Sometimes clients within the same household have differing views of the ideal landscape.

In this case, one was from the big-sky plains of West Texas and the other from the woody, lush landscapes of the Northeast. One liked openness and smoothness; and the other liked rambling, unmanicured wildness. To make both happy, the design inserts a courtyard garden within a more random “wildscape.” Within the stonewalls of the courtyard, the landscape is clean and simple: a manicured lawn, a large spreading oak tree and a fish pond. Beyond the walls, the surrounding landscape is filled with seasonal surprises such as Maximillian daisies and a rich palette of native succulents and perennials.