Backyard Bliss

Outdoor kitchens, drought-tolerant landscaping, putting greens and patio family rooms are part of outdoor trends

By DAVID STONE | Photos by SKEEBO

A party-ready backyard used to include swing sets, a barbecue grill, picnic tables and perhaps a swimming pool. My, how times have changed.

Today’s homebuyers are looking to get a lot more bang out of the backyard buck, and today’s hot properties often include full outdoor kitchens and living spaces, putting greens, water features, color wheel lighting and drought-resistant landscaping.

“We are absolutely getting a lot of calls for elaborate backyard designs,” said Ben Pamplin, owner of Belton-based Heart of Texas Landscape & Irrigation. “Outdoor kitchens and living spaces are especially big, and drought-resistant landscaping is getting more popular every year.”
“Today’s outdoor kitchens are often a complete kitchen outside, and some folks are even stocking it with dishes,” Pamplin said. “We’ve even had requests for dishwashers.”

“One of the most popular items for outdoor kitchens are high-end pizza ovens,” he added. “We’re talking way more than a barbecue pit.”

“Living spaces are also big — we’re done several lately,” he added. “These include covered sitting areas complete with outdoor furniture and a television. The TV’s are a must. On some of these projects we hire out subcontractors to take care of electricity and plumbing.”

“I think families are taking advantage of more together time with their kids,” Pamplin said. “They get fresh air, and enjoy a fun night at home. That’s what’s prompting these outdoor family settings.”

He said a lot of homeowners are also including recreation and entertainment options in their backyard designs.

“Putting greens are extremely popular,” he said. “Typically, they consist of a large greens area with multiple holes, and taller turf around the perimeter for practicing chip shots.”

“People are wanting synthetic grass for their greens so they can enjoy optimal use all year. Synthetic grasses have advanced tremendously over recent years — they are thicker, taller and more realistic than ever before.”

Pamplin said there is also a demand for synthetic turf for pets. They are used in areas of high pet traffic and in places the pets frequently go to the bathroom.

“People are requesting synthetic turf as accent spots — not for a fully-covered backyard,” he said. “But keeping natural grass adds a cooling effect to the yard you don’t get with synthetic turf or rocks.”

Many folks are including LED lighting systems, complete with color wheels, to their backyard. And yes, swimming pools and hot tubs are still popular additions.

“The lights add a nice look to complement landscaping,” Pamplin said. “The color wheels are used to change the ambiance, and they can be set to come on and off with the sun.”

Pamplin said that drought-resistant landscaping — xeriscaping — has become a growing part of his business since an extreme drought hit Central Texas in 2011.

“We had no rain for three months and temperatures were well over 100 degrees. That happened again last year, but the 2011 drought started a swing toward drought-tolerant plants, and Central Texas has a lot of new residents who have moved here from dry states. They are familiar with this type of landscaping.”

The goal of xeriscaping is to create an attractive yet functional outdoor space, while minimizing the need and use of water. The process uses plants native to the Central Texas environment and involves efficient irrigation systems, such as drip irrigation, to reduce water waste.

Many property owners are unaware of the cost savings and environmental benefits of drought-tolerant landscaping. A typical 1,500-square-foot lawn consumes almost 100,000 gallons of water per year — that’s about six average sized swimming pools. Experts say drought-tolerant landscaping uses up to 75 percent less water.

Pamplin said Heart of Texas Landscape contracts with local builders such as Kiella Homes, Carothers Homes and Whatley Homes to provide drought-tolerant landscaping for new housing developments across Central Texas.

“We do a lot of residential landscaping, but a big part of business is commercial,” Pamplin said. “We’ve done landscaping at several schools in Belton, Jarrell and Troy, and we have maintained the grounds at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor for years. We landscape for large medical facilities as well as smaller businesses such as restaurants, offices and retail establishments.”

Pamplin said many drought-tolerant plants are native to the Bell County area.

“There are quite a few options when it comes to planting drought-tolerant lawns and beds,” he said. “We use plants that bloom and look attractive without requiring a lot of water.”

Pamplin said a popular choice for lawns that don’t require heavy watering is Bermuda grass.

“Any kind of Bermuda is hearty, and once it’s established, it requires minimal watering,” he said. “We use a lot of Tiff 419 — it’s very pretty and similar to grass used on golf course fairways. You can cut the water off for two weeks, and it may brown a bit, but it will green back up quickly.”

“Saint Augustine was a popular grass for years, but it requires a ton of water,” he said. “Some Texas municipalities have even disallowed the planting of Saint Augustine — it’s going away. Another drought-tolerant choice is buffalo grass, but it’s not quite as pretty for a home. You can make Bermuda grass look nice with minimal watering.”

Landscaped beds using fewer plants and more rocks is becoming prevalent, and Pamplin said large boulders look great and require zero water. But, they do require additional planning.

“Rocks heat up — they can reach 150 degrees under this Texas sun,” he said. “Plants don’t like that, so you have to surround the plants with mulch so they don’t get scorched.”

Pamplin offered several suggestions for plants that survive and even thrive during a Texas summer.

“Red yucca, soft-leaf yucca, spineless cactus, agave, century plants — these are all very drought tolerant,” he said. “Lantana is another good option and it comes in several color variations.”

For assistance designing the backyard of your dreams, contact Heart of Texas Landscape & Irrigation or another landscaper to make your dreams a reality.