Garden ideas for Central Texas yards
Design studies and inspiration for the kinds of projects we take on. Use them as a starting point for your own yard.
The curb-appeal front bed
Front yard · ~900 sq ft
A west-facing front yard on a typical Killeen lot, with St. Augustine that browned out every summer. The plan keeps a curved strip of lawn substitute and wraps the house in layered beds.
Key plants & materials
- Lindheimer and Gulf muhly for fall color
- Cenizo and agave as evergreen anchors
- Black-eyed susan and blackfoot daisy for summer bloom
- Flagstone steppers through decomposed granite
The downspout fix
Side and back yard · ~60 ft channel
Two downspouts dumped water against the slab every storm. A dry creek bed now carries runoff to the back corner, where it soaks into a planted swale.
Key plants & materials
- Local limestone boulders on the outside curves
- Mixed river rock in the channel
- Gregg's mistflower and coneflower on the banks
- Little bluestem to hold the soil
The backyard meadow
Backyard · ~1,400 sq ft
Half the backyard was a lawn nobody used. Replacing it with a prairie-style planting gave the family a mown path, a bench, and monarchs from September through November.
Key plants & materials
- Little bluestem as the base grass
- Purple coneflower, Mexican hat, black-eyed susan
- Antelope horns milkweed for monarchs
- Limestone block edging for a clean line
The patio under the elm
Backyard · ~500 sq ft
Bare dirt and exposed roots under a mature cedar elm. A dry-laid flagstone patio protects the roots, and shade natives fill the edges.
Key plants & materials
- Turk's cap for summer-long red flowers
- Inland sea oats along the fence
- Horseherb as a living groundcover
- Dry-laid flagstone, no concrete
Have a yard that looks like none of these?
Good. Those are our favorite projects. Send us a few photos and we'll tell you what's possible.