Ideas for narrow nook in backyard?
Looking for some ideas on what to do with this narrow area on the right in our backyard. It is about 6 feet wide and 40 feet long. Open to very unique ideas and anything crazy. We are located in Phoenix, AZ. The cinder block wall on the right faces west, and the grass/playset is facing east, the back wall faces south.
Originally, we were thinking of doing a small bocce ball court, but realized that 6 feet is probably too narrow, and likely we'd have to do a bit narrower to give some walking room.
A couple of things that we've pretty much ruled out are a garden/planters and privacy shrubs/bushes/trees. We have another area of the backyard not shown that gets more light and is more accessible, as well as has irrigation lines already set up. As far as the privacy shrubs/trees, I like having the open view, especially since the view from the 2nd story balcony faces the sunset/mountains and is gorgeous. Not that these are completely out the window, we just would rather do "something else" with it.
I wanted to do a shed of some sort, but pretty sure putting a shed right up against the fence (shared with a neighbor on the right, the back fence butts up against a ravine/wash) probably violates some Phoenix code.
Anyone done anything really cool that would work in this area? We have a 3 year old, so something to consider.
Comments (10)
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
Maria Cain
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Help with ideas to landscape long narrow backyard
Comments (1)what are you objectives in landscaping? Show the overall space in a pic or two....See MoreLooking for landscaping ideas for backyard zone 7
Comments (3)some ideas using Red Dogwood, Black Dragon Cryptomeria, Southern Charm Dwarf Magnolia, Van H Spirea & Canyon Creek Abelia:...See MoreNarrow, sloping backyard on a corner needs HELP
Comments (13)"The large deck ... is structurally sound, the boards are not in good shape." What exactly does "not in good shape" mean? ... that the surface is not good but otherwise they are OK ...? That sounds like a couple of decks that came with a house I once owned. They were functional but ugly from years of weathering and no attention whatsoever. They were transformed into completely acceptable, nice actually, merely with pressure washing, a quick, coarse sanding, and two or three coats of deck paint (not stain) applied with a paint roller. It was not a huge, horrible job and they looked almost as good as new. They were much easier to keep clean with a hard paint surface. The cost to fix it this way, if DIY, would be a couple hundred bucks. If not DIY, a few hundred ... vs. $17K. If you could get another dozen years our of your deck and have it look nice, too, would that be acceptable? Landscaping is a discipline where one must not ignore site conditions or impose unrealistic solutions if they expect to produce a result that is pleasant, lasting and maintainable. I question the overall direction of making a small porch with steps down to where all the landscape features would be. This seems intrinsically less useful than would be having a decent sized deck immediately off of the main living space. I see a grill but not a dining table. Where does the outdoor dining happen? If the kitchen is separated from outdoor dining by a full flight of steps, it will surely be made much more inconvenient. But the real deal-breaker for me is the imposition of "no groundcover," which is driven by unrealistic beliefs based on emotion, when the site itself is demanding groundcover for practical reasons: there is slope and there is shade. Are we really going to spend $50K in order to change this into flat, sunny ground? It's going to require significant retaining walls & grading in addition to all the other new hardscape and planting. On the subject of husband's allergies to pine, I presume you're talking about allergies to pine pollen (since contact with the plant itself can be easily avoided)? Getting rid of the pines is going to make virtually no difference if there are other pines in the neighborhood or region. During the pollen season, which lasts for a couple of weeks, it can blow statewide and there's no escaping it. One's best hope of avoiding it is to stay indoors as much as possible during that time. I think you should begin with the budget because it will determine what is possible vs. what is fantasy. Re-contemplate the goals ... not how to achieve them, but simply the objectives themselves ... what activities do we want to do outside? How convenient do we want them to be? How private should it be? ... etc....See Morekitchen nook: I want to look out at my backyard. Help!
Comments (29)If you scroll further down in that linked thread, the details are there including pictures from the outside. . I am pasting the text from that thread , below, for a quick read. My box bay was built under a second floor overhang so no roof needed but a small roof would probably not add that much to the total cost. Another bonus of the box bay is that with the half screens, we can remove the banquette pillow and use the window seat for a staging area for food to be passed to the deck from the kitchen when we have a garden party. The half screens move up and allow access to the plates/trays, and then move down to protect the food and house from flies. It beats trying to walk out a closed patio door with both hands carrying a heavy tray. We also have used the box bay to temporarily stage the music speakers for parties. Of course nowadays that is moot due to bluetooth everywhere. I think you have lots of room to get by it on the exterior. You can put a bench of similar depth and width in that area on the outside of the house to gauge how it might affect your walkway. HTH ___________________________________________ form the original thread... It cost slightly less than $5000 all told (including moving electrical and adding foam insulation under the exterior Azek cladding, tempered windows since I have all boys :) ), measures 78 inches wide internally by 18 inches deep. Much cheaper than adding a 40k breakfast room or an 80k large kitchen expansion as I first planned. I have a custom cushion for it now and my teen boys enjoy lounging and napping there. The key is to seat it low enough to the ground to make it comfortable for sitting (16" height). I also specified the weight that it had to be able to carry (600 lb). The style is known as a "box bay" and the brand is Sunrise windows. I purchased their premade "projected frame" window through their authorized contractor and he worked with me on the other details. My good friend and former nanny came by to visit the other day and barely noticed the kitchen renovation, she was so taken with the sitting bay. Exterior of original windows New box bay replacing old windows. Somehow those bay walls bring in a lot more light into the space. We also really like watching all the small wildlife outside that we could not reall see before. In terms of the layout, it gave us enough "breathing space" and sitting area... The light, animal/ibird watching, and perceived airiness is a huge bonus....See MoreMaria Cain
5 years ago
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
5 years ago
PRO
PROYardvaark
5 years agoB L
5 years agoThanks all for the responses. Here's a few more pictures with some info in order to provide a clearer picture of the current layout/future layout. The first image is a design my friend came up with. Area 1 is the grassy area and sunken area that I originally posted. As you might be able to see, what would have been the bocce ball court is the long yellow rectangle, with the two green circles trees. The tree in the middle is existing, and we were originally going to put in another ficus at the corner, but decided against it so it doesn't one day inhibit our view from the balcony. Area 2 is pictured in the 2nd image in this post. It's the same elevation as that sunken area from the original pics, but opens up. There's an RV gate at the end. Currently, I'm thinking about laying concrete in that area and then building a shed/detached garage for me to work on cars and use as a woodshop. It's not set in stone yet as far as that being the route I will definitely take.
Finally, area 3 is the final picture in this post. It's also the area that's going to have the most work done. It will become an entertainment area, with a firepit and built in seating, as well as some additional small trees and plants to get some greenery. The red area will be pavers. In the corner are four boxes, which will be planters for a small vegetable garden.
B L
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago- PRO
Yardvaark
5 years agoThe strip of yard that is first inquired about seems only good for planting, and because of its location, shape and size, not a sport or activity. If you don't want screening, then lower plants.
Seeing that you are going to make some big changes, I would consider starting new threads that explore how to handle the major areas of the yards, one at a time. Sorry to say, I think your current design has many problems, seems artistically amateurish and does not contain a "flow." The yard seems cut up into pieces that only relate to one another by being adjacent to one another. If you start new threads, the pictures would definitely need to be larger and more clear. They are too small now to read or see detail. As I mentioned earlier, pictures need to show an entire space, not just a piece, or pieces, of it. Therefore, they must be slightly overlapping and show from one end of the view to the other. I'm adding this suggestion of where you would stand with the camera (yellow dot) and showing how the camera is aimed (yellow arrows.) The camera must stay at the same spot for all pictures. And, again, I would start a new thread since this one is focused on the narrow strip (which I don't think is going to go anywhere. Trying to design it outside the context of the larger yard is not how landscaping works.)
BeverlyFLADeziner