Irrigation & drainage · Texas Hill Country Getting water to go where it should.
In the Hill Country you are usually managing too little water or too much of it at once. Irrigation and drainage work best when they are planned with the landscape, not after it.
Irrigation that follows the planting plan
Good irrigation is designed from the planting plan outward. Lawn, new shrubs and established natives all want different amounts of water, so they should not share a zone. Grouping plants by need means each area gets what it uses, which saves water and keeps the plants healthier. As natives mature, they often need very little, and a well-zoned system lets you scale back to match.
Grading and drainage
Hill Country storms can drop a lot of rain quickly, and thin soil over limestone cannot absorb it fast. On a sloped lot, that water will find its way toward your foundation, your terraces or your pool unless the site is shaped to send it somewhere else.
We treat grading and drainage as part of the design from the start. Our Loft Landscaping project, for example, covered site work, grading and drainage systems along with the planting and lighting. Drainage work is mostly invisible when it is finished, and it protects everything built on top of it, including the walls and terraces.
Rainwater collection
Rain that falls on a roof can water the garden in July. We have built rainwater collection into a number of projects, and the tanks do not have to be an eyesore. On one property, dual tanks sit by the pool terrace with the smaller one screened by a pergola. On another, the tank is tucked beneath the cabana.
Rainwater collection also makes sense on rural properties that rely on a well. It takes some of the pressure off the well during dry months.
- Irrigation design
- Grading & drainage systems
- Site drainage for terraces & walls
- Rainwater collection systems
- Water-wise planting zones
- Design coordinated with the master plan
Water, managed
Related services
- Landscape Architecture & Design Master planning by our landscape architecture team — site plans, planting design and courtyards that belong to the land around them.
- Hardscape & Retaining Walls Hill Country sites are steep and rocky. We engineer the structure and build every wall, stair and terrace ourselves.
- Landscape Lighting Light for the hours you are actually home — safe steps and paths, glowing water, and trees and stone that stay beautiful after dark.
Irrigation & Drainage, across the Hill Country
Common questions
01 Do you install irrigation on its own?
Irrigation is usually part of a larger landscape project, where it can be designed with the planting plan. If you have a specific need, call us and we will tell you whether we are the right fit.
02 Can you fix a yard that floods or stays wet?
Often, yes. Standing water and runoff usually come down to grading and drainage. We would look at how water moves across your property before recommending a solution.
03 Is rainwater collection worth it in the Hill Country?
It can be, especially for landscape watering and on rural properties served by a well. We have built tanks into several projects and can design them to fit the site.
Begin your project