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The Top Choice Austin Landscaping Blog

Everything you need to know about artificial turf (fake grass!) in Austin

By The Top Choice Team / July 3, 2023

Look, we love real grass, but there are absolutely scenarios where grass doesn’t work. In those cases, we wanted to provide a beautiful and excellent solution for your landscape. We now install artificial turf (fake grass)! But what’s the deal with turf anyway? Is it right for your yard? You’ve got questions – we’ve got answers.…

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How to use rock and stone in your landscape

By Nolan Gore / June 7, 2023

So you want to use rock and stone in your landscape. You might be wondering… Function and Beauty – that’s always the goal with our landscaping. Sometimes you have to settle for one of the two (function OR beauty), but we always want to shoot for both if possible. Let’s take a look at a…

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Irrigation Tips to Save Water in Austin

By Nolan Gore / April 18, 2023

Save money, save the environment, and save water in Austin! We often have conversations with clients looking for smart ways to conserve water, especially when it comes to irrigating their yard. We love these questions – whether we get to implement these ideas for conservation for them or they want to implement themselves. Let’s discuss…

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The Shaded Retreat: Designing a Lush and Low-Maintenance Shade Garden in Austin

By Nolan Gore / April 13, 2023

As a residential landscape company in Austin, Texas, we understand that not all garden spaces receive direct sunlight throughout the day. Whether you have towering trees or a north-facing yard, creating a lush and low-maintenance shade garden is achievable with the right approach. In this post, we’ll share our top secrets to designing an attractive…

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Installing St Augustine Turf in Austin

By Nolan Gore / April 12, 2023

St Augustine sod is a warm-season grass that is well-suited for the Central Texas region due to its tolerance for Texas weather. It’s a thick, lush grass that creates a dense turf. It grows in “Stolons” which are the above ground runners that some people think look like large centipedes. There are different types of…

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Live oak leaves and catkins

The Wonders of Live Oak Pollen and Catkins

By Nolan Gore / April 5, 2023

It’s your favorite time of year again… live oak pollen and catkins. As an Austin resident, you know that spring is in the air when these two start to make their presence known. Sure, they may make your eyes itch and your nose run, but let’s take a moment to appreciate them for what they…

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Central Texas Winter Weeds: Identification and Control

By Nolan Gore / February 28, 2023

Maintaining a lush, green lawn in Central Texas can be a challenge, especially during the winter months when winter weeds can take over. Here are some of the most common winter weeds in Central Texas and tips on how to identify and control them. Before we dive into identifying and controlling specific winter weeds that…

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Arborgeddon Ice Damage Update

By Nolan Gore / February 13, 2023

After this month’s ice damage, we’re getting a lot of questions. How will “Arborgeddon” continue to affect Austin’s trees and landscapes into the future? What do you need to think about now? Is oak trimming still ok? Will my trees survive the ice damage? Will the debris stacked on my grass damage the turf? What…

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Why do plants go dormant? When do plants come out of dormancy in Central Texas?

By Nolan Gore / February 7, 2023

Especially after the latest ice storm, you have probably noticed that many of your plants have gone dormant. Will they ever come back? When do plants come out of dormancy in Central Texas? Let’s discuss the reasons behind plant dormancy and what you can expect during this period. Why do plants go dormant in Central…

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Mother Nature – Some Thoughts

By Nolan Gore / February 2, 2023

One summer I worked in downtown Houston. It was common for people to wake up in their air-conditioned house, go into their air-conditioned garage, get in their air-conditioned cars, drive downtown to a parking garage, get out of their cars and walk through the underground tunnels (yes – they are real and, yes – they…

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