Author Archive
Energy Efficient Landscape
There are some interesting developments on alternative energy in Dallas and I wonder what the effect will be for future landscape design. Oncor plans to install 850 miles of transmission lines from West Texas windmills to recharge electric vehicles in Texas. Dallas has a recharging station that opened on September 2010 at the Half-Price Bookstore [...]
Water in the Metroplex Region
My last post was on xeric gardening, and this will be an important footnote. I recently learned of two interesting reports that discuss future water availability or lack of it. The first study (July 2010) comes from the Natural Resources Defense Council; it’s titled “Climate Change, Water, and Risk: Current Water Demands Are Not Sustainable“. [...]
Texas, Water, and Xeric Planting
How green was my valley. Greener pastures. The grass is always greener on the other side. The all-American lawn is fastidious, well-coiffed, and an appealing shade of emerald. All this speaks to the level of forethought and care owners bestow on their home’s welcome carpet. A perfect lawn means the owner is just another law-abiding [...]
Metroplex Industry and Sustainable Design
What would happen if we started applying sustainable design practices to the least aesthetic of places? Industry is zoned separately from residential areas. They are relegated to the status of an economically useful eyesore. Their close proximity is bound to reduce property values. Making them beautiful would be a challenge. But what if we were [...]
More Design with Recycled Glass: Cao Perrot Studio
I recently corresponded with the landscape designer, Andy Cao, but it was after I posted my last blog on recycled glass design in the landscape. He is one half of the artist and landscape duo known as Cao-Perrot Studio. The other half is Xavier Perrot who is based in Paris, France. Their firm also includes [...]
Designing with recycled glass
I thought I’d explore and present various ways that recycled glass can be used to enhance landscape design. Using recycled materials in construction and design is a wonderful way be sustainable and elevate points in a LEED project. Glass has qualities of reflection and iridescence, and comes in a wide variety of colors. The more [...]
Great Trinity Forest and Groundwork Dallas
South of Dallas lies a precious natural feature and a Metroplex treasure: the Great Trinity Forest (GTF). Over 6000 acres, it is also the largest American urban, bottomland, hardwood forest, and is part of the Trinity River Corridor. The forest contains species such as Cottonwood, Cedar Elm, Pecan, Ash, Walnut, Sycamore, and Bur Oak. Wildlife [...]
Designing Urban Spaces, and Beer Gardens
No, that title is not just to catch your attention. Although the summer heat in Dallas makes me thirsty, I have my water for now. I was just thinking about biergartens, or beer gardens, which my husband keeps telling me is sorely lacking in the Metroplex (I think the Gingerman in uptown comes close though). [...]
Cultural Landscapes of the Displaced
I was going to write about the community garden I visited this past Saturday in east Dallas. I will write more about it in another post. The reason is I had an emotional response to this particular garden because it reminded me of someone. Seeing this community garden reminded me of my mom, and how [...]