Residential Projects
Balcones
The homeowners bought a new home with an unfinished landscape of compacted road base, construction debris, and major drainage problems with no walkways or way to access their yard. Accommodating the site’s limitations, Eden designed a dramatic approach of a suspended lueders walkway that traverses over an elegant gurgling water feature filled with aquatic plantings. The meandering esplanade leads you from the street and through the landscape, connecting to the front yard pool, which was designed to make the most of their city views. The entry plantings were chosen for their sustainability, fragrance as well as drama, layering textures, and movement using an extremely restrained palette in hues of greens and white. In the back, an accoya wood deck was added, connecting the indoor space to the outdoors, surrounded by low-maintenance plantings of lavender and soft yellows that pop through the deep greens. Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) and Cupressus arizonica (Arizonna cypress) were added for screening while ornamental trees like Bauhinia lunarioides (Anacacho orchid trees) and Parkinsonia texana (Paloverde trees) were strategically placed creating colorful vignettes to be enjoyed daily through views out the windows. What was once an unusable space of concrete and rubble is now a peaceful, billowing, lively butterfly habitat. There are plenty of places now for the homeowners to hang out and relax while connecting to nature.
“We worked with Amy and Kirsten of Eden Garden Design on the design and installation of our garden. What was once an eyesore with negative curb appeal was transformed into a Garden of Eden including a pond, a sculptural ornamental tree that Dr. Suess would be proud of, lush greens and purples and a delightful, interesting mix of textures and materials. Truly a wire if art. From the design through installation Kirsten and Amy were professional and response. Their installation team was a delight to work with. Creative design, profession al installation, can’t ask for more.”
What was once a neglected, unused space is now an enchanting multi-purpose open-air living room for both the family (and birds) who live there. Working from home during Covid inspired these homeowners to tackle a vacant space outside their home creating a bird sanctuary as the view from their office windows. A custom board-formed concrete water feature was designed and installed at an angle to make the most of the space and provides a wonderful water source for the birds, while at the same time providing sound abatement from the street. The water feature also doubles as a bench. A simple steel arbor was designed for string lights and vines to grow up, creating an outdoor office area by day and a dining room at night. A fire feature seating area has also become a favorite morning coffee hang out space. Custom steel bird feeder hangers were installed just outside the office window, creating a source of constant entertainment in birdwatching. The new garden was planted with a color palette of coral, pinks and violets: macho macho mangaves, night blooming hesperaloe, gregg's mist-flower, inland sea oats, and star jasmine vines, creating a beautiful and vibrant habitat for humans, birds and butterflies.
“Our new outdoor space exceeded all expectations! It’s where I start my day with morning coffee and end our day with dinner and a fire. It’s what we lovingly admire while we’re inside working. Watching nature and the birds have become our new distraction. This space is also where we safely celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas during the pandemic with lots of social distancing, of course. It’s where we relax, dine, read, gather. Amy and her team were thoughtful, considerate, and fantastic problem solvers from the design through the construction. They quickly became close friends and collaborators. I would highly recommend them!”
When the young family at Hickory Creek Drive undertook the complete remodel of their home in Barton Creek, they called on Eden Garden Design to update the exterior spaces. After the brick home received a coat of white paint and a new front door and windows, it was time to address the entry to the home with a makeover of the existing courtyard.
Eden created entry and courtyard areas with nods to both the Mediterranean and the Hill Country in its whimsical plant palette - fragrant rosemary, lavender, and lush roses intermingle with drought-tolerant beaked yucca, Wheeler’s sotol, and ‘Pink Parade’ red yucca. Closely sheared creeping fig vine covers the courtyard columns and one wall of the home. Water-saving drip irrigation is utilized throughout. A grove of Texas redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis) trees define the entry and frame the home. LED landscape lighting highlights the grove, providing nighttime drama and navigation.
Eden designed a custom-cut lueders pathway to provide a modern entry experience to the home. Elegant pea gravel surrounds the stepping stones and serves as mulch throughout the garden. A custom steel arbor, covered with fragrant star jasmine vines, provides an easy and casual dining area.
“From design through completion, we had a seamless experience working with Amy and Sarah at Eden. They listened to what we wanted, presented design options, and ultimately a plan that incorporated our input and exceeded our expectations. Throughout the process, any questions we had about design, materials and/or plants was answered patiently and thoughtfully. During install, their crew were professional, clean and precise. We've installed the first phase of our project, and plan to continue out with the second phase this fall. I highly recommend them!”
Following an architectural expansion of this home in the Tarrytown neighborhood of west Austin by Brian Dillard Architecture, Eden Garden Design designed and built the landscape experience. This included introducing custom steel privacy screens, custom cut lueders limestone walkways, steel edging, dramatic outdoor lighting, and a small lawn area for two dogs.
The clients were drawn to a formal aesthetic as well as low-water, succulent plantings. The botanical design blended low-maintenance, native and adapted plant materials with more traditional formal plants like Wintergreen boxwoods, as well as a modern palette of succulents, agaves, and cacti. Protected site conditions allowed for the use of marginally cold hardy succulents like the pedilanthus Lady's slipper. 'Falling Waters' bald cypress and clumping bamboo complemented the existing Asian elements of the garden. Due to its pet- and eco-friendly qualities, a high-end synthetic turf was selected for the canine play areas.
“We worked with Sarah and Amy on an extensive outdoor project, and we are thrilled with the results. It looked great when it was first installed and looks even better now two years later as everything has grown in. All of the hardscape is still perfect and the plants they recommended are still thriving. I was adamant about not wanting the traditional 'xeriscaping' that is all over Austin. I showed them my extensive Pinterest outdoor page and they really listened and told me what wouldn't work in our harsh climate and why. They took my ideas/likes and created a very unique look. People are always stopping by our house and taking pictures and asking about the unique plants/flowers that were used. Also, they finished the project in the time frame and budget they proposed. There were no hidden surprises, and they are great communicators. They were personally at the site when much of the work was done. Highly recommend!”
After purchasing a new home at Spanish Oaks in Bee Cave, the clients on Musket Rim engaged Eden Garden Design to dramatically transform the landscape to complement the contemporary architecture of the residence.
To create a private courtyard just off the home office, Eden fabricated a hexagonal perforated steel screen, covered in ‘Tangerine Beauty’ crossvine, to define the space. A large specimen Agave weberi punctuated the area and provided privacy. Creeping fig ivy vine on the limestone wall of the home greened the space further. Low-maintenance concrete benches and a coffee table provided opportunities for lounging.
Eden designed a custom-cut lueders walkway, providing a grand entry experience. A thoughtful lawn area of fine-textured ‘Cavalier’ zoysia grass, defined with steel edging, and a grid of Texas redbud trees, provided captivating formality and early spring blooms.
Striking Texas native botanical design, featuring palo verde and huisache trees, pink gulf muhly grass, whale’s tongue agave, trailing purple lantana, and silver woolly stemodia, created year-round interest and provided habitat value. Easy-care pea gravel and river rock rounded out the material palette.
Drip irrigation ensured efficient watering throughout, and low-voltage LED landscape lighting provided nighttime navigation and drama.
“Eden Garden Design is an incredible resource! This is the second time we've used them. For the latest project, they did a complete redesign and installation of all the landscape/hardscape of our new soft contemporary home. The landscape design complimented our home perfectly. Every decision or recommendation they made was right on target. We absolutely LOVE our front and back yards and appreciate their attention to every last detail. I highly recommend them!”
Accessibility was the driving force behind the landscape project at Horseshoe Bay, and the clients worked with Eden Garden Design to transform an unnavigable side yard into a dramatic garden feature.
Playing off the midcentury lines of the limestone, ranch-style house, Eden introduced steel retaining walls and steps to create an easily accessible path leading to the lawn and garden area. The path also provided access to Slickrock Creek, just behind the house. A simple seating area offered opportunities for cozy fires and views of the creek beyond.
Rustic, locally-quarried decomposed granite gravel was used as the walking surface for the pathway and seating area. Natural limestone boulder retaining walls, an organic element countering the clean lines of the steel, provided the outer boundary.
Dramatic beaked yucca (Yucca rostrata) and whale’s tongue agave provided structure and interest throughout the year. Plantings of tough Texas natives such as basketgrass (Nolina texana), twistleaf yucca, fragrant mistflower, and trailing purple lantana tumbled over the walls, softening the space and attracting pollinators. A minimal lawn area of ‘Cavalier’ zoysia grass, buffered from the street by a stand of billowing Big Muhly grass, provided a safe place for children to play.
“Talented design professionals and construction crews that used a design-build approach for our project. Practical, yet very creative design with excellent plant selections and striking hardscape details. Very pleased with end product and would certainly use them again.”
Confronted by an eroding and parched 500’ long drainage channel along the entire frontage of their sloping property, the clients at Weston Lane worked with Eden Garden Design to transform the challenging area into a beautiful and functional planted ephemeral creek. Looking to local Hill Country waterways for inspiration, Eden created limestone boulder terraces and utilized large Brazos river rock at key points to slow the flow of water and create pockets of moisture to allow plants to thrive.
Dense plantings of mesic and xeric native sedges and rushes in the thin, rocky soil provided lush vegetative cover, creating the look of a flowing river of grass as well as an extensive root system to help prevent erosion within the channel. These plantings, such as Scott’s sedge (Carex leavenworthii x retroflexa), White topped sedge (Rhynchospora colorata), and Lawn sedge (Carex leavenworthii), were selected to perform in the harshest of circumstances - very hot, dry summers and intermittent flash-flood conditions.
To stabilize the upper banks of the swale and increase habitat value, Eden planted the banks of the swale with pollinator-friendly native plants such as Texas betony (Stachys coccinea), Four-nerve daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa), and Mealy blue sage (Salvia farinacea).
“Amy and Sarah are very professional and their attention to detail in concept, design, and execution is nonpareil. We're so very happy with the finished product and would recommend Eden Garden Design to any one wanting a thoughtfully creative landscape design and installation.”
We are currently working on a Phase 2 for these clients who want to create the ultimate outdoor experiences for their grandchildren. We are designing a nature trail with family trees planted for each of their children’s families. Eden has also designed a natural play area for outdoor music, hiding, and learning about wildlife habitats.