Rock and Stone ~ Beautiful and Low Maintenance

Landscaping with rock and stone to accompany plants and trees, or to use as stand-alone elements can be a refreshing way to add texture, color, and interest to your lawn in Hill Country, Texas. With common drought conditions, this is a great low maintenance, permanent, attractive solution.

There is a difference between stone and rock. Technically a stone has been exposed to weather or water near the earth's surface for a long period of time, while rocks come freshly broken from a larger mass below ground, most typically by blasting them out at a quarry.

Stonescapes need not be enormous. Planters and large containers that combine attractive stones with succulents are always stunning. Use specimen stones to reflect light from solar lanterns on your deck or patio.

Stone can have a strong unifying influence on the landscape year-round, a powerful and practical element in any scene. Take time to envision what you want the area to look like in two to three years, mindful that the stone will become visually dominant in winter. Ideally, you want to create scenes in which you cannot tell which came first, the garden or the stone. It should look and feel as if the stone emerged from the ground, and all you did was collect the best pieces and put them in order, as humans have been doing for thousands of years. Landscaping with stone and rock can make your lawn or patio a beautiful creation. 

So if you are ready to dress up your lawn or patio, let Burroughs Landscaping help you make your visions and ideas come true.

By Peggy Cunningham

An End to Summer

The end of summer is just about here. Now is great time to see just how well your landscape did during the hottest parts of the year.

If you watered your landscape it likely survived most of the heat. The right plant selection, placement and good maintenance may have actually thrived during these hot days of summer and drought.

Walk around your landscape and observe anything that may need some attention. If you spot some brown areas it could mean not enough soil for moisture retention, wrong plant selection or wrong site, etc. More importantly, it is an easy way to identify areas that may need change. You may only need to replace grass with more drought-tolerant plants or even attractive patioscape. But always remember brown does not equal dead. Native species go dormant with dying.

Embrace the opportunity, fall is a great time to make changes that will help you create an attractive resilient and water-saving landscape for next season.

If you have questions or concerns about your landscape, or need some good advice before you start, Burroughs Landscaping, Kerrville, TX can help you with all your needs.

By Peggy Cunningham

Texas Hill Country Character

The Texas Hill Country is characterized by thin alkaline soils and limestone outcroppings supporting Live Oaks and springtime drifts of blue bonnets and other wildflowers.

As suburbs continue to be developed from Fredericksburg to Boerne and Bandera, the natural landscapes that make the area desirable are in danger of being replaced with a more traditional landscape. The thin, alkaline soils make these types of landscapes difficult to maintain.

Today many home builders and home owners are choosing to leave a portion of their land in the natural state that drew them to the area. A landscape that is designed to blend seamlessly from the untouched area of a property to a more formal landscape close to the house can be achieved through a landscape design. Have a space for wildflowers and other plants that will blend in with your landscape.

Bluebonnets always make a beautiful flower garden addition. There are many plants native to the Texas Hill Country. Burroughs Landscaping can help you design your new home or existing home exterior property to look as beautiful as you dreamed.

By Peggy Cunningham

Cedar and Allergies in Texas Hill Country

The robust and sturdy cedar tree is a predominant evergreen in Texas, especially in the Hill Country. They can be beautiful or very annoying depending upon your point of view. Older cedar appears gorgeous and provide shade, food, and wildlife habitat in a region that can become devoid of natural benefits during the grueling Texas droughts.

However if you happen to been one of the many people who are allergic to the pollen it can be a nightmare. Those itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezes.

It is not really a fever, but can certainly give you the general feeling of flu-like malaise. It seems we have only ourselves to blame. Certain pollutants increase stress on the plant, resulting in the pollen that enhances the allergic response in people. Burrough's Landscaping can recommend the right treatment for all of your planting needs.

The silver lining to all of this is the timing. Stay inside and avoid the pollen. If you must go outdoors go when the pollen is at its lowest which is during the afternoon or evening. This can keep you healthy and avoid cabin fever.

Although there is no real cure for cedar allergies, there may be hope for peaceful coexistence in the near future.

By Peggy Cunningham