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Deer — Most areas of Central Texas have an abundance of deer with many subdivisions having developed an overabundance. Although deer are beautiful and interesting they can destroy a landscape. Check with your designer to determine "deer resistant" plants which historically work well in your area. You should know that deer will eat most anything in times of drought and although your plant selection may be classified as "deer resistant" they may browse new plants until they become established. You may need to take additional measures such as netting, fencing or deer deterrent type spray applications.

Herbs, Plants, and Trees

Herbs — Certain herbs do great as xeriscape plants! Mexican oregano, garlic chives, fennel, and several others do just fine with very little care. In fact, they barely notice if you quit watering for awhile. Rosemary, in particular, can thrive and keep growing until it's the size of a car.

Chile Peppers — Chile peppers do very well with very little maintenance or water. Habaneros, banana peppers and jalapenos, once established, can take full sun, need little water and can keep producing peppers all summer long.

Veggies and Herbs — Consider combining vegetables and herbs together. You can place tomato plants with lemon balm, basil, parsley or sage (all of which do fine with low water and lots of sun). Turnips and thyme do well together, as do cucumbers and lemon balm.

Black Eyed Susans — You can also combine vegetables, herbs and native plants in the same plot. Consider putting in some native wildflowers like black-eyed Susan, verbena or coneflower along with your cucumbers or squash for a little visual interest.

Shrubs and Wildlife — Plants like agarita, burford holly, fragrant sumac and Chinese horned holly are hardy shrub-type plants that all produce berries. The berries aren't edible for humans, but they do attract wildlife and look great.

Trees — Look for trees which are native to the area. You want to choose trees which will thrive in Central Texas. What types of trees are currently growing in your area? Live Oak, Red Oak, Cedar Elm and other native trees are excellent choices. Check with your designer for a full list of native trees. Remember palm and other types of trees not native to the area may not be your best choice.

Fig Tree — The fig tree has been around about as long as the human race, and it prospers and does well in hot or temperate climates. You'll need a few years' time for fig trees to get established well enough to start producing fruit, but they can easily be propagated from fig cuttings.

Tomatoes — Tomato plants are one of the most common and popular vegetables in Central Texas gardens, but they are disease-prone. Keep an eye out for fungus, wilts, mildews and blights on stems, leaves, blossoms and tomatoes. Some hybrid tomatoes are bred to be resistant to disease; remember this when you're planning your tomato garden.

Pests — Slugs and snails LOVE Central Texas. They may be disgusting, but they're easy to stop. Plant marigolds at the perimeter of your garden, put out diatomaceous earth or crushed eggshells to create an anti-slug barrier, or bury tuna cans into the ground with a 1/4" or so of beer in them. Or, just put out melon rinds to attract slugs, then in the morning, dispose of the fat, overstuffed slugs and melon rinds both.

Homeowners

A properly designed landscape and irrigation system can help conserve our water. Check with your designer for water conservation plant and irrigation choices. A nicely-landscaped yard or garden adds to your home's resale value, of course.

Central Texas presents a unique set of challenges to gardeners and landscapers. The summer heat, drought and heavy, poorly-drained clay soil makes it fairly impossible for a lot of species to thrive, while other plants that are suited to a desert environment don't do well either. Xeriscape is the principle of using native plants that can tolerate extremes of heat and drought, as part of a comprehensive approach to landscaping design and planning.

Plants all give off water as evaporation; some plants are better equipped for this and are more efficient in their use of water. Typical drought-tolerant species may have grey, waxy, thick, fuzzy or shiny leaves. These are all mechanisms that help the plant use water more efficiently; they also have fewer pores, or stomata, to allow evaporation into the air. Some plants can even orient their leaves to avoid exposure to the sun in the heat of summer. Many plants have evolved to have wide, shallow root systems to help suck up water that's close to the surface of the soil. Others have tuberous roots or bulbs that can restore the water they gather during rainy seasons. You can also help your plants out a lot by mulching heavily to keep weeds down and retain moisture in the soil.

The design aspect is important, before you turn over one trowel full of dirt. Sketch out your yard and garden area, accounting for trees, structures and existing plants. Give some thought to your landscape budget and the appearance you'd like to shoot for. Do you want flowering plants? Cactus? Succulents? Shrubs? Would you like some gravel or chunks of native rock (granite or limestone) to break up the design? You might want to give one of our designers a call to discuss this step.

Have your soil analyzed. Get a good idea of the soil's alkalinity and composition, then add in some organic matter (manure or fertilizer) to the prospective shrub, flower or vegetable bed. If your soil is heavy clay (like a lot of Central Texas soil is), you can till in some sand to lighten it and give it better drainage.

Think about maximizing your landscape with large beds containing drought tolerant plants and drought tolerant types of sod for your turf areas. Adding irrigation can help control the amount of water needed for all types of plants and sod. Irrigation is the best way to control your water and help save our most precious resource..

As part of your landscaping design, think about how you'll take care of your irrigation needs. You may want a full-fledged sprinkler system, or for smaller areas, a drip irrigation setup might be a better choice. Drip irrigation is excellent for providing your plants a long, slow drink without running up your water bill. Efficient irrigation can save you as much as 30 to 50 percent on your water usage.

Remember that while native plants are hardy and able to withstand Texas heat and drought, they do need extra care to get established. Pay close attention to details like soil preparation, hours of sunlight per day and planting season when choosing plants. Many species will need extra watering for the first couple of months, just to get them established and to reduce stress.