An active lifestyle is the calling card for the clients who own this special property. The garden needed to be no-fuss and hardworking, and the contemporary style of the house dictated clean lines and restraint. Repetition of concrete and solid planting blocks visually simplify while allowing thoughtful textural nuances to shine. A mosaic of shiny black stone and graceful limb from a weeping cedar or plume of grass each occupy their own spaces. A lone pecan tree watches over the generous lawn and play space that abuts the pool, giving it a gravitas that brand new landscapes often struggle to achieve. The tree was preexisting on the site, and all construction work for the house and landscape was done with a careful eye to protecting its root system and preserving it as a heritage feature of the property. The effort was well-spent. In a landscape with minimal exclamation points, a single perfect tree takes center stage. A firepit nestled into the lowest part of the property provides a destination and offers a dynamic view back up to the house.