Examples of Texas Rustic Decor Landscaping

Fencing

• Fencing isn't a requirement in Texas rustic decor, but if it's added to the landscape, it should have a certain look. Allow wood fencing to weather naturally and turn a nice gray color for the best effect. If you prefer not to wait, certain stains will quicken the process. The type of fencing you use depends on your individual need. If you desire privacy, then privacy fencing is fine; however, split-rail fences are used in Texas to separate large tracts of land and to contain livestock. The rail fencing style, or overall look, tends to be incorporated into general landscaping areas as well and looks appropriate in a Texas rustic decor-themed yard.

Stones

• If you want to match Texas landscaping, use rocks similar to those found in that state. Typically, sandstones provide the right desert, or hot climate, look, but other earth-toned stones work as well. Large boulders among vegetation create a larger-than-life natural landscape that is in keeping with the rustic theme. Other uses for stones include large, flat, stepping stones to form paths or patios, small pebbles for paths or used as mulch around plants, and stone features, such as a fire pit or fireplace.

Furniture

• Furniture in rustic landscaping often is made of weathered or white-washed wood, giving the furniture an old or worn-out look, even if it is brand new. Another option is metal furniture with a rust color that provides an effect reminiscent of baking in the hot, Texas sunshine.

Vegetation

• It's not that every inch of Texas is hot and dry, but most of it is, and that's how many people perceive it. If you wish to create the illusion of a dry, hot climate, one simple addition to use is grass -- not the lawn variety, but the tall, wispy type that grows in clumps. Patches of grass grow near water sources or around rocks that trap moisture in the soil below. Use a grass such as "Elijah Blue" ornamental grass (Festuca glauca "Elijah Blue"), which is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. Place the grass in the landscaping around large boulders, pottery or behind lower vegetation. Increase the Texas decor effect by setting potted cacti, such as "Baby Rita" prickly pear (Opuntia basilaris hybrid "Baby Rita"), which is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 11, in landscaping areas or on a patio. During cool weather, the pots can be moved indoors to keep the cacti healthy.

Landscape Objects

• Plenty of objects are easily included in landscaping areas to indicate to all that the goal was a Texas theme. Including one or two stars is the simplest and most obvious choice. After all, Texas is the Lone Star State. Place a star made of wood, metal or even twisted wire in prominent spots. Other choices that help with the effect include an old saddle or saddlebags draped over a rock or log, large crock pottery, an old wagon wheel, a small, rusted windmill, American Indian blankets on the patio or even bunches of dried chillies to give a hint of the Hispanic influence in the region.