Notes from the field on building landscapes that belong here.
Plant calendars, hardscape decisions, drainage we’ve fixed twice, and the design choices that make Hill Country landscapes last. Written by Mara Whitfield, RLA, and the Greenline studio.
The Austin Native Plant Calendar: What to Plant, When, and Where
A month-by-month guide to planting natives in Austin. Fall is when yards get planted — here’s the schedule and the twelve plants to start with.
Why Your Austin Lawn Keeps Dying — And What to Plant Instead
Your fescue isn’t dying because you’re a bad gardener. It’s dying because it doesn’t belong in Austin. Native alternatives and the transition plan.
Limestone vs. Flagstone vs. Pavers: Hardscape Materials Ranked for Texas Heat
Three materials, three behaviors in 100-degree summers. The ranking, the bases that determine longevity, and the edge restraint nobody talks about.
Designing an Outdoor Kitchen That Survives Austin Summers
Most outdoor kitchens in Austin sit unused June through September. The four design rules, the shade strategy, and the $400 fan that determines whether the whole project gets used.
The Drainage Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Austin Yard
Austin gets 30 inches of rain on top of expansive clay. The seven drainage mistakes we see most often, and the order of operations that prevents all of them.
What “Native by Default” Actually Means — A Greenline Field Guide
The phrase shows up on every project. Here’s what it actually means in practice, what makes a plant “native enough,” and the plants we’ll never install.
We publish field notes through the planting season.
If you’d rather have a Greenline designer look at your specific yard than read about it — we do site visits across Austin, Westlake, Tarrytown, Lakeway, Dripping Springs, and the Hill Country.