Darrin Duling from the Mercer Arboretum offers choices for color in your yard, even as the heat persists...

Most folks don't even know that a Landscape Architect is a profession. Their only experience, after all,  is with pool builders and pool contractors. But there is a huge difference between the landscape architect, and a guy with a shovel. 

Let Texas Registered Landscape Architect No. 869 (Michael Shawn Kelly) explain the difference.

One element of great design technique is creating a focal point in your yard. But, you may be asking, what creates a great focal point? 

Glad you asked...

Sometimes it feels like we have to coax our children to get outside and play. Luckily there are programs like Nature Explore that help make this a little easier on us adults. Chris Kiewra from Nature Explore tell us more...
 

There once was a time when we would spend our evenings out on our front porches. We would enjoy a beverage as the sun set, and wave as the neighbors took a stroll around the block. 

Smart, beautiful landscape design can help you reclaim your front yard. Shawn and Blinda tell you how. 

A front yard design by Michael Shawn Kelly & Mirror Lake Designs

Uh oh, Easter is coming up. And there are going to be a lot of kids coming over! How do you keep them busy?

How about Easter Egg coloring with a twist! Blinda explains more...

Azaleas don't get the credit they deserve. Shawn and Blinda discuss the missed opportunities that azaleas offer.

Looking for a fun day-trip around the Houston area? Somewhere you can enjoy a local wine, some dancing, and great food? Take a little trip down to Santa Fe, TX where Raymond Haak tends to his three acres of grape vine at Haak Vineyards & Winery

Shawn and Blinda interview Raymond and learn more about this local vineyard. 
 

We are surrounded in the Houston area with subdivisions of two-acre lots. Typically, these homes are built up several feet above native elevation. The intention is good - to keep the home dry. But too often, the homeowners and the builders themselves do not know how to mitigate the unforeseen consequences. 

Shawn and Blinda explain...

Part II of an interview with Michael Dolan author of The American Porch: An Informal History of an Informal Place.