Located in central Texas along the Colorado River, Austin is the state capitol and a contemporary community where health and outdoor living are front and center. As a major high tech center, it is home to some of the finest contemporary architecture and innovative home landscapes in the state. The steady stream of graduates from engineering and computer science from the University of Austin has lured many top firms to headquarter in this community to lend world class sophistication to upscale homes and landscaping. Combined with the riverine environment and nearby lakes for summer water sports, this city has been designated one of the best lifestyle in America.

Here grilling is a way of life and almost every home has some space for the barbecue. Health conscious residents are keen on fresh cuisine too, making home gardens more than a simple Texas vegetable patch. For the highly affluent, outdoor kitchens, fire pits and elaborate swimming pools augment large homes and fabulous architecture. This rich economic climate makes the greater Austin area one of the richest in quality landscape contractors and designers who know the aesthetic and lifestyle trends of this upscale city.

For those who want to learn more about water conservative Texas native plants for landscaping, or to see exactly what thrives in Austin, Zilker Botanical Garden offers 31 acres of demonstration plantings. Included is the exquisite Taniguchi Japanese garden as well as meeting places for the Austin area garden clubs for those who wish to join or attend their events. Located within the massive 300 acre Zilker Park and greenbelt, this is one of the most beautiful parts of the city.

Many prefer to reside in the large homes and homesites of the outlying communities such as Round Rock, where the computer giant Dell is headquartered. Located north of Austin on an arterial highway, this large residential community shares both hill country to the west and flat plains to the east for a wide range of landscape conditions. Rolling oak studded hills with highly variable soils and a hot humid climate support a wide range of planting options. Just west of Round Rock is even more rural Cedar Park, where acre sized lots draw high tech commuters seeking the relaxed Texas lifestyle well beyond the limits of Austin.

North of the Round Rock along Hwy 35 is Georgetown, a small railroad shipping depot that gradually expanded in recent decades into Austin's housing market. Here Sun City established a huge retirement community that supports an historic downtown that has been thoughtfully restored. In Georgetown contractors serve both the new smaller homes of upscale retirees and landscapes to augment the restoration of Victorian homes in the older neighborhoods.