need help designing patio area
Woodscrest Properties
6 years ago
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Kim in PL (SoCal zone 10/Sunset 24)
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Need help making a patio garden and need a design
Comments (4)The aspect of rearranging a multitude of plants (of unknown quantities) you already have into other parts of the yard would be very complex, and therefore, difficult. It's not probable that you could get much comprehensive help by remote. You definitely have a knack for creating, ambition and some stock to work with. Even though certain aspects of the plan are a little funky looking by professional standards, what you've done nevertheless has charm and a certain homespun appeal that many people enjoy immensely. I don't mean any of that in any negative way. There are lots of lovely things around the world that are created like this. I would like to give you some food for thought as you progress with the project. Essentially, you are creating a functional piece of art. Because the main function is that of being a space that one is able to move through, it is easiest to think of it as a room or series of rooms (as you determine) that just happens to be outdoors. Therefore, it is made primarily of plants, dirt, trees and rocks ... those things that hold up well outdoors. Like inside, the room is made of "floor," "ceiling," "walls," "windows" and "doorways." If you were creating an indoor space, though you might have general ideas about them, you would not begin by dreaming about specific lamps, drapes, tables and chairs. You'd begin by thinking about window and door placements, wall textures and colors, trim and molding, floors and finishes, and how the ceiling will handle light. Later would come objects that go in the room that blend with the room itself: tables, chairs, lamps, rugs etc. For some odd reason, when we are creating outside space, people have the perpetual habit of falling in love with things ... objects (usually plants) that go in the room and start cramming the room full with their "pets" before they give much thought about the and architectural framework of the room itself. Outdoors, a tree or arbor creates a ceiling. A tree's canopy can not only seems like a roof, but also a very tall wall. Woody plants and vines can creates walls of whatever height one wishes. Sometimes they need extra support. Sometimes only trimming. Low growing, spreading plants create floors (as do rocks and earth.) Before thinking about irises, peonies and daffodils, it would be better to forget entirely about all the plants and concentrate on the forms, arrangements, heights and sizes that will define the room itself. You've all ready got a good start with a floor made of rock. Maybe it should be (visually) extended somewhat larger with a low growing, woolly looking mat of vegetation. It looks like you have begun a low wall already to separate the view into the neighbor's yard. Maybe a higher elevation "floor" (of plant material) should transition form the low floor to that wall. There are some good looking, freestanding "columns" (clean tree trunks ... very nice! ... almost palm tree like) to one side of the patio. Maybe each would look good resting on a circular base. You could begin by envisioning these "architectural" features of a plastic, formless material. (I once liked to think of everything being made of bread dough since it can take on any form.) Once the overall forms shape up, one could begin thinking about the specific character that will make up the forms. One might turn a ball of bread dough into a big leaf hydrangea, or a hedge of them. A pizza form that has been rolled out and placed next to the patio might become a bed of wild ginger or vinca minor ... it depends on what you like, what you have, the light and moisture conditions, and what you're willing to put up with. (Some plants have bad habits but they are so beautiful they must be tolerated!) You call the shots. I've gone on enough, but I think you get the general idea. Fall in love with the plants AFTER you know what you need and get those that can fill the bill. Sometimes a hedge can be a single plant material ... or it can be mixture of similar-sized plants, depending on the character that is desired. Usually, plant lovers can find a way to squeeze in -- in a sensible, artistic way -- most of the things they love. But if you don't do the architectural exercise first, you run the risk of creating something with a hodgepodge, cemetery-ish appearance ... with things sitting all over the place. It's good that you recognize the faults of the arbor. If it was at least 2' wider, a foot taller and made of beefier wood -- and painted! -- it would work better. I'll return with a hardscape suggestion when I get more time....See MoreHelp Needed by Landscape Designer for Flagstone Backyard Patio -Please
Comments (20)@greenfish1234 Thank you again for your input. I'm attaching a better picture of the back door area. Our door is currently a slider door - not sure if that will be switched in the future to a french door. How far past the door should the steps/landing go? The further we go, the further we cut into that dead space next to our family room wall (to the right of the door). Also, the deeper the total of depth of the steps/landing combined, the deeper the bed gets to the left of the steps/landing, unless we don't make that bed as deep as the steps/landing, but not sure if that will look right. I'm also attaching a pic of landing/steps I found on line. Not that I want curved steps or that material, but was wondering if I could turn that dead space into a raised planter on the landing. That way I can soften that area. If I did this though, not sure how far to bring out the planter - just to the last step, or to the edge of the back of the family room wall. In this pic, their dead space is probably 1/2 that of mine....See MoreNeed Help for Patio Design
Comments (2)Start by cleaning and professionally staining the pavers. Get larger lantern lights and see if you can get some that take higher wattage, are LED and can be dimmed. Where are your electrical outlets? Plan on some curtains to give you privacy from the neighbors. Then treat it like a room in your house. Add a dining area, a seating area, one or two rugs and lights overhead. Can't really tell where the gas line is; can you mark it on the photo and reload?...See Morehelp! I need help with this small 2nd patio...don’t need setting area.
Comments (4)Does anyone comprehend this complete patio space yet? I don't. I only see two barely overlapping pictures, a third picture in which the camera changed position so it can't be part of the scene set, and a 4th picture that doesn't connect to any of the other pictures. Jdobbswood, all pictures must overlap and the camera must remain at ONE position for all of them (of a single scene.) Now that we see a bit more, I think you should have set one camera viewpoint as the left corner of the patio. And there should be another camera position opposite it from outside the brick wall, for a completely separate scene ... another set of pictures. It would also be helpful if you draw a to-scale base plan that includes the house wall, patio slab and brick wall....See MoreKD Landscape
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoWoodscrest Properties
6 years agoKD Landscape
6 years agol pinkmountain
6 years agoWoodscrest Properties
6 years agoDig Doug's Designs
6 years agoKD Landscape
6 years agoDig Doug's Designs
6 years ago
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