Balmorhea State Park Comprehensive Irrigation Repair

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Priorities: Troubleshoot Prolonged Irrigation System Failure

Challenges: Multiple Failed Prior Attempts – No Plan Documents – One Urgent Scope

Solutions: Trace Underground Faults – Expedite with Key Equipment

Maas Verde received an initial, urgent call from a nonprofit working to donate a handful of trees to West Texas’ Balmorhea State Park. 

The organization needed a fast irrigation repair for an upcoming event held in conjunction with the donation. The planted trees were wilting in the desert landscape, partly because the park’s irrigation system had not functioned since before the current park supervisor’s two-year tenure.

Maas Verde had four days to find a solution for the expedited work order. After that, the team would lean into a repair of the park’s entire system — which tunnels under the park’s turf, asphalt, sidewalks, and even canals for thousands of feet.

(Read the full story here. Or stay on this page for a scope-focused report.)

First Mobilization, Scope, and Challenges

Our technicians loaded up material, troubleshooting tools, and digging equipment at our Austin headquarters and moved out via I-10. 

When they arrived at the park, superintendent Torrey Bonham provided an orientation that was as complete as possible. 

Despite Bonham’s substantial efforts, he could not possibly collect all the relevant information, which had degraded throughout previous administrations. Multiple prior contractors had worked on various pieces of the 12-zone system, but none had resolved its functional issues. 

Maas Verde first determined the system needed a new controller, and that an attempted line to irrigate the new trees had failed. The team determined that rather than remediating the existing equipment, installing a new line was the only viable option.

But the system’s large scale forced us to source components from the nearest irrigation supplier, 90 minutes away in Odessa. The 130 PSI pump pushed water through pipe up to 4” — on scale, the network rivals golf courses. 

The team logged overtime daily to complete the first install on schedule. The only way to expedite the process was to trench and dig with a mini skid steer and excavator. 

Once Maas Verde successfully added the zone, the full system remediation began. 

Full System Diagnostic and Repair

The team could only locate underground faults one at a time. Technicians could only locate the next electrical failure or pipe leak by tracing it downstream from the last one. 

Scrambled componentry representing the layers of prior installs and attempts made the work more puzzling. An emergency sewer repair was the unexpected cause of one severed wire; the tree-planting subcontractor had destroyed several feet of pipe with an excavator but done nothing to report it; miswired solenoids had shorted out and no longer operated. 

Balmorhea’s irrigation system was big, sprawling, and convoluted.

Resolving breakages demanded using a ground fault locator and other specialty tools, but deep landscape experience was critical to success. Reading subtle surface conditions like linear swales and concrete repairs helped the team decide where and how to excavate safely and effectively.

The team solved each fault as it surfaced. Through this process, we began mapping the system and eventually developed an understanding of its full scope and operation. 

Finally, Maas Verde excavated an old valve buried in an obscure location below several inches of natural turf. This hidden component proved to be the last missing link in the system. Our technicians incorporated it into the system, confirmed each zone operated from the controller, and concluded the project. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Streambank Stabilization on Gulf Coast Watershed

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Priorities: Stabilize Creek Bank – Bioengineered Solution – Army Corps of Engineers ComplianceChallenges: Objective Site Hazards – Downstream Impact – Heavy Equipment Safety and environmental concerns – Heavy Rain Events During Implementation –Solutions: Mission-Aligned Mindset – Network with Proven/Reliable Subcontractors

Two segments of a tributary of the Colorado River near the Texas coast required stabilization due to increasing erosion concerns. The scope of work existed under a recent Army Corps of Engineers infrastructure project that relied on the creek for functional drainage and stability.

A state government agency and an international engineering firm identified that the two segments, separated along the waterway by about a mile, were important drainage zones. Flood events are common in this watershed. And if the creek overflowed its banks significantly during these events, it could undermine the new infrastructure project at these two critical points.

The prescribed solution was bioengineered. In concept, the project would install riprap toes as foundations for soil lifts along 1,100 linear feet of the existing streambed. Technicians would harvest 32,000+ live willow cuttings from a nearby location and install them in the lift structure for long-term soil stabilization.

The project’s designers estimated it would take six months to complete. Maas Verde earned the contract, then vetted and recruited subcontractors, and completed the project one month ahead of schedule, causing zero safety or environmental reportable incidents — despite experiencing two flood events on site during mobilization.

an excavator works on a streambe stabilization project

A project debrief follows.

Scope

Key Concept: Encapsulated Soil Lift Construction

Implementation demanded multiple scopes of work, with extensive earthwork at the core of the project.

First, each work site required conditioning and stabilization for safe operation of equipment up to 40,000 lb. excavators and tk dump trucks. Site preparation also required dewatering and diverting the creek in both areas. At one site, a 45-foot-long, 9-foot diameter culvert installed decades prior to the Army Corps of Engineers’ involvement would need to be removed.

removing a large culvert

Reshaping and regrading the streambanks followed. Installation of riprap check dams and toes to spec took place in conjunction with soil lift construction, as operators manipulated excavators closely alongside workers with hand tools. Willow harvesting and install occurred simultaneously.

All cuttings and soil lifts needed irrigation to succeed, which also required a system design. Finally, each site needed restoration from impact. Specifications dictated reseeding five acres of compacted soil, then monitoring both sites to ensure success rate of selected species for one year.

Based several hours away in Austin, Maas Verde would also need to mobilize and demobilize from the site.

Maas Verde Leads Critical Contract Change

Key Concept: Expert Recommendation on Flawed Plan

The clients first issued their request for proposal (RFP) of the streambank stabilization project in January, 2021.

Maas Verde surveyed the materials and scope and recognized a critical issue with the willow cutting timeline.

Maas Verde knew the cuttings needed to be harvested while the plants were dormant. Failure was guaranteed if any contractor took the cuttings while the plants were active. Only one location within a 100-mile radius harbored willows, so it represented the only solution.

The initial RFP specified Feb. 4 as the mobilization date. Maas Verde’s president and founder Ted Maas knew from his Master Naturalist training that willows in the region stay dormant until mid-March.

Targeting this critical date while drafting a schedule for the project, Maas realized the harvesting window was too tight. He advised the project designers this was the case. The decision effectively removed Maas Verde from the bidding process, regardless of costs sunk in research and development toward responding to the RFP.

However, the project designers reviewed Maas’ findings and realized he was correct. They then bumped the RFP date to August.

When it arrived, Maas Verde picked it back up, incorporating its previous progress. Maas Verde earned the contract and prepared to mobilize on the new date — Nov. 1.

Site Visit and Subcontractor Recruitment

Key Concept: Safety First

Maas Verde visited the job sites throughout August and September. Project managers planned efficient material drop-off areas and evaluated the site for safety and necessary modifications. One high priority involved working around the access road, which had no construction or drainage structures and would not support heavy equipment or material delivery during any rain event. Another key task was to create stable pads for excavators along the streambed.

Maas evaluated subcontractor candidates with safety as a primary concern. Equipment operators for a small local company stood out and earned a contract. Maas Verde also signed a contractor from outside the state with strong soil lift construction experience.

Building sound relationships with nearby equipment dealers would also factor into Maas Verde’s success.

“For most companies, it’s a long way to travel,” Maas said, noting multiple contractors from Houston and Austin visited the site but eventually balked. “And with an environmentally sensitive work site that’s also a safety challenge, it’s important to hire the right people.”

Mobilization, Site Prep, Dewatering

Key Concept: Take the Time to Create Stable Work Sites

Maas Verde mobilized to the job site as planned on Nov. 1.

Riprap deliveries arrived steadily throughout the month, totaling 1,300 tons. Maas Verde prepared the site by setting up its mobile office, installing silt fence, and preparing to clear and grub key areas.

Maas Verde conducted dewatering and diversion of the creek in-house. The team’s dam solution utilized steel I-beams and timbers. After constructing and placing the dam, the team installed a diesel-fueled pump with float valves to regulate water levels upstream and displace overflow downstream.

a dam for dewatering and creek diversion

The dam’s modular construction later facilitated fast rebuilds after both flood events.

As dewatering proceeded, Maas Verde identified build sites for heavy equipment work benches. Many of these sites exhibited a highly unstable soil structure: Clay topsoil several feet deep slid on top of a sandy layer loose enough to promote measurable water flow. Another clay bed began about 12 feet down.

The soil was essentially “upside down.” Maas Verde knew that operating equipment on the sand layer would create a hazard to every worker on site, and performed necessary remediation. Operators cut the sandy layer out to create a wide pit at every bench site, then replaced it with a stable clay mixture. Timber mats were placed on top to distribute weight and create reliable, regular surfaces.

Construction

Key Concept: Sequence Workflow to Keep Crews Tasked

The team first shaped and excavated an existing ditch with six 24” pipe culverts that drained stormwater off roads from a higher elevation. Backfilling it with riprap to promote functioning drainage, Maas Verde then started soil lift construction in the main channel.

Sequencing multiple work scopes across operator and hand tool crews was key to efficiency. Earthwork like shaping and grading came first, then riprap placement (each process involves excavator work only). After that, hand crews worked alongside operators in soil lift construction to lay fabric, pour soil, close the structure, and plant it with willow cuttings.

“As we’re doing earthwork and placing riprap in one location, we’re rolling out our fabric for our encapsulated lifts in another — to keep moving. It’s an orchestra, and the general contractor’s job is to conduct it,” Maas explained. “What do we need to be doing right now to set us up for the next two days — the next week — and stay on the critical path?”

Maas Verde was committed to taking any extra steps critical to safety, but also knew unpredictable weather could cause time sinks. So while the work was moving forward, it “needed to be seamless,” as Maas put it.

Floods Test Project Infrastructure, Methodology

Key Concept: Do Not Leave a Job Site Vulnerable to Severe Weather

Maas Verde had made significant progress at the first work location when two floods ripped through the creekbed.

The early January events tore out the temporary dam we had installed (which was expected, based on the flow rate). But the I-beam and timber construction allowed Maas Verde to reconstruct it quickly and efficiently. Dewatering the work area again, the team found its work still fundamentally intact.

That reflected the attention to detail Maas Verde paid to the project phases. Instead of partially-constructed soil lifts or unsecured work benches, the surging waters plowed through a job site that — though not yet complete — had more finished structures than partial ones.

“Engineers had urged us to ensure our work was ‘armored’ whenever the forecast got marginal,” Maas said. “We kept that advice in mind at the job site, and it became invaluable.”

Management rallied subcontractors to stay on task through work schedules that became stringent. Once the dam was reinstalled and the site was workable again, Maas Verde moved fast to minimize progress lost in any further flooding. Morale and safety came into sharper focus as work hours expanded.

The second flood did occur — just two weeks later. And with a further optimized dam design, Maas Verde needed just three days to remediate damage to the site and move forward to completion.

Unstable forecasts created more pressure as Maas Verde transitioned to jobsite two. (One prior contractor had attempted to implement a stabilization project there years before, but a flood ruined their progress and they abandoned the job.)

Systems experience and a simpler jobsite made fast work there. Maas Verde needed just over two weeks to shore up the site and report substantial completion during the first week of February.

Irrigation, Site Restoration, Monitoring Challenges

Key Concept: Follow Through

Maas Verde designed and installed a gravity-fed, 5,000-gallon PVC irrigation system to ensure the cuttings rooted and stabilized the soil lifts. Next, the team decompacted soil in all heavily-impacted areas and moved on to seeding a specified hillside adjacent to jobsite one.

Maas Verde would need to return to the jobsite periodically for one year to monitor success of the grass seed and soil lifts.

Unfortunately, both threatened to fail at first. A spring drought followed the winter floods, and the hillside grass seed (a mix of native grasses and Bermuda) did not propagate. And while the irrigated willows rooted aggressively to the soil lifts, an infestation of dodder vine threatened to choke out the trees at jobsite two.

Maas Verde initiated their vegetation management plan by first addressing the parasitic vine. As part of their ecological approach to vegetation control, they removed it by hand instead of spraying, preserving the site’s ecological integrity.  Volunteer pollinator plants grew below the willows and Maas Verde realized the site now acted as a biodiverse, native habitat.

plants in a streambed alongside a roadwayBy fall 2023, willows in the streambed (middle background) had grown to 25 feet tall at a 6″ caliper.

“Because of our watering efforts, these willows were thriving, and so were these understory plants. And where there would be a stem getting choked out by dodder, there would also be a healthy sprout below it. We knew it could all come back, which was why we didn’t spray it,” Maas said.

Seeding followed, but not immediately. Because the seed had died even with agricultural-grade sprinkler irrigation, Maas Verde recommended re-addressing it in September. The solution to first spread compost, then seed it with the same grasses, succeeded.

Maas Verde now confirms completion of all project phases and zero reportable safety or environmental issues.

Retaining Wall Demo/Build

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Priorities: Permanent Solution For Failed Retaining Wall

Challenges: Maintain Integrity of Walls on Adjacent Properties, Safe Uninstall

Solutions: Methodical Tear-Out Techniques, Sequenced Install

The general contractor that built this client’s neighborhood had graded each backyard by installing a retaining wall several feet high with railroad ties.

After thirty-plus years, that structure had failed.

Our client’s 63-foot section of the wall had collapsed, creating an unsightly mess and allowing the wildflower garden they had planted above to seep through the resulting cracks.

failed railroad tie wall details

Maas Verde designed a new cut limestone block wall with a buried deluge drain pipe to permanently resolve the issue. The solution required our team to tear out the 63-foot segment without affecting the adjacent properties. The team would then build the wall to match property grade on top of a poured concrete footer.

Tear-out and construction took only two days.

failed railroad tie retaining wall (top) and rebuilt stone block wall (bottom)

Safety was a primary concern in removal, since the existing structure was tied together with rusted nine inch nails and potentially harbored ground hornets. Maas Verde cut the ties inside our client’s property line strategically, to avoid overburdening ties that were stressed beyond the fence line. Existing fence posts provide backup support for these adjacent walls.

Efficiency was key to the construction process. To seat the wall most securely, our team needed to pour the footer and lay the first course of 6” limestone blocks simultaneously. While one crew operated a mixer and shuttled loads of mixed concrete, another tooled the mixture in the trench, then laid and leveled blocks.

The first course of stones set overnight, and the team returned the next day to complete the perforated drainpipe and finish the dry-set wall. We added tie-backs for structural security, backfilled the terrace, and finished the work with topsoil for planting.

Our team also worked carefully to preserve a Baccharis shrub (B. neglecta) — a native pollinator favorite. An irrigation diagnostic and repair completed the job.

 
 
 
 
 
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Side Yard Overhaul with Deck, Fence, and Seating

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Priorities: – Functional Seating – Aesthetics Match – Access For Elderly Parents
Challenges: – Heavy Shade – Compromised Deck 
Solutions: – Steel Fixtures – Shade-Tolerant Natives – Stone Walkways

This project was featured on the 2023 Austin Outdoor Living Tour

Our client approached us with a compact side yard, in need of a comfortable outdoor living area that also complemented their recently-built home. A multi-trunked live oak shaded the small space, which had minimal other plantings and a builder-grade wood deck. The overarching priority was to ease access for the client’s aging parents. 

Consultation resulted in a comprehensive landscape design that centered around enlarging the deck and adding a raised seating area executed in welded steel. The construction plan integrated carpentry for the deck expansion with custom metalwork. The landscape design surrounded the structure with steel planting boxes and trellises, while the construction team added Lueders stone pathways to connect the dots. This project seamlessly blended landscape design, construction, and carpentry to create a cohesive outdoor living space.

Right off the bat, our crew ran into trouble: extensive wood rot under the deck. Determining the structure lacked the quality and staying power we wanted to see, rebuilding it from scratch became the only option. New concrete footings, posts, joists, and decking all went in. 

The crew then installed fencing along new lines that would create more enclosed space — and open the design for the client’s pets with a hog panel-wired doggie window. A new gate completed the access plan. 

Maas Verde selected tough, shade-tolerant native plants like Webberville sedge (Carex perdentata), inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), and turkscap (Malvaviscus arboreus) to foot the live oaks. Coral honeysuckle vines were interlaced into the trellises to soften the edges and create habitat for pollinators like honeybees and hummingbirds. To help the plants get used to their new home, Maas Verde added a simple drip irrigation system. 

Pet-Friendly Back Yard, Lighting, and Native Beds

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Priorities: – Prolific Front Yard Beds – Dog Run in Back Yard – Shaded Outdoor Seating
Challenges: – Tricky Sunlight Conditions – Damaged Landscape
Solutions: – Light-Matched Planting – Custom Steel Edging – Resilient Surfaces

Two critical concerns for our client guided this residential project. The first was a marginal frontyard garden bed that refused to flourish — either the side in deep shade or the one in constant sunlight.

The second (and more important) was a high-energy family dog named Fargo. Or, more accurately, what Fargo had done to the back yard.

Over the years, the shepherd mix ran a deep trench into his favorite stretch of the property and had reduced a lot of his humans’ landscaping efforts to dust. The challenge was to create a stable solution that could still accommodate the vigorous pet.

In front, a new bed with robust, custom-welded 3/16” steel edging would need to trace the profile of the house and hold plants better suited to their sun exposure.

A final objective: Create a backyard seating space in the shade of a big pecan tree.

Maas Verde pulled up the existing front yard edging, designed new pattern, and sank the new material.

For Fargo’s run, we chose a bocce court filled with a heavy layer of 5/8″ granite gravel. A standup limestone patio and commercial-grade low-voltage lighting framed the back yard seating area.

We placed native plants stragetically in the front yard beds. Turks cap (M. arboreus), sea oats (C. latifolium), and beauty berry (C. americana) went into the shady side and flame acanthus (A. quadrifidus), multiple salvia variants, and Gregg’s mistflower (C. greggii), in the sun.

As a finishing touch, Maas Verde revitalized a rear trellis where a maladapted star jasmine had died in the 2021 winter storm. Star jasmine is a non-native species that doesn’t tolerate cold weather especially well, and can be water-consumptive.

Instead, Maas Verde installed coral honeysuckle — a native climber that attracts pollinators with its beautiful red fluted flowers.

Rain Capture Sanctuary

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Priorities: Rainwater Catchment – Outdoor Seating – Native Plantings
Challenges: Expansive Grass Lawn
Solutions: Channel Rainwater to Cistern and Rain Garden – Install Patio – Terrace and Grade Area

This cistern, rain garden, and patio project functioned as an example of mutual inspiration. Maas Verde’s nature-centric client helped us reframe our own thinking about rain gardens. And in turn, we helped her vision become a lush, rain-collecting, native planted reality.

A small shady spot below a tall pecan tree overlooked a gently sloping turfgrass lawn. It was a natural seating area, and the installation would revolve around it. 

The plan incorporated a 20’ x 10’ rain garden swale with berms, native karst limestone boulders, a 1,000-gallon galvanized cistern, and 317 native plants representing 17 species. This and a honed limestone patio would partially replace the Zoysia grass lawn. Advantageously, we were able to repurpose some materials from the site: ¼” steel edging and part of a limestone block wall encircling the tree.

Maas Verde built an 8’ x 8’ CMU (concrete masonry unit) pad for the cistern to stand on. To match the block walls to the house foundation, the crew finished the surfaces with stucco. A 5-foot pony wall helps divide it from the side yard. A galvanized pipe trellis helps screen and cool the tank, once native coral honeysuckle plantings are established.

The rainwater catchment system works via collection and cascade. First, piping funnels rainwater from the roof into the tank. When the tank overflows, it disperses into the rain garden below. Finally, a gentle channel cut into the garden and adjacent limestone wall allows any water still moving downhill into the lawn. 

The system handles a surprising capacity of water. Together, the cistern and garden can hold 1,980 gallons. That’s enough to fill about 45 bathtubs to the brim. In a 1” rain event, the client’s roof would collect 840 gallons of rainwater.

Maas Verde’s system only needs to capture a fraction of that to sustain its hearty native plantings. The outdoor seating component adds novel functionality to the space.

“Most people don’t think of rain gardens as landscapes that are particularly geared toward humans. They’re considered more like ecologically-focused elements than practical spaces for people to hang out,” Maas Verde project manager John Harris explained. “But this design proved, any rain garden can be both at the same time.”

Preschool Playground Refresh and Reconfigure

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Priorities: Playground Safety – Durable Materials – Improved Layout
Challenges: Deteriorating Timber Borders – Uneven Play Surfaces
Solutions: Cedar Log Edging – Gravel Play Zones – Kid-Friendly Mulch

This North Austin preschool engaged Maas Verde to redesign and refresh the landscape surrounding its playground, prioritizing safety, durability, and a clearer layout. The existing play area had rotting timber borders and uneven, loose gravel that created maintenance and safety concerns.

Maas Verde removed outdated play set elements and disposed of the deteriorated wood edging. New cedar log borders were installed and shifted inward to improve circulation and define the play space more clearly. The updated layout introduced two gravel islands—one for the swing set and one for the main play structure—helping organize activity areas and improve drainage.

To complete the transformation, kid-friendly mulch was installed throughout the play area and around the cedar log borders, creating a safer, more uniform surface designed for active play and long-term use.

Clarksville

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Priorities: Level, usable front yard – Preserve neighborhood character – Space for community gatherings
Challenges: Steep downhill slope – Limited functional lawn area – Managing sump pump outflow
Solutions: Reclaimed stone retaining wall with integrated steps – Yard grading – French drain and rerouted outflow

This client engaged Maas Verde to construct a retaining wall to raise and level his Central Austin front yard. The existing yard sloped severely downhill and left very little usable flat space. With its commanding view of downtown, the house is often the scene of community fundraising parties, yet the slope limited the usability.

In keeping with the 1930s character of the neighborhood, we constructed about 90 linear feet of “bric-a-brac” wall using a combination of natural and reclaimed stone, and found objects, including oyster shells and native fossils.  We included a prominent set of stone steps. Hidden in the construction are steel deadmen and stakes to hold the wall in place, as well as a French drain to prevent water buildup.

 

After all the masonry was completed, we leveled the yard with high-quality landscape soil and laid 2 pallets of Zoysia sod. We also rebuilt a small screening fence at the property’s edge. An unusual challenge was the presence of an outflow pipe connecting to the basement sump-pump of the house. At fairly regular intervals, the pump would empty the sump into the area of our project. We rerouted the outflow (and French drain) to pop out unobtrusively near the street-side stone landing.

 

Pool with Privacy Wall and Fence

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Priorities: Resort-Inspired Pool – Privacy – Safety
Challenges: Elevation Change – Multi-Trade Coordination
Solutions: CMU Privacy Wall – Boulder Terraces – Iron Safety Fencing

This Southwest Austin client wanted to build a pool with surrounding landscaping influenced by the Line Hotel in Downtown Austin. The client obtained construction drawings from a local designer and brought in Maas Verde to complete three key phases of the project.

 

During Phase One, we constructed concrete footers for the CMU Wall and pool deck, which required precise measurements and careful coordination with the pool and deck builders to ensure everything connected properly.

In addition, we constructed a CMU Wall on one side of the pool to provide privacy from the neighbors and support an Accoya wood deck. The CMU Wall was constructed with custom-welded steel cubbies to store towels and clothing for friends and family enjoying the new pool!

 

Phase Two included using masonry to create boulder terraces leading up to the pool from the client’s house, using 85 cave blocks, each weighing 2,000 pounds. The pool is at a higher elevation than the house; therefore, when looking from the back porch towards the pool, the boulder terraces are all you can see, which creates an experience of a “hidden pool”. During the next planting season, the client wants to install native plantings in each level of the terraces to create a natural swimming pool experience.

 

During the final phase, Phase Three, we installed 290 linear feet of code-compliant, 5-foot tall, iron safety fencing with three, 4-foot-wide gates around the pool.

 

Anderson Mill

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Priorities: Stormwater Management – Native Hill Country Landscape – Reduced Maintenance
Challenges: Sidewalk Pooling – Heat-Exposed Yard – Invasive Plants
Solutions: Rain Garden Swales – Limestone Masonry – Turf Removal and Native Plantings

This Northwest Austin landscape renovation addressed chronic stormwater pooling along the front sidewalk while revitalizing an aging, sun-exposed yard. The removal of a mature Arizona ash had left the landscape bare and overheated, while invasive nandina and ligustrum dominated the remaining beds. The clients envisioned a native Hill Country aesthetic—lush flowering perennials nestled among limestone outcrops—and shared images to guide the design.

The project focused on three core goals:

  1. Resolving the sidewalk pooling issue.
  2. Refreshing overgrown and unsightly areas.
  3. Reducing maintenance by removing turf grass.

To manage stormwater, Maas Verde excavated two rain garden swales totaling 330 square feet on either side of the front sidewalk. Front downspouts were redirected into the swales, allowing them to capture runoff from both the roof and sidewalk. Together, the rain gardens can hold approximately 1,270 gallons of water, capturing nearly 990 gallons during a one-inch rain event. This stored moisture improves soil health and supports plant establishment while preventing runoff from reaching the sidewalk.

Masonry elements played both functional and aesthetic roles throughout the project. Hill Country limestone was used to line the rain gardens, and strategically placed stepping-stone paths improve access while reinforcing the natural character of the landscape.

To further reduce maintenance, 1,905 square feet of St. Augustine turf grass were removed and replaced with mulched planting beds. The renewed landscape was planted with 640 native plants representing 29 species, creating a resilient, water-wise front yard that reflects the clients’ Hill Country vision while solving long-standing drainage issues.