{"id":16348,"date":"2019-05-26T18:32:16","date_gmt":"2019-05-26T18:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chesmar.com\/?page_id=16348"},"modified":"2025-09-04T18:05:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T18:05:40","slug":"landscaping-ideas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chesmar.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/26\/landscaping-ideas\/","title":{"rendered":"Landscaping Ideas for Texas Homes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Landscaping<\/figure><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Whether you want to admit it or not, your yard speaks volumes to everyone who notices it. A well-kept lawn with lush grass and trim hedges expresses a sense of order and tidiness, understated perhaps, but also sensible, elegant, and refined. It\u2019s a polite conversationalist, soft-spoken and articulate. A colorful garden filled with bright blooms, on the other hand, can\u2019t help but burst into song every now and then. Sassy, sophisticated, and opinionated, it can draw many admirers, but maintaining that alluring voice requires plenty of attention. An overgrown or neglected yard has a tendency to mutter under its breath, occasionally demanding to know \u201cwhat are you looking at?\u201d So, what does your yard say about you? If you purchased a new home from Chesmar, your front yard offered an enthusiastic \u201cwelcome!\u201d when you moved in. That\u2019s because it came fully landscaped and equipped with a sprinkler system. Of course, that first greeting was only the start of what will be a very long conversation. Here are some landscaping tips that can help ensure your Texas yard is always a sweet talker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know Your Climate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Texas is a big state, with three primary climates \u2013 continental steppe, mountain, and modified marine. This represents conditions that range from arid to semitropical. But within these broad categories, there\u2019s a myriad of microclimates that can be quite different. Both Dallas and Houston, for instance, can be hot and humid throughout the summer, but Dallas gets on average 23 freezes during the winter, while Houston averages just 10. Having a good idea of what to expect throughout each season will allow you to choose plants that are best suited to your region. After all, you wouldn\u2019t want to risk the heartbreak of nurturing a spectacular bed of pentas and zinnias all year only to have them wiped out after one cold night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know How Much Sun Your Yard Gets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have a tree canopy overhead, you may think this is a fairly cut and dry question. Everything gets full sun. Right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the sun travels across the sky throughout the day, light levels are changing slowly but constantly. You need to take into consideration the effect of shadows as they move across your yard, including those cast by your house, neighboring houses, fences, and hardscaping features such as walls and decorative rocks. The orientation of your property is also important. Morning light is better tolerated by most sun-loving plants, many of which can be scorched if overexposed. A day of observation and notetaking can create a roadmap to determine which plants will thrive in the spots you pick out for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know Your Enemies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Texas yards can face daily assaults from any number of horticultural menaces that will leave your lawn looking like a battleground before you realize the scope of the problem. Some of the most common garden pests are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n