The August test
Weeks of triple-digit heat, plus the reflected heat off pavement and west walls. We plant species proven in our summers, group them by water need, and schedule irrigation for the cool hours before dawn.
Landscapes that belong to the Hill Country.
Design, build and care for Austin-area homes since 2011. Native planting, Texas limestone, steel, water and light, made to look its best through a 105° August and a hard January freeze.
AustinWestlakeDripping SpringsLakewayTarrytownRollingwoodNorthwest HillsAllandaleBarton HillsRound RockGeorgetownLeanderLiberty HillCedar Park
Scroll, and watch the yard build itself.
A Hill Country ranch house with a lawn that gave up in July: brown St. Augustine, bare caliche and a water bill that never stops.
Beds get shaped, soil gets amended and chopped Austin limestone is set by hand.
Whale’s tongue agave, Mexican feather grass, cenizo and red yucca go in, all on drip irrigation.
A front yard that blooms after every rain and uses a fraction of the water.
More yards, rebuilt.
Every one starts the way yours might look today. Play the build, or drag across the still to compare before and after.
These build sequences are design visualizations of typical Sullivan’s project scopes. Photos of finished Sullivan’s projects are in Our work.
The idea catalog.
Everything we build in Central Texas, in motion. Open any idea to see why it works here and what it’s made of, then save it to your idea board.
Built for Central Texas, not a catalog from somewhere else.
Austin landscapes fail for local reasons. Every Sullivan’s design starts with the conditions on your lot.
Caliche, clay and limestone
West of MoPac it’s thin soil over rock. Out toward Round Rock and Georgetown it’s Blackland clay that swells and cracks. Beds get amended or built up to suit what’s underneath.
Watering days and rules
Your city sets the schedule. We zone systems properly, convert beds to drip, and install smart controllers that skip a cycle when it rains.
Deer country
In Dripping Springs, Lakeway and the Hill Country, deer browse everything tender. Our palettes lean on plants deer tend to leave alone: agave, sotol, salvia, cenizo and grasses.
The hard freeze
February 2021 taught every Austin gardener the same lesson. We favor plants that come back from a deep freeze, and give tender ones sheltered spots.
Protecting your oaks
Oak wilt spreads through fresh cuts. We avoid pruning oaks from February through June, paint every wound, and design around root zones instead of through them.
Flash Flood Alley
Two inches in an hour turns a side yard into a creek. Dry creek beds, French drains, regrading and permeable paving send stormwater where it belongs, and the fix ends up looking like part of the garden.
The plant palette.
Proven performers for Austin and the Hill Country. Swipe through the plants that do the heavy lifting in our designs.
Everything outside, one crew.
Design, installation and the care that keeps it looking right. No handing you off between subcontractors.
Landscape design & installation
A walk of your property, a plan drawn for your lot, then our own crews build it. Planting, patios, walkways, walls, water features and full outdoor rooms.
- Site plans
- Native & xeriscape planting
- Flagstone & limestone
- Retaining walls
- Water features
- Drainage
Irrigation
New systems, repairs and conversions for homes and commercial properties. Proper zoning, drip for beds, and smart controllers so you water less and see more.
- New installs
- Leak & head repair
- Drip conversion
- Smart controllers
- Seasonal checkups
Outdoor lighting
Warm, low-voltage LED lighting that makes the garden a second view from inside. Uplit oaks, moonlight through the canopy, lit paths and steps, and security lighting that doesn’t feel like a parking lot.
- Tree uplighting
- Path & step lights
- Wall grazing
- Security lighting
- Timers & app control
Steel fabrication & decks
Pergolas, gates, fencing, planters and decorative metalwork, fabricated for your project, not pulled off a shelf. Custom decks designed and built to match.
- Steel pergolas
- Custom gates
- Fencing
- Corten planters
- Hardwood decks
Sod, new lawns & artificial turf
Fresh zoysia, Bermuda or St. Augustine matched to your sun and shade, or artificial turf where grass will never win: dog runs, deep shade, pool surrounds.
- Sod installation
- Lawn replacement
- Artificial turf
- Pet areas
- Pool surrounds
Maintenance & lawn care
Weekly or bi-weekly care for homes and commercial properties, from crews who know what they’re looking at.
- Mowing & edging
- Fertilization
- Aeration & top dressing
- Pruning & shrub care
- Leaf removal
- Seasonal cleanups
The Central Texas year.
What your landscape needs, season by season.
Spring
Bluebonnets, fresh growth and the start of lawn season. Irrigation checkups, fertilizing, mulch, and the last planting window before the heat.
Summer
Protect what’s planted. Mow high, water deep and early, and watch for leaks. It’s a good time to build hardscape, lighting and steel while planting waits.
Fall
The best planting season in Central Texas. Roots settle in through a mild winter and meet summer established. Muhly turns pink and patios get used again.
Winter
Structure season. Cut back grasses and perennials, protect tender plants before a freeze, winterize irrigation, and design the spring project.
Our work, around Austin.
Finished Sullivan’s projects, from Bouldin Creek courtyards to River Place hillsides.
How a project goes.
Walk it
A free visit to your property. Sun, soil, drainage, oaks, deer, HOA rules, and how you actually want to use the space.
Draw it
A plan with plants, materials and lighting laid out, and a clear price. Adjust it until it feels right.
Build it
Our crews install everything: stone, steel, irrigation, lighting and planting, with a walkthrough at the end.
Keep it
Optional maintenance, so the garden grows in the way it was designed and not the way the weeds prefer.
Plan my yard.
Tap through a few choices, and we’ll arrive at the design walk already knowing what you like. Free, no obligation.
Questions Austin homeowners ask us.
What does the design walk cost?
Nothing. Consultations are free. We walk the property with you, talk through what you want, and follow up with a plan and a clear price.
Can a water-wise yard still look lush?
Yes. Layered native grasses, shrubs and perennials look fuller than a stressed lawn, especially in August. A small, well-placed patch of turf where you actually use it usually beats a whole yard of it.
When is the best time to plant in Central Texas?
Fall. Plants put roots down through a mild winter and face their first summer already established. Early spring is the second-best window. Hardscape, lighting and steel work can happen year-round.
Is artificial turf a good idea in Texas heat?
In the right spot. Turf gets hot in full afternoon sun, so we recommend it for shade where grass fails, dog runs, and pool surrounds broken up with stone. For open, sunny lawns, zoysia or Bermuda is often the better call.
How do you work around live oaks?
Carefully. We keep equipment and grade changes out of root zones, avoid pruning oaks from February through June because of oak wilt, and seal every cut.
Which areas do you serve?
Austin and its neighborhoods, including Tarrytown, Rollingwood, Westlake, Northwest Hills, Allandale and Barton Hills, plus Dripping Springs, Lakeway, Cedar Park, Leander, Liberty Hill, Round Rock and Georgetown.
Do you offer financing?
Yes, through our partner HFS Financial. Ask about it during your design walk.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Sullivan’s is licensed and fully insured, and every crew member is background-screened.