Subtle Additions

For this one of our client's property, we feature all of the subtle additions that have come together, over the years, to make their landscape inviting and comfortable. This property is located in the Tarrytown neighborhood of Austin, Texas. It stands out from the rest of the neighborhood, not only because of the masonry work on the exterior of the house, but also because of its elegant landscape. Let's get into a breakdown of our favorite landscaping elements on this property.

Drainage and Irrigation

There is a landscape drainage system that drains out to the front of the property, on the edge of the sidewalk, before the gray steps. The PVC pipe's color is white and it stands out from the color of the sidewalk, which makes it a bit of an eye sore, but that's nothing a bit of mesh and color matching couldn't fix. We like that there are no other obvious signs of a drainage system, like a riverbed or drain, in plain sight. This makes it a great example of a subtle addition which helps keep the look of the front lawn natural and comfortable.

Photo taken from the sidewalk of the front side of the house.

Paving Stones

Other subtle additions we appreciate are the inconspicuous paving stones that lead up to the secondary entrance of the house. They are minimal, installed without edging, and contrast well with the gravel around them. The important take away form this walkway is that it does not compete for visual attention with the main entrance of the house, even though both entrances are on the front side of the house. The plants in this area were kept small, the pavers and gravel all have an earth tone color, and the tree does a great job at hiding this entrance of the house too. All of these points in conjunction with each other make this walkway a great example of a subtle addition.

Photo taken from the front lawn of the secondary entrance of the house.

Worthy Mentions

Some more landscaping elements on this property worth mentioning:

• Subtle copper accents around the house.
• Seating area, in the front yard (underneath a tree), matching the masonry work of the house.
• Mature plants to compliment the tall size of the house.