Confronted by an eroding and parched 500’ long drainage channel along the entire frontage of their sloping property at Rob Roy on the Lake, the clients at Rob Roy on the Lake worked with Eden Garden Design to transform the challenging area into a beautiful and functional planted ephemeral creek. Looking to local Hill Country waterways for inspiration, Eden created limestone boulder terraces and utilized large Brazos river rock at key points to slow the flow of water and create pockets of moisture to allow plants to thrive.

Dense plantings of mesic and xeric native sedges and rushes in the thin, rocky soil provided lush vegetative cover, creating the look of a flowing river of grass as well as an extensive root system to help prevent erosion within the channel. These plantings, such as Scott’s sedge (Carex leavenworthii x retroflexa), White- topped sedge (Rhynchospora colorata) and Lawn sedge (Carex leavenworthii), were selected to perform in the harshest of circumstances - very hot, dry summers and intermittent flash-flood conditions.

To stabilize the upper banks of the drainage channel and increase habitat value, Eden planted the banks of the swale with pollinator-friendly native plants such as Texas betony (Stachys coccinea), Four-nerve daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa) and Mealy blue sage (Salvia farinacea).

"Amy and Sarah are very professional and their attention to detail in concept, design, and execution is nonpareil. We're so very happy with the finished product and would recommend Eden Garden Design to any one wanting a thoughtfully creative landscape design and installation."