Category: Landscape Construction

How to Break up the Monotony of Working From Home

Chances are good you or someone you know works from home. The pandemic left a permanent mark on American society with many employees forced to work remotely, and now doing so happily, and voluntarily. But working from home has its drawbacks. One – it can become monotonous when you’re stuck in the same space for hours on end.

One way to break up the monotony is to create an outdoor work or living space. When you work and live at home, it’s helpful to create different spaces to break up your day. Create individual spaces for regular routines and rituals like: your morning coffee, checking emails, planning, research, and an afternoon break.
Plus, more time outdoors has proven health benefits like
  • Improving your mood
  • Improving energy levels
  • Relieving stress
  • Resting your eyes and brain
  • Enhancing memory

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Set up an Outdoor Office

Consider setting up an outdoor office space where you can work in the fresh air and natural light. Invest in a sturdy outdoor table and chair set, and make sure you have access to a power source if you need it. If you’re worried about the elements, invest in a sunshade or outdoor umbrella to provide some shade.

But what could you do with an outdoor workspace? 

  • Take calls and host coaching sessions
  • Check emails
  • Laptop work
  • Writing and editing

Create a Cozy Seating Area

If you have a patio or deck, add some comfortable outdoor furniture, like a sectional, lounge chairs, or even a hammock, to create a cozy seating area. You can also add a fire pit or outdoor heater to keep you warm during chilly days or nights. This will create a relaxing atmosphere and provide a change of scenery from your indoor workspace.

  • Create a “thinkery” for meditation and brainstorming
  • Invite your coworkers for a meeting or lunch
  • Entertain and socialize after hours

 

Install an Outdoor Kitchen

Take your lunch outside! Consider installing an outdoor kitchen, which can include a grill, sink, and storage space. Cooking outside can provide a break from indoor cooking, and it’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors. You can also add a bar area and outdoor refrigerator to make your outdoor space feel like a second living room. Enjoy the fresh air, a more enjoyable break, and an easier cleanup.

Create a Garden Space

Supercharge your creativity and productivity. Creating a garden space is a great way to transform your backyard into an oasis. A variety of plants and flowers adds color and texture to your outdoor space, and your mindset. You can also add a small vegetable garden or herb garden, which can provide fresh produce for your meals. Being surrounded by greenery and nature can also help you feel more relaxed and refreshed. Which is proven to improve productivity. We work best when we’re less stressed!

Aromas like Jasmine, Rose, Geranium, and Lavender, in addition to many others, can go a long way to refresh your mind and arrest body fatigue.

II. Gardens at Verde Vista, Georgetown, TX

Add some water features

Adding a water feature, like a fountain, pond, or small waterfall, can create a relaxing atmosphere and provide a soothing sound. Water features can also attract birds and other wildlife, which can be a great distraction from work. Just make sure to maintain and clean the water feature regularly to prevent any unwanted pests or bacteria.

What can you really get done outside?

  • Phone calls (use your earbuds to help with ambient noise)
  • Host meetings or brainstorming sessions
  • Write or draw
  • Anything you do on a laptop
  • Make a plan: whiteboard + stand = mobile planning station
  • Take a break!

Transforming your backyard into an outdoor living space can provide a much-needed break from the monotony of working and living in the same place. By creating a cozy seating area, installing an outdoor kitchen, creating a garden space, setting up an outdoor office, and adding some water features, you can create an oasis that will help you feel more relaxed and refreshed and be more productive.

 

Contact us here to get on our calendar for your complimentary landscape design consultation today. It’s that time of year, space fills up quickly!

We proudly serve Austin and its greater metropolitan areas including Liberty Hill, Leander, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Salado, Bertram, and Lago Vista!

Landscaping for New Homeowners: The Benefits of Professional Landscape Design and Construction in Texas

Moving into a new home is an exciting experience, and customizing the landscape design to fit your family’s needs and style is one of the most enjoyable parts of the process. But any Texan can tell you there are a few things you should know and options to consider when building a new home and installing landscaping in Texas – like the occasional rock; indigenous, water-friendly plants; and outdoor living options, because we can! With an abundance of natural elements to work around or integrate, and a variety of options on the table, professional landscape designers are often the best option to help you make the right choices for your property and to meet the needs of your lifestyle.

A Finished Look

Get a Custom Landscape Design for a Finished Property When You Move In
One of the primary benefits of hiring a professional landscaping contractor for your new home is the ability to have a finished landscape design. Why let the feeling of “we’re finally home” be tainted by remnants of construction (and the reminder of work to come) lining the driveway? A custom home deserves a custom landscape design. This can ensure your outdoor spaces are both functional and beautiful, like an extension of your home. A professional contractor can help you create an outdoor living area that meets all of your needs. Because it’s where core memories are made, whether you’re entertaining guests to enjoying family time together.
Travisso, Leander, TX
Personalized to Your Needs
Every family is unique, and so are their needs when it comes to outdoor living. A professional landscape designer will work with you to create a customized outdoor space that is tailored to your lifestyle. This includes factors such as the size of your family, your outdoor activities, and your personal style preferences. Think outside the box! Your home is where you live.
  • Dog-friendly
  • Kid zones
  • Training areas
  • Host of the party
  • Outdoor kitchens
  • Golf greens
  • Poolside landscaping
  • Zen and meditation gardens
  • Outdoor workspaces
Gardens at Verde Vista, Georgetown, TX
Gardens at Verde Vista, Georgetown, TX
Gardens at Verde Vista, Georgetown, TX

Functional Designs

Functional for Family and Friends
Your outdoor space can be much more than just a pretty lawn and garden. With the right design and construction, it can serve as a functional living space for hosting family and friends. This includes features such as outdoor kitchens, fire pits, seating areas, and even swimming pools. A professional contractor can help you make the most of your outdoor space and create a space that you will be proud to show off.
Backyard patio extension and firepit
Year-Round Landscape Design Trends
Living in Texas means that you can enjoy outdoor activities almost all year round. A professional landscaping contractor can help you create a design that is suitable for all seasons. This includes features such as patio heaters, outdoor fireplaces, and even outdoor fans to keep you cool in the hot summer months.
Complement the Home’s Design Aesthetic
Your landscape design should complement your home’s style and design aesthetic. A professional landscaping contractor can help you select the right plants, flowers, and hardscape features to create a cohesive look that enhances your home’s curb appeal. This will not only make your home more beautiful but also increase its overall value.

Money-Wise Landscaping

Get a Higher Return on Your Investment
Investing in a professional landscape design and build company is a wise decision when it comes to water usage, property value, and getting the most from your initial investment. A professional contractor can help you design a landscape that uses water wisely and is sustainable in the long term. And can help balance concepts like xeriscaping, indigenous plants, and your unique preferences. They can also help you select the right plants and features that will increase your property value and provide a high return on investment.
Natural stone walkways and sideyard landscape design

If you’ve recently moved to Texas and are looking for a professional landscaping contractor, look no further. Our team of experts can help you create a custom landscape design that is personalized to your needs, functional, and beautiful. From outdoor living spaces to hardscape features, irrigation, landscape lighting, and construction crews, we can help you create the outdoor living space of your dreams. Contact us today to learn more about our landscape design and build services.

Serving Austin and its greater areas including Leander, Liberty Hill, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Marble Falls, Burnet, and Salado, Texas

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image of back yard play house surrounded by a retaining wall in an elevated section of a back yard

Stone Wall Ideas for Central Texas Landscape Designs

Many homeowners and businesses use stone walls primarily for retaining walls. However, stone walls can add creative flair to any garden with the proper landscaping design, with trees, shrubs, and flowers. Thinking of adding a stone wall to your landscape? Our clients at Best of Texas Landscaping love how they address erosion and protect the foundation of their property. They also use the walls as added privacy or transform them into raised landscape beds to benefit their natural surroundings.

Prevent Erosion

If you’ve already put time and investment into your lawn and property, whether that means fertilization and weed control or landscaping, retaining walls will help protect that investment. The walls, when planned well, redirect water from rain and runoff so it doesn’t pool and affect the critical areas of your lawn and cause erosion. Soil erosion is subtle but powerful.

Walls are made out of durable hardscaping materials like 

  • Sandstone
  • Granite
  • Limestone

Retaining walls are commonly built out of stone blocks. These materials will ensure that your new retaining walls are a lasting investment that benefits your property for decades to come.

Erosion also affects the very foundation of your property. Soil erosion damages your property over time by reducing the stability of the ground that supports the structure of your home.

Enjoy More Functional Spaces

Retaining walls are also an economical investment when they transform an otherwise unrealized investment into a functional space. In addition to affording you with a landscape design that provides for a more enjoyable outdoor space, whether it’s your front lawn or your backyard. Many people use retaining walls as a privacy feature so they feel free to roam their yard in peace without worrying about visibility from the road.

 

The walls can also make a great raised bed for unique and beautiful landscaping. Gardeners love the ability to turn the hills in their backyard into more usable land for planting flowers and trees.

Shorter retaining walls, also called seating walls, can be used to create natural seating. They’re commonly installed around more social areas of the property—such as an outdoor kitchen or around a fire pit.

Retaining wall design is one of the things we love most about building them, and we help customers create pleasing spaces in their yards with them.

Would Your Property Benefit?

Retaining walls are a common and wonderful solution for both maintaining and protecting your home and adding value to the beauty and enjoyment of your property. We love helping customers in the Greater Austin area devise custom retaining wall solutions that are aesthetically pleasing and protect their properties from erosion for years to come. And we always take into account their unique property and vision.

Call to schedule your complimentary consultation at (512)260-1430.

Principles of Landscape Design

Proportion, Order, Repetition, and Unity

The principles of landscape design are tools or guidelines, that designers use to create attractive, pleasing, and comfortable landscapes. The design principles are proportion, order, repetition, and unity.

 

Proportion

Proportion refers to the size of an object in relation to other objects in the landscape. It's essential to consider the proportion of plants and hardscapes when designing a landscape. We all dream of having the perfect outdoor space that is both comfortable and visually appealing. This can be achieved by keeping in mind proportion and scale when it comes to plants, patios, and other hardscapes.

ORDER

Order refers to the balance and organization in the landscape. Order can be achieved by using the more formal symmetrical balance, where the same objects are mirror images of each other, or the informal asymmetrical balance, where the plants differ but the overall weight and size seem to be the same.

REPETITION

The goal of repetition is to create predictable and familiar patterns in the landscape. To achieve this, landscape design elements or specific features can be repeated throughout the space, such as lines, forms, colors, and textures to help create a rhythm in the landscape.

 

UNITY

In landscape design unity refers to the perceived sense that everything is connected or works together to create the whole. Employing a design theme or style helps create a sense of unity in your yard.

For more detailed information on landscape design principles, you can download The Basic Principles of Landscape Design from the University of Florida. 

 

Are you ready to transform your landscape? 

Call us today at 512-260-1430

backyard putting green with text overlay Improve Your Golf Game From Home

Backyard Golf Course

Improve Your Golf Game from the Comfort of Home

With a custom putting green in your own backyard, you can improve your golf game whenever you’d like and enjoy hours of family fun. Our putting greens are completely customizable, so we can create the perfect putting green for any size, shape, terrain, or player level needed. We’ll design your artificial turf golf course precisely the way you like it, so you can bring your putting dreams to life.

NO YARD IS TOO BIG OR SMALL

Synthetic grass-putting greens are the perfect solution for awkwardly-shaped areas of your yard such as a hilled area or narrow side yard. Custom putting greens can be installed to fit any size, shape, or terrain you have to work with, so the design possibilities are virtually endless. We can incorporate features such as contours, bunkers, and tiers to create a realistic and professional putting experience, and our synthetic turf options always simulate the roll and feel of a professional course. Whether you’re a professional golfer or just looking for some family fun, you’ll love having a custom putting green in the comfort of your own home.

PRACTICE AT YOUR CONVENIENCE

If you want to turn your Austin backyard into a golfer’s oasis, call Best of Texas Landscapes for an artificial grass putting green installation. Our team of expert designers will work with you one-on-one in order to bring your imagination to life and create the custom putting green you’ve always dreamed of. Improve your short game from the comfort of your own home or create fun for the whole family with artificial grass putting green. To find out more about the options available or to receive a free installation estimate, give us a call today at (512) 260.1430.

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