In the Brooksmith neighborhood near I-45 and close to downtown there are many new homes replacing older ones. This nicely constructed contemporary home had nice clean lines. The desire was for a easy to maintain space to view from inside with lots of room for entertaining. The home had an existing little forest of volunteer trees. We added in a new under-story with two Bloodgood Japanese maples to add color texture and seasonal interest. The garden was designed to not need irrigation or much supplemental watering once it was established. We created a raised bed with a pond in the middle next to the patio. It is the perfect height for siting and gets just enough light for growing a kitchen herb garden. We worked around the utility pole and created a gravel area for a fire pit. We added two cedar post so we could hang a sail shade cloth and string lights.