Areas We Serve: Huntsville, Madison & North Alabama

Southern Scape designs and builds landscapes within about 35 miles of downtown Huntsville, from our office on Sullivan Street in Madison. The ground changes a great deal across that circle, from mountain slopes to river bottoms to fresh subdivision lots, and so does the right way to build on it. Here is how we think about each part of the area we serve.

Huntsville

Huntsville is really several landscapes in one city. On the flanks of Monte Sano, Huntsville Mountain and Green Mountain, lots fall away steeply and storm water moves fast, so many of our projects there begin with retaining walls, terraces and drainage before anyone talks about plants. In South Huntsville and Jones Valley the yards are flatter but the clay is heavy, which is why our patios and walkways go down on deeper, compacted bases than a quick install would use.

Closer to downtown, in Blossomwood, Five Points and the Twickenham historic district, the work is quieter and more detailed: matching old brick, fitting a fireplace or pergola into a small, established yard, and saving mature trees while we do it. Exterior work that can be seen from the street in Huntsville’s historic districts can need review by the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, and we plan the design and the schedule around that.

Hampton Cove sits in the valley along the Flint River, below Huntsville Mountain. Low spots there hold water after heavy rain, so grading, irrigation zoning and plant choice get extra thought, and a water feature is often a better answer to a wet corner than fighting it.

Madison

Madison is home. Much of the city was built in the last thirty years, and new-construction lots tend to share the same problems: compacted fill, little real topsoil, and builder grading that sends water toward the house. Before we design anything in Clift Farm, Edgewater, Lake Forest or the newer neighborhoods west of Wall Triana, we look at where the water goes and what the soil will actually carry.

Madison is also where much of our recent outdoor living work stands: covered outdoor kitchen pavilions with cedar ceilings, a dark-bottom pool with a stacked stone fireplace, dry-stacked stone seat walls and travertine steps. Many Madison neighborhoods have homeowners’ associations with architectural review, and we prepare drawings for that approval as part of the design.

Athens, Harvest and Limestone County

West of Madison the land opens up. Lots in Athens, Harvest and Triana are often larger and flatter, with more sun and more wind, so shade structures, windbreak planting and well-zoned irrigation matter more here than in town. Brick is a strong local tradition, and our Athens work shows it: wide brick steps with sandstone caps between brick retaining walls, and a flagstone patio enclosed by brick seat walls, built to match the house.

Decatur, Hartselle and Morgan County

Across the Tennessee River, Decatur, Hartselle and Priceville bring older established neighborhoods and waterfront property on Wheeler Lake. Mature trees, long-settled grades and older drainage are the norm, so much of the work is renovation: replacing failed walls and walks, adding landscape lighting to a finished yard, and building outdoor rooms that suit homes with real character.

Guntersville, Arab and Lake Guntersville

Lake lots are their own discipline. Grades run down to the water, views matter more than anything, and construction on Tennessee Valley Authority shoreline can require a TVA permit before work begins. On Lake Guntersville we have built white limestone outdoor fireplaces on travertine patios and a rectangular pool with a spillover spa and a stacked stone water feature, all set to keep the view open from the house.

Hazel Green, Meridianville, New Market, Gurley and Owens Cross Roads

North and east of Huntsville, homes sit on bigger, more rural lots near Keel Mountain and the Flint River. Long driveways, entry gates and columns, and landscapes that read well from a distance are typical requests, along with lighting that makes a long approach safe after dark.

Outside the circle

Larger projects sometimes take us farther. We have built pools, rock waterslides and lakeside fire pits on Lake Catoma in Cullman, for example. If you are outside the area above, call us at 256-746-1001 and ask.

Start with a site visit

Every project begins the same way, wherever it is: we walk the property with you, look at the grade, the soil, the water and the light, and talk about how you want to use the space. From there our designer draws a plan, and our own licensed, insured crews build it. See finished projects, browse everything we build, or request a free consultation.