Houston Landscape

Houston Landscape
The Houston landscape today is
very different from the landscape that European settlers found when they first
arrived in Texas. At that time, the areas around Buffalo Bayou and its many
tributaries was a dark swamp populated by cypress and magnolia trees. In many
places, the forest was so impenetrable (and filled with mosquitoes) that even
the Karankaway Indians would not venture too far in. Over the years, the
Houston landscape gave way to industrialization and residential development. It
has never lost its greenery or its waterways, however, and today is still home
to a wide variety of oak and pine tree species that line the bayous and scenic
roadways that connect the outer rims of the city to downtown.
Houston’s climate
is hot and humid in the summer and temperate and humid during the winter. This
makes it very amenable to growing a plethora of both exotic and indigenous
plants. Because of this, it also makes it possible for the professional
landscaper to provide the homeowner with an eclectic range of options when
it comes to styles and types of gardens. Because of our mild winters, we
seldom see much freeze damage to plants, shrubs, and trees. In fact, Houston
landscapes are known throughout the South for having flowers of some sort or
the other throughout the year. There are a number of species, such as pansies
and cyclamen, which routinely bloom in the winter.