February 02, 2026
Ultimate fall I visited a west Austin yard on a bluff overlooking inexperienced hills and a winding, rocky creek. Designed by panorama architect Curt Arnette of Sitio Design, the yard subtly echoes the view with a bermed zoysia backyard studded with limestone boulders. “The mounding captures the hills and attracts them in,” Curt says.
Curt united clusters of reside oaks throughout the coronary heart of the yard into one big shade yard. A big stepping-stone path meanders through, offering entry and a yard stroll. For the understory, tufts of sedge and far of cast-iron plant add easy-care greenery, punctuated by dwarf palmetto and yaupon holly.
A side view reveals grassy ribbons working through the yard: large liriope, Berkeley sedge, and variegated ‘Feather Falls’. Lyre-leaf sage and spiderwort are proper right here too for seasonal color.
On the trail entrance, a modern, scroll-like chunk of limestone stands on end as a pure sculptural element. “That curvy stone was already on the property, lying down, and we stood it up,” says Curt.
A rolling a part of the backyard flows in the direction of the view of the hills. Huge limestone boulders moreover draw the eye in that route.
I assume they’d be pleasurable for youngsters to climb on.
My favorite of the boulders — a moon-like rock. On the bluff’s edge, a slim metallic fence offers safety with out obscuring the view.
Native rock rose (Pavonia lasiopetala) offers hot-pink flower color. Flowers open throughout the morning and shut throughout the afternoon.
A stone platform and bench give the owners a spot to sit down and admire the view…
…which is spectacular.
Behind the stone platform, small natives thrive in its mirrored heat: paleleaf yucca, four-nerve daisy, rock rose…
…prickly pear, Agave lophantha, silver ponyfoot, and zexmenia.
Agave lophantha, four-nerve daisy, and purple skullcap make a wonderful combo for heat photo voltaic and gravelly soil.
Turning spherical, proper right here’s the view once more to the house. I take into consideration with all these large dwelling home windows, the owners actually really feel they’re residing throughout the yard.
On the shade yard path
‘Feather Falls’ sedge brightens the shade with its white variegation.
Yaupon holly, dwarf palmetto, cast-iron plant, and ‘Feather Falls’ sedge — a quartet of hardy, easy-to-maintain crops for dry shade in central Texas.
The bushes give answer to open sky and sunshine on the far side of the yard. Proper right here, a low wall encloses a dry yard of agave, yucca, prickly pear, and grasses, with a pergola-shaded desk throughout the coronary heart.
Curt instructed me the nation stone wall was already there, nonetheless topped with hog-wire fencing and cedar submit framing. “We decided to make it a bit additional refined,” he says. “We took the cedar and wire off, and we capped the earlier knee wall with stone.”
The dry yard choices structural, spiky crops and provides a view of the shade yard and residential.
‘Blonde Ambition’ blue grama and whale’s tongue agave
Two pillars mark the precept entrance into the dry yard. Curt outlined that the pillars was taller, with an arch connecting them, nonetheless they competed visually with the model new cedar pergola. The proprietor had the thought to scale them down by chopping off the very best half, and she or he supplied small stones to mortar on prime for a of entirety.
View of the dry yard from the home’s once more patio
And the view of the shade yard and canyon overlook
Shade-loving foundation crops: ‘Feather Falls’ sedge, asparagus fern, and massive leopard plant.
Out entrance, a metallic arbor planted with Rangoon creeper runs all through the storage. Curt extended it into the yard to become a welcoming arbor over the doorway stroll.
It moreover frames the house and yard as you stroll up.
An prolonged planter wall offers additional building, plus privateness and greenery.
‘White Cloud’ Gulf muhly in frothy ivory bloom last November
A canna’s darkish leaves and pink flowers flip up the heat alongside blue-green yucca.
My due to Curt and the owners for allowing me to share the yard. For a look once more at one different of Curt’s designs, check out: New Orleans-inspired yard courtyard.
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