Recipient of the distinguished Texas Parks & Wildlife Lone Star Land Steward Award for native plant and wildlife conservation, this Duval County Ranch is a hunting ranch and family retreat.
A key goal was to create a landscape reflecting the unique native character of South Texas–a place of “big sky” and rolling plains. In collaboration with Anderson Wise Architects, Co’design developed a landscape master plan for the Ranch compound which included a lodge, guest houses, owner’s cottage, swimming pool, spa, reflection pond, walking paths, landscape lighting, and a comprehensive planting strategy for the surrounding thirty-two acres. Occupying the center of the Ranch compound is a swimming and reflection pool which captures the ever-changing sky and provides a cool retreat for Ranch visitors.
Feature areas include a butterfly garden for viewing migrating species, a Mexican Olive grove, and a garden showcasing plants of the Ranch. In each of these garden areas, over 90% of the plants were “hand dug” from the Ranch and thus authentically present local species characteristics. The perimeter landscape integrates restored native prairie highlighting the beautiful native grasses and wildflowers of South Texas.