
Look What I Can Do! Lush Xeriscape Landscapes in Austin Texas
“Hey look Ma, no hands!”, well that’s not entirely true, I do lay out the plants myself but Mother Nature gets most of the credit. Not because she (Mother Nature) plants for me but because she and I are symbiotic. I get what she is putting down as it were.
My designs are an expression of what I have come to learn over many years of watching the natural elements at play here in the Central Texas landscape. We are typically low on annual rain fall and high on heat; native plants dig that. We live busy lives and our gardens have to work for us, so spacing plants properly and using the right plant for the job are crucial, just like in nature. Organic in every way, conservation is key and you have to work with what belongs here! That is my interpretation of what I have learned from my surroundings over the past 20 years as a central Texas gardener and designer. Here are some examples of my work.
A Stunning landscape begins with a professional, knowledgeable landscaper/designer/consultant who listens to your needs and gives you the most bang for your buck!
This garden may look sparse now but it will be lush and full in two years. Over planting is one of the most common mistakes landscapers make. It fills up their pockets but leaves you with necessary maintenance to keep crowded plants in place.

Lisa LaPaso,Lisa’s Landscape, design, xeriscape

Deer resistant landscape, austin, design, lisa, lapaso

Lisa, lapaso, landscape design, austin, xeriscape

You can create a really formal looking garden with native and adapted plants, you just have to understand their nature and growth patterns. Why install plants that have to be maintained when you can just plant the right one?

This is a combination of native and adapted plants with a touch of annual color. This is a great design for those who enjoy a little gardening but appreciate low maintenance.

This is a shade garden where I have used contrast and color to create interest. Adding natural elements like river rock can also bring light to the space.

I love this shot, it is a great view from the top of the hill to the seating area below. I have used a combination of TX perennials with seasonal annuals to make a statement of color with leaves in a really dark space.
Contrasting shapes, textures and colors play brilliantly with low light conditions and it take a knowledgeable designer to make the right selections allowing for seasonal interest as well as pops of color.
This is Xeriscape at its best! Xeriscape is not stabby and rocky, it is low water plants in the correct environment.

Creating exquisite Xeriscape and edible gardens that are organic, low maintenance and low water. There is no place for chemicals here. If your entire bed is organic you can plant food anywhere and change colors with food from all seasons.
Food, herbs and native plants are an excellent combination for Xeriscape beds. By using a combination of evergreen and deciduous plants you can have a rotating garden as well. A little imagination can go a long way.
Sometimes less is more, river rock in a water reducing way that is functional too. Leave the successful lawn and remove what isn’t working.
A colorful resolve to a narrow space. Contrast and textures play a big part in my design.
Shade gardens can be a challenge for most but I love the opportunity to play with light and competing textures. I use the shade to my advantage and feature variegated, shiney leaved (yes, that’s a thing) and heavily textured plants to create drama and variation. It is also really important to create gardens with many vantage points. This is your living space so lets live in it from all angles.
Elegant and stately, low maintenance, low water.
This shot was taken over the winter months to demonstrate that I design with evergreen and color so that your landscape doesn’t go MIA in the winter months.
This is a Xeriscape garden that includes a small pond for wildlife. This space invites hummingbirds, dragonflies, butterflies and birds.

Rock, stone and patio work are a huge part of an over all design and allows you to be drawn through the space.
I am a mother first of two young adults with high functioning Autism. I am a wife and business owner, I am a Master Gardener certified in organic gardening, water conservation and Oak Wilt. I have 20 years of experience with plants and 15 with landscape construction and installation. Now, through consultation and design, I teach you everything I’ve learned.
Each design is hand drawn and unique to the space and the individual.
I am really blessed to love what I do and do what I love. I really enjoy creating beautiful spaces for people to get back to nature and enjoy the simple things in life. Your landscape should work for you, not the other way around. So now that you know my style, be sure to check me out on Facebook, YouTube, or better yet give me a call if you are in or near Austin at 512-733-7777 or email me at lisalapaso@gmail.com for a landscape design or educational consultation! Check out the top of my page for a complete list of services, I look forward to hearing from you 🙂
Lisa LaPaso
Lisa’s Landscape & Design
“Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time
- Posted in: Austin Xeriscape ♦ Central Texas Gardens ♦ Eco Friendly ♦ Edible Gardens ♦ Education ♦ Gardening ♦ Landscape and Design ♦ Native and Adapted Plants ♦ Native and Adapted Trees ♦ Native Plants ♦ Tree Trimming ♦ Water Wise ♦ Xeriscape design austin
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