boost curb appeal. Decorative stone is an attractive addition that doesn’t require upkeep and care. You can also add large boulders as focal points.
We have found that “rock gardens” are popular because they look great without needing any maintenance.
You can create a rock garden by filling a plant bed area with crushed stone, stacking stones, and/or large boulders. You might also consider creative ideas such as having stones “spill” out of a decorative urn.
The plants in front of your home also have a significant impact on wow factor. Colorful flowers can add bright bursts of color and help soften hardscaping (like walkways and driveways).
If you have an existing plant bed, an easy way to upgrade landscaping is to replace old shrubs. Over time, shrubs can look tired and old. They might have also outgrown the area that they are in. An easy update is to replace these shrubs with something fresh and new.
Something as simple as where you install a plant can make a world of difference. In our industry we have a saying that goes “right plant, right place.” This just means that making sure you install plants in areas where they can perform their best is key to success. When this advice gets ignored, plants can really start to look subpar.
It is a critical factor when it comes to a successful landscape design. Unfortunately, even some “pros” install plants in places where they are never going to perform well. If you install a plant that needs sun in a shady area (or vice versa), it’s simply never going to look or perform its best.
Of course, another way to upgrade your landscape is with a brand-new plant bed. Or, you might consider extending an existing plant bed that is too small. You can have a lot of fun with a flower bed design that curves or follows a walkway.
As we talked about previously (in our section on mulching tips), whether you’ve just added or extended a new bed or you had an existing one, a fresh coat of mulch is also a great front yard landscaping idea for North Texas homeowners.
Water features for your yard are another popular landscape enhancement. While a water feature can be added anywhere on your property, they tend to be particularly popular in the backyard where they can be enjoyed privately.
Homeowners tell us that the addition of a water feature made their backyard more relaxing. The sound of running water is very soothing. It also has the added benefit of drowning out unwanted noise. With a water feature running, you might not be able to hear passing cars or neighbors. In this way, it can help you to have your own personal oasis. If you happen to live in a busy community, a water feature can transport you to a place of relaxation.
Of course, that’s not to say that you can’t install a water feature in your front yard. The most popular front yard water features are usually decorative fountains that help make a grand entrance.
There are many different types and styles of water features. Choosing what’s right for you will depend on factors such as where you’re installing it, how much space you have, and what style you’re seeking.
Some ideas for water features include:
If you are considering adding a water feature to your yard, you might be wondering if this is something that you can do on your own. It might not seem like that difficult of a process. If you’ve tried googling how to install a backyard water feature, you know that there are how-to videos out there.
But in reality, there is a lot involved with adding a water feature. Tackling a project like this on your own could lead to costly mistakes.
The biggest problem with a DIY water feature is usually the subpar materials that are available to homeowners. These low-quality products can lead to problems.
The trouble with using subpar materials is that they are more prone to rips, tears, and punctures. If you are installing a liner, for instance, and it breaks, you’re going to have leaks. Unfortunately, leaks aren’t always noticeable until the water feature is already up and running. That can mean starting over.
If you do install a DIY water feature and something goes on, the problem is yours to fix. But if you work with a landscape professional, and something should go wrong, they’ll make sure it’s fixed for you.
In general, we know that many homeowners consider DIY landscape enhancements instead of calling in a professional. But just like we talked about above with water features, often these projects can be more complicated than people tend to realize.
Of course, we know that many homeowners like gardening or working on their landscape. If you’re someone who likes planting or maintaining flowers around your home as a hobby, that might be a project that you can tackle on your own.
But often, people tell us that they don’t have the time or energy to handle all of their landscape enhancements on their own. This type of work can be arduous, particularly when you factor in the Texas sun. Something as simple as hauling mulch in a wheelbarrow can become back-breaking, exhausting work. Plus, it can easily use up an entire weekend of free time.
Here in North Texas, there are also snakes, stinging insects, and other pests that pose a threat within the landscape. As much as people enjoy spending time outside, they often tell us that they simply want to enjoy their landscape, rather than work on it.
For that reason, many homeowners do seek professional landscape enhancement services. This will also ensure professional-looking results.
When you choose a landscape professional to help upgrade your landscaping, you’ll be able to spend more time enjoying it and less time worrying about it.
Your property is unique and requires a unique and customized solution. In order to obtain that, you’ll need to make a wise choice in landscape enhancement services near Flower Mound, TX, and the North Texas area. You’ll want to choose a skilled landscaping professional.
This means working with a landscaper who will listen to your “wants and needs” while also using their expertise to make suggestions. You want to make sure that you’re not just choosing the type of landscaper who follows a list of orders or is just “checking a box.” Rather, you want a company that thinks outside of the box!
One way to narrow your choices is to spend time looking at websites for landscaping companies in North Texas. Make sure to look through photos of projects that they have completed.
We’d also caution against shopping on price. You obviously want to work with reasonably priced landscape enhancement services. But you don’t want CHEAP services. You deserve to get amazing results so you’re going to need a company that invests in high-quality products, equipment, and well-trained people. These are good reasons why one company might cost a little bit more than another.
Updating landscaping can be an exciting endeavor. It can really take your property to a whole new level. Hopefully, this guide has given you some ideas for various landscape enhancements that you might want to consider.
At Grassperson, we’re here to help however you need us. If you’d like more information on ways that you can upgrade landscaping at your North Texas property, then we are here to help. Since every property is different, we can develop a customized plan that is right for you.
If you are on the hunt for landscape enhancement services near Flower Mound, TX to help you upgrade your Texas landscape, we’d love for you to consider Grassperson. We love the opportunity to bring new life to North Texas properties, making them the envy of the neighborhood!
Ready to have a truly impressive Northern Texas landscape? Get in touch with us so we can talk about some enhancements that might work best for your unique property.
