As my friend Cowboy Bob once said, ‘You either get West Texas or you don’t.’ As it turns out, Stone & Spring loves the high desert and the faraway wonder of Marfa, Alpine, Marathon, Ft. Davis and all the magic of the West where water is ephemeral and sacred. A garden in this region of the country must survive not only long intense periods of drought and heat, but also whipping winds and extreme cold.

The Client is completing the construction of his ‘City House’ in Marfa and wanted the front and rear yards to have distinct qualities, representative of the surrounding landscape as well as their functional requirements in relation to the home. The front yard is a simple palette of Mesquites and Agaves while the rear garden expands the palette further to include native grasses, oaks, yuccas and evergreen screening for privacy. Long linear plank pavers were crosscut from Lueder’s grey block, providing a unique but incredibly strong and durable solution for circulating around the pool. Local boulders punctuate the garden, providing impromptu seats and filling the rain garden the sculptural interest.