Our landscape renovation of this historic, boutique hospitality project located in Fredericksburg, Texas, included updated and expanded hardscapes, all new custom fencing and gates, planting, landscape lighting and irrigation systems. The three properties include 11 vacation rental units, consisting of a landmark Queen Anne Victorian-style mansion built in the early 1900s, a carriage house, a five-unit converted barn and three 1930s cottage-style bungalows across the street.

Before our landscape renovation, much of the existing hardscape at the mansion side of the property was in good condition from a hospitality point of view, such as the concrete walkway pictured, allowing for natural and intuitive movement and mostly functional outdoor spaces. We made design changes to the primary entrances to improve circulation and the entry experience. Additionally, the existing planting at the mansion's front entrance obscured the architecture, something we sought to correct in our planting design. As part of editing the outdoor spaces for historical accuracy, we removed the faux historical lamp post that featured prominently at the mansion’s entrance.

At the primary entrance to the mansion, we expanded the existing concrete paving with a decomposed granite landing to complement the architecture, create a place for gathering and provide a more pleasing entry experience. For the perimeter planting around the mansion and along the new picket fence, we curated a drought-tolerant native and adapted plant palette in the fashion of a cottage garden to reflect the historical context of the Queen Anne Victorian-style mansion. This included plant selections such as Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), catmint (Nepeta × faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’), Jerusalem sage (Phlomis fruticosa) and red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora).

At the second primary entrance to the mansion side of the property, we realigned the pathway so that it was centered on the new gate to the pool area, creating a more intuitive approach. This required demolishing the existing concrete paving and sourcing pavers to match the existing pavers used at the pool patio. As part of the picket fence redesign, the fence angles in, to highlight this location as an entry point to the property. We also screened the existing cabana wall with evergreen cherry laurels (Prunus caroliniana), reducing its visual prominence and allowing the beautiful architecture beyond to come forward.

This ‘before’ photo illustrates the non-intuitive, off-centered approach of the previous pathway to the pool and cabana area as well as the dilapidated state of the original picket fence. Without planting, the picket fence stood isolated, fading into the landscape.

We redesigned the iconic picket fence with additional stylistic details such as curving pickets and finial caps to better complement the architecture of the mansion. Planting areas flanking both sides of the white picket fence accentuate it as an important landscape feature. In our planting design, we selected drought-tolerant, low-maintenance native and adapted plants to minimize water usage and simplify upkeep for the commercial setting.

Building the picket fence was challenging due to the varying topography at the front of the mansion. We designed the fence so that the top of the pickets were level, which required negotiating grade changes during construction. Because of the historic nature of this site with landscape artifacts from previous eras, we encountered subterranean remnants such as an abandoned concrete drainage pipe, discovered in the area shown, that required excavation and removal. Additionally, we repoured a new concrete curb along the street after the original curb crumbled during excavation efforts.

As part of the custom fencing program for the three properties, we designed the interior fencing to be lower, while meeting pool code requirements where needed. Open pickets foster an airy atmosphere yet maintain the sense of seclusion. Street-facing fencing was designed to be solid for more privacy. Around the pool and cabana, the plant selection continues a cottage garden aesthetic in relation to the Victorian mansion. The addition of contemporary touches such as evergreen soft leaf yucca (Yucca recurvifolia) echo the newer construction of the pool and cabana.

During our landscape construction phase, the City of Fredericksburg implemented stringent watering restrictions due to ongoing drought conditions in the Texas Hill Country region. This required that we pivot away from our original concept for expansive, lush green zoysia lawns to a more water-conscious solution of drought-tolerant plantings and Texas sedge (Carex leavenworthii) lawns in some areas. Working on a heritage property required us to preserve and incorporate several historic elements into our design, including this concrete curb pictured in photo #9 that we used to define the sedge lawn edge from the street side plantings of red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) and gulf muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris).

On the bungalow side of the property, we faced the challenge of providing enough off-street guest parking. For the bungalow shown at left, guests previously parked on the street. In our preliminary landscape design, we planned to create a second driveway next to the existing apron of the driveway area shown at right, but this would have brought the new driveway too close to the left bungalow and led to cramped parking. We opted instead to transform that area into a private courtyard for the left unit and create a new driveway on the opposite side of the bungalow.

An aesthetic challenge of the three properties was coordinating the various architectural eras of the buildings. The existing picket fence on the bungalow side, shown in this ‘before’ photo, felt out of place and disconnected from the 1930’s style architecture. We decided to keep the picket fence as a feature on the mansion side, where it better suited the Victorian Queen-Anne style architecture, and remove it on the bungalow side in favor of more contemporary new fencing.

In comparison to the tall fencing that was previously used on the bungalow side of the property, our lower fence height improves visibility, creating a more comfortable and spacious atmosphere among the private areas. We created expanded planting areas at the bungalow side, with a lush planting palette featuring shade-tolerant plantings of Texas betony (Stachys coccinea), inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), fall aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium), soft leaf yucca (Yucca recurvifolia) and cherry laurels (Prunus caroliniana).

This ‘before’ photo demonstrates the excessive use of tall fencing that created a claustrophobic and oppressive feeling at the private outdoor spaces on the bungalow side of the property. The area shown in this photo also required demolition and reconfiguration of the hardscape, regrading for drainage and careful work around heritage pecan trees. Through new hardscape and planting, our design revitalized an area that was previously worn and tired.

Instead of the wood slat style used for the fencing at the mansion side of the property, we opted for framed welded wire mesh to better complement the bungalows’ more modern architectural style. To improve the outdoor experience and encourage utilization of the backyard of this particular bungalow, we created a decomposed granite patio to accommodate an outdoor dining area. ‘Emerald’ zoysia grass was chosen for the lawns for its fine blade texture, dark green color and tolerance for drought, cold and foot traffic.

This ‘before’ photo demonstrates the previously uninviting atmosphere of the outdoor spaces at the same bungalow shown in the previous photo (photo #14). In this area, we demolished the original fencing and outbuildings and created a more private outdoor space with new fencing, planting beds, lawn and a decomposed granite patio.

Prior to our landscape renovation, the pool and cabana on the mansion side of the property was the only communal area among the three properties. We created a central courtyard, made of decomposed granite, at the bungalow side to provide an additional shared space. Shade-tolerant plantings of dwarf palmetto palm (Sabal minor), inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) and fall aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) surround the patio, transforming it into a green oasis. Aesthetically, the planting palette remains cohesive while reflecting the three periods of architecture present. At this area and throughout the properties, we introduced dark-sky compliant, LED landscape lighting for wayfinding.

We created extensive design build plans for our landscape renovation, including demolition, hardscape reconfiguration, fencing, lighting, irrigation and planting plans. Our planting plan incorporated plant species that are suited to the Texas Hill Country locale and complement the dynamic and graceful style of the exteriors’ varied architecture and color scheme. We considered seasonal interest and selected species that would also attract birds and pollinators, enhancing the vibrant feel of the hospitality project. This required botanical knowledge and mindfulness in plant selection which helped to build a strong sense of place. Overall, our landscape design and construction revitalized these historic properties and elevated them to their full potential, all while preserving the original charm and spirit.