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(Narrator) Landscape architect Christy Ten Eyck's garden respects the value of recourses.
After working in Arizona for 22 years, water management is just as important to her as
a design that suits the site and promotes its wildlife. When this native Texan returned
in 2006 her first project with husband Gary Deaver was to renovate their 1950s house and
its garden. Now with offices in two states, Christy translates the concepts that share
fundamental concerns. (Christy) In phoenix we only get 7 inches of rain a year if we're
lucky. Here with 33 inches which is the typical, I thought oh my gosh. I'm going to have it
so easy there, and we do have it easier here for sure, but what I wasn't thinking about
especially in the areas that are limestone underlayment of all of this, it's like Swiss
cheese limestone. What I didn't realize was how hard it is to hold that rain when it does
come. And so I've taken some of the lessons from Arizona. (Narrator) Design and renovation
started at the front door. She gave its prominent Oak tree more credence by reframing it. A
half inch of pea gravel permeates water to its roots yet is firm enough to support a
front yard hangout. (Christy) There is certainly more to view now that she banished the homes
circular driveway. It's one of my big pet peeves: circular driveways because you've
always got cars parked in front of the house, and this is a little 50s house with these
big casement windows and I didn't want to sit in my living room and always look at cars.
The other thing I noticed too was in rain event the water just would go rushing down
the property to the street and I wanted to somehow slow it down before it got to the
curb. Our house is about 8 feet higher than the street. (Narrator) To harness the water
she designed layers of terraces to let it gradually infiltrate. She furthered its retention
with native plants. (Christy) I love to create these native green, I call them almost bio-sponges,
so there are these green sponges that soak it all up. They are the native plants. I had
to work very carefully with all of the grades around these trees to be careful not to disturb
them, but it was the best thing ever to take all of that asphalt off their roots and let
it breathe again. Pecan shell mulch along with forest mulch and fallen acorns retain
moisture. Check damns formed form rocks excavated in back also captivate rushing water and let
it soak in to raised beds. (Christy) I think those things can really make a huge difference
in Austin and Central Texas. (Narrator) Austin's large trees are a big change from Arizona's
intensity. I've never had shade before with all of these big trees. I wanted a test garden
for native shade plants. To promote cohesive serenity she went for masses resisting her
erg to scatter plant. (Christy) Originally I was just going to put one plant in each
terrace. Well you can see I've strayed from that a little bit, but I have tried to really
keep it simple. Plus I just don't have time to take care of 40 gazillion things. (Narrator)
On the former sloping lawn Christy's terraces, pathways, and hideaways retain swooping water,
but they are also more conducive to participation than start grass. Also there is a great big
tall wall out front too. I mean one of the things I like about our street is it's like
driving through a park because everybody has these big front yards. Well ours was weird
because there was just a big wall out front and I'm kind of a social person. You know,
I don't want it to look unfriendly. I still want privacy, but I wanted to do it with green
verses a wall. I like the idea too of creating a progression for people that come here to
visit. I really just wanted them to feel like they are walking on this trail up to the front
door through a forest. (Narrator) The progression leads to a private garden in back. Once again
to address drainage she lowered the grade using excavated limestone for the front yard's
check downs. She reduced the lawn that formerly carpeted the entire space. (Christy) I still
wanted a little tiny bit of lawn because I have all of these nieces and nephews that
come over and visit and plus I have Daisy. I just tailored it up. I gave it an edge.
I gave it a frame, which really made this little patch of lawn even more important.
You know? It enframed it, and then it allows me to just have wild Turks Cap on the side
and it still looks tidy; because, it has that frame and that edge. (Narrator) A dripping
basin adds it's gentle touch to the cool serenity: a favorite with birds too. (Christy) We can
hear traffic from Mo Pac here sometimes and I just wanted a little drip of water here
and so Bertold Hosk, he's an artist with stone, and I told him I wanted a quarry block fountain.
(Narrator) The fireplace was already there but diminished by its skirting. (Christy)
And I don't personally like vertical hardscape next to horizontal hardscape. I like for there
to be breathing room. And two, I just felt like there is so much stone that I didn't
want it on the horizontal surface. (Narrator) For contrast she use pea gravel. She renovated
the fireplace with a steel surround and gravel hearth. (Christy) I love pea gravel. I love
the sound. I love the sensory experience of walking on the gravel and hearing that crunch
at night when it's quiet. It's just something about little smooth stones that's really beautiful.
(Narrator) Terraces dignify the studio added by the former owner. Christy's design merges
the lawn with the patio which he renovated between the main house and the studio guest
house. (Christy) I use approximately three inches of road base to get it real firm under
it, which is crushed limestone. And then I just use a half inch of pea gravel. I don't
want to sink in the pea gravel. I don't want to feel like I'm wading through a riverbed.
(Narrator) A brimming water trough compliments the rectangular lines. The overflow recirculates
though an underground basin. (Christy) I just think that those living in harsh climates
need to have that connection with water. It's like this ever-changing mirror. (Narrator)
Running water and nurturing plants ensure an urban wildlife habitat that's important
to Christy. She encourages drought-tolerant diversity and water retention over tiny monocultures
whether lawn or extensive impervious hardscape. (Christy) I think we have get used to something
that doesn't look so perfect all of the time. That there is a harsh beauty that all of us
need to appreciate about our native landscapes and to rush out and rip everything out and
rock it just increases the urban heat island. There is less precocity and permeability.
I'm worried for our big trees. Creating some kind of native floor to people's gardens helps
keep those big trees alive, it helps keep it cooler. I just want people to use every
square foot of their yards for places to hang out and inspiration. Our lives are so chaotic
and hectic, everyone should have a little special garden that connects them back with
nature, and sort of just reconnects them with all of the wonderful things about life and
living in Central Texas.