Landscaping

The Top Choice Austin Landscaping Blog

5 Best Shade Trees for Austin

By The Top Choice Team / March 3, 2026

Best Shade Trees for Austin Texas Here are 5 of the best shade trees in Austin and Central Texas. It is hard to say that one is better than another, it really depends on the micro-climate and your specific needs. This is meant to be a quick overview. If you want more information, we are…

Our Top Evergreen Shrubs for Texas Lawns

By The Top Choice Team / March 3, 2026

Spring is when most landscapes wake up. It’s also when gaps become obvious. If you’re looking for structure and consistent color, evergreen shrubs do the heavy lifting. Many perform well in Central Texas—if you choose the right ones. Heat tolerance, drought resistance, and soil adaptability matter here. Below are ten evergreen shrubs that consistently perform…

Top 10 Drought-Tolerant Plants for Gardening in Austin

By The Top Choice Team / March 3, 2026

Gardening in Austin isn’t easy. The past few years have brought freezes, ice storms, and long stretches of extreme heat and drought. If your lawn or planting beds look stressed, you’re not alone. We’ve seen plenty of “hardy” plants fail under real Central Texas conditions. A zone label doesn’t tell the whole story. The real…

Trimming Knock Out Roses in Central Texas

By The Top Choice Team / February 17, 2026

Wondering how to trim knock out roses in Central Texas? It is important you ensure you are dealing with knockout roses rather than an antique or climbing rose because they are maintained very differently. What are Knock Out Roses? Knock Out Roses hybrids were developed to resist common rose diseases and produce prolific blooms. Though…

Common Tree Trimming Mistakes

By The Top Choice Team / February 3, 2026

Tree trimming and pruning is one of the toughest tasks in lawn maintenance, with a high likelihood of mistakes when performed by an inexperienced trimmer or lawn service. Not only do these mistakes make your trees look horrible, they can also cause permanent damage and even kill your trees in some instances. Since tree trimming…

Live Oaks – Water Sprouts and Suckers

By The Top Choice Team / February 3, 2026

If you live in Austin, we guarantee you’ve seen more than a few Live Oak trees. They are native, evergreen, and don’t need too much water to be healthy. However, Live Oaks are notorious for producing small, fast-growing off shoots commonly known as water sprouts or suckers. They can appear for a variety of reasons:…

When to trim live oak trees in Austin

By The Top Choice Team / February 3, 2026

Nothing says Central Texas hill country quite like a majestic live oak. These trees have a special place in properties throughout Austin. Larger trees can be 200-300 years old, and with proper care, some can live up to 500 or 600 years! Many of these gentle giants have been around since before we were born,…

Central Texas Winter Pruning & Cutback Guide

By Nolan Gore / January 27, 2026

How do you succeed with winter cutbacks in Central Texas? A little intentional work in mid to late winter pays off all year long. Done right, winter cutbacks lead to healthier plants, stronger spring growth, and a landscape that looks good sooner — not scraggly until April. That said, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach here. Every…

How to Winterize your Irrigation System in Austin

By The Top Choice Team / January 6, 2026

Why do we winterize? We want to take care of our irrigation systems. Often times there are breaks in our systems after a long hard winter. Everyone knows that water expands when it freezes – we need to take this into consideration when we are preparing for the cold months. Make sure your system is…

Landscaping in December: The 8 Things Every Austin Homeowner Should Know (Plus a Bonus)

By Nolan Gore / December 9, 2025

Your Guide to Winter Roots, Watering, Weeds, Mulch, Trees & More — Austin, Texas Edition What You’ll Learn in This Guide This December guide will help you understand: If you understand these principles, you’ll prevent 80% of the issues Austin homeowners face each spring. 1. Soil Temps > Air Temps If you only remember one…