help w/ my design . . needing ideas!!!! (pictures attached)

14 years ago

I just moved into a house with a boring backyard. It is very square and odd shaped. It has two parts to the backyard as my garage is a detached garage. I have a medium sized dog so keeping grass is a must. However, I need ideas to add some character and life to it! I have a small area of covered patio already (about 10 feet out from the back window). The second part of the backyard is to the right of the main part of backyard. This is the area that I am thinking about putting a stone patio with fireplace and cooking area. HELP!!!

I am thinking of a couple curved brick-lined flower beds, possibly a outdoor fireplace on the small side, outdoor built in grill, etc.

If anyone can come up with ideas of drawings, that would be great!

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Comments (4)

jdwinter14
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the message. I have bermuda grass, which is pretty tough, for the area for the dog. As for the flagstone or stamped concrete, would it look odd if my current covered patio is regular poured concrete and the other area is stamped concrete? (They would connect)

Thanks for advice!!!!
karinl
14 years ago
No reason at all why that should look odd, as long as you manage the transition in a graceful way. If, for example, there is a step down, or a threshold to make the transition a feature, then it looks natural.

As far as the dog is concerned, search around these forums and the internet for 'dogs' and 'grass' and see what you learn. Sounds like you have enough of a vision that you don't need that much help at all. The character that will be added is, after all, your own!

KarinL
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Planning the flower bed plantings etc. is definitely the fun part. Most people skip to that step because it is the part of the landscape you see- and the most enjoyable part to think about. It's a classic mistake to do so because you will pay a long term price for all the seemingly little details you skip in the beginning. I take it that the advice of a good engineer feels out of the budget for you? Drainage issues are the boring stuff but it's already obvious you're going to have a significant drainage concern. Trenching and piping are okay but eventually trenches can fill with sediment and no longer work. You really, really need to have an engineering consult to determine if what the builder proposes will be adequate. It shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred bucks at most. Perhaps some other neighbors will pitch in since you'll all need the same thing? I used to be a City Planner. I've seen developers pull a lot of crap. Sometimes, they are well-intended but the data they based their information on was faulty. Other times- they're just out to make a buck as quickly and cheaply as possible. At an absolute minimum, call your City offices and see if someone from the City engineering Dept. can advise you on appropriate methods to handle the drainage. In theory, they've already required the developer to deal with this but sometimes really different to say it will work on paper and to see it once everything is going in. Building codes are the 'minium acceptable standard', they are intended to set the bottom threshold. Something can be up to 'code' but not necessarily be a great solution. Also, ask them what level of storm they design for. Sometimes they require them to design the drainage to handle the runoff from a 10, 50, or 100 year storm. You'll want to know which they planned for in your case as it will give you a better idea of what it will handle. As for your other issues- a patio will be much lower maintenance over time than a deck and will certainly last longer. I would also make sure to have a 2' high by at least 3' deep berm for flowers and shrubs against the house as sort of a 'back up' in case your drainage system clogs or is overwhelmed.
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Given the two choices, I'd leave it where it is. In addition to the need to be "pleasing to the eye", you need to allow sufficient space for the tree to mature. The planned bed is too small and the tree would be located too close to both the walk and the drive. While coral bark maples are not considered big trees, they do attain a decent size and faster than many other cultivars of Japanese maples. My own, just over 12 y.o., is about 18' tall and with an equal spread and will get larger. It would dwarf the proposed bed and its branches would interfer with both the walkway and the drive. Pruning to keep smaller is not an ideal solution, especially with JM's. I am not a fan of trees plunked down in the middle of an expanse of lawn. They look unplanned and awkward and have no context. And as they attain size, the canopy shades out the underlying lawn, making a larger planting bed (or mulch bed) pretty much a necessity anyway. Although your photos don't reveal that aspect, I'd consider relocating the tree to the front of the property, most likely offcenter to the left, and creating a large planting bed there with smaller shrubs/perennials to provide some context and grounding to the tree. The winter bark color feature also reads best from a distance and viewing from both inside the home as well as from the approach would be enhanced. And this planting bed would balance off the proposed enlarged entry bed (which I do think is a good idea, just not for the maple).
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I think those are great ideas as that's what I was also thinking with what I'd change and do with the plans if we were building that plan. I'm not a fan of the only powder room entrance being in the mudroom, l prefer a more formal power room with the access to it in the common areas. So I like your idea of placing it in the butler's pantry area. Now if a plan is large enough to have two powder rooms such a private one also off the mudroom area I like that too. So the family can come in, wash up..... as they come in the door. Love the locker idea and am adding them in our new build as well. I really like what you have come up with. Good luck :)
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What about something like this? It puts the Prep Zone on the peninsula and the range nearby. The range is protected and still against a wall for (1) less expensive, easier, and more effective venting and (2) far enough away from visitors that they won't get splattered by grease or have steam/smoke/odors in their face. You also have 42"+ of workspace b/w the prep sink & range for prepping...a good amount of space. You also have some space on the other side of the prep sink for setting things down and reducing the chances of pushing things off onto the floor. The prep sink will also provide a place for hand washing without having to go deep into the kitchen. It does close off the kitchen more, but it also provides more separation of zones. The only real drawback I see is that you will prepping in the only entrance to the kitchen...but perhaps a 49" aisle will be enough...I don't know if it will be for you, only you can answer that. It does, however, give you your "inclusion" with others for 80% of your work...prepping + cooking. You might consider either glass doored upper cabinets or no cabinets b/w the refrigerator & sink to reduce the "cave" issue. With glass doored cabinets (or none) plus the large window plus good lighting, I don't think the corner near the refrigerator will be much of a "dark cave". Layout #4: Layout #4 w/Zones: Notice how well separated the zones are and no zone-crossing. This layout would allow up to 4 people to work comfortably in the kitchen...Cleanup in front of the main sink, Prepping at peninsula, Cooking at the corner range, and Prepping or MW cooking b/w the range & main sink. BTW...that MW could be mounted on a shelf below upper cabinets on that run if you prefer that setup.
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luckygal
14 years ago
JD, your back yard is a dream to landscape because it is small, already fenced, and you have a few ideas of what you want.

If you get some graph paper that's Â¼" = 1' you can easily draw a plan of your yard and make decisions. I'm sure there are programs on the net you could use but I still like pencil and paper for planning.

As a dog lover and dog owner for decades I strongly recommend an area which your dog uses as his. Gravel or mulch will work. Check out the types of gravel available in your area. You don't want sharp edges and I've found pea gravel tracks too easily. IMO it makes a much nicer yard for living if there is a clean area for people and a dog area where the dog does his business. Dogs will learn where to go and can still be with you in the 'people' area at other times. You could use hedging around this area altho we've usually fenced it.

In such a small space in your climate I'd do mostly perennial beds and mulched paths. Of course you could have a small area for veggies but could also put them in the perennial beds. In your zone I'd plant a tree ASAP for future shade.

How you design this area depends on how you want to use the space. With full sun in a hot climate I'd put up a sun-shade sail but if you want plants in full sun that might not work. And your HOA might not allow. Lots of choices for you to make - have fun! :-)
jdwinter14
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the ideas! I am really at a point that I would like a couple things to start with and then I think the backyard will take off from there.

The real question is, in the smaller part of the backyard (side), should I put the paver/flagstone/stamped concrete section there or should I have it extend out from my covered patio and do some sort of circle patio or something?

help w/ my design . . needing ideas!!!! (pictures attached)

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jdwinter14
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karinl

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help w/ my design . . needing ideas!!!! (pictures attached)

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jdwinter14Original Author

karinl

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