Landscape design and installation in Austin means planning around thin soil over limestone or dense blackland clay, summer drought and address-based watering days. Good plans use native and adapted plants grouped by water need, drip irrigation in beds, and fall planting where possible.
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Landscape design in Austin starts with two practical questions: how much soil do you actually have, and how much water will the yard get under your utility's watering rules? A plan that ignores either one tends to look good for a spring and struggle by August. A good designer or installer looks at the soil, sun, slope, deer pressure and drainage before choosing a single plant.
What a design and installation project usually includes
- Site visit. Your goals, budget, how much upkeep you want, and problem areas such as bare rock, wet corners or a slope that washes out.
- Plan or sketch. Anything from a marked-up photo to a scaled drawing with a plant list. Ask what is included and whether design is a separate fee.
- Soil work. On the west side, that often means building up planting areas because limestone is close to the surface. On the east side, it often means raising beds or berms above dense clay so roots don't sit in water.
- Hardscape and drainage first. Walls, paths, dry creek beds and grading go in before plants so they aren't trampled.
- Planting, mulch and drip. Plants set at the right depth, beds mulched a few inches deep, and irrigation converted to drip where possible.
- Establishment watering. Even native plants need regular water through their first growing season.
Plant choices that work in Austin
The 2023 USDA hardiness map puts most of the Austin area in zones 8b to 9a, but the bigger tests here are summer heat, drought and alkaline soil. Texas A&M AgriLife notes that local soils are high in pH, which suits western native plants better than acid lovers like azaleas and blueberries. The City of Austin's Grow Green plant guide is a free, non-commercial list of native and adapted plants for Central Texas, and it is a good way to check a proposed plant list.
The city also publishes a list of invasive plants to avoid, including berrying nandina, glossy and wax-leaf ligustrum (privet) and chinaberry. These still show up in older foundation plantings and some nurseries. The list is a recommendation rather than a law, but a designer who keeps proposing them is worth questioning.
Right plant, right place
- Group plants by water need so drip zones can run on different schedules.
- In deer country, ask for plants that local gardeners report deer leave alone, and plan temporary protection for new plantings. No plant is fully deer proof.
- Check mature size, especially near the house, walkways and power lines.
- Leave room around the roots of large oaks. Grade changes and trenching under the canopy can damage them.
Turf conversion and rebates
Many Austin projects replace part of a lawn with native beds. Austin Water has offered a WaterWise Landscape rebate for converting healthy turf to native or adapted plantings, with rules on plant cover, mulch and irrigation, and work started before approval does not qualify. Amounts and terms change, so read the current rules from your utility before you sign a contract. Other cities in the area have their own programs, or none. Our guide to watering rules and turf conversion covers how to plan around them.
Timing
Fall is generally the best time to plant trees, shrubs and many perennials in Central Texas, because roots can grow through mild winters before the next summer. Spring works too, with more careful watering. Midsummer planting is the hardest on new plants. Design work can happen any time, so late summer is a good time to plan for fall installation.
Questions to ask a landscape company
- How will you prepare soil on my lot: building it up over rock, or raising beds over clay?
- Does the plan fit my watering day, and will you convert spray zones in beds to drip?
- Do you guarantee plants, and what voids the guarantee?
- Can you provide a certificate of insurance and photos of similar local projects?
When you're ready, request a landscaping company and describe the area you want to change.
Frequently asked questions
What are good low-water plants for Austin yards?
The City of Austin's Grow Green plant guide lists native and adapted plants for Central Texas. Many local gardeners also lean on natives that tolerate heat, drought and alkaline soil. Ask your designer to check the plan against that guide.
Can I get a rebate for replacing my lawn with native plants?
Austin Water has offered a WaterWise Landscape rebate for converting healthy turf to native or adapted beds, with requirements on plants, mulch and irrigation and pre-approval before work starts. Terms change and other cities differ, so check with your water utility first.
When is the best time to plant in Austin?
Fall is generally best for trees, shrubs and many perennials, because roots can grow through mild winters. Spring also works with careful watering. Midsummer planting is the hardest on new plants.
Sources and further reading
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Travis County: The Real Dirt on Austin Area Soils
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Turfgrass Selection for Texas
- Austin Water: Find Your Watering Day
- Austin Water: WaterWise Landscaping Rebate FAQs
- Austin Water: Backflow Prevention Overview
- City of Austin: Grow Green
- City of Austin: City Arborist (tree permits)
- Austin Fire Department: Wildfire Division
- TCEQ: Landscape Irrigator, Irrigation Technician and Irrigation Inspector licenses
- TCEQ: Edwards Aquifer Map Viewer
- Texas Department of Agriculture: Applying pesticides to ornamentals, trees, lawns or weeds
- Texas A&M Forest Service: Oak wilt
- City of Round Rock: Water Conservation
- City of Lakeway: Deer Resistant Landscaping
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- EPA WaterSense
- Texas811: call before you dig