Landscape Design
Patio of the Week
Backyard of the Week: Zigzag Paths and Modern Prairie-Style Beds
A thoughtful design and plantings transform a skinny strip of unkempt grass in London into a lush, peaceful retreat
“It’s a long, thin garden, as with many London Victorian houses,” designer Simon Orchard says of his clients’ outside space. “These gardens can be tricky to deal with, as your eye is drawn to the end.” Orchard’s solution? An offset design, meaning the space is set at an angle. “Your eye is drawn to other things, and you don’t see the whole garden at once,” he says. “Walking through, you zigzag down it. It also gives the illusion the space is wider than it is.”
The backyard now also nods to a Japanese theme, with a small water feature, gravel underfoot and several distinct zones, making it a relaxing place for spending time in as well as a pleasant and good-looking space for entertaining. A concealed shed provides ample storage without interfering with the relaxing theme.
The backyard now also nods to a Japanese theme, with a small water feature, gravel underfoot and several distinct zones, making it a relaxing place for spending time in as well as a pleasant and good-looking space for entertaining. A concealed shed provides ample storage without interfering with the relaxing theme.
After: This photo was taken from the same viewpoint after the transformation. Orchard’s design tricks the eye out of seeing such a long, narrow strip thanks to the angled layout and different zones connected by gravel paths.
“The owners didn’t want a lawn,” Orchard says. “They’re not sunbathers and don’t have kids running around, and the maintenance aspect didn’t appeal to them. They felt they could have a more interesting garden without one.”
A pale gray porcelain patio is in the foreground. The patio sits at the same level as the flooring inside the house and then steps down to a gravel pathway made of dove gray loose limestone chips punctuated by steppingstones made of the same porcelain tiles.
“The owners didn’t want a lawn,” Orchard says. “They’re not sunbathers and don’t have kids running around, and the maintenance aspect didn’t appeal to them. They felt they could have a more interesting garden without one.”
A pale gray porcelain patio is in the foreground. The patio sits at the same level as the flooring inside the house and then steps down to a gravel pathway made of dove gray loose limestone chips punctuated by steppingstones made of the same porcelain tiles.
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The owners wanted a mix of soft, organic plants and architectural plants. Orchard opted for modern prairie-style beds in this part of the landscape. “This style of planting is very loose,” he says. “Everything is deliberately just jumbled together to look natural, rather than having ordered groups of odd numbers of plants.”
The idea is for the plants to spill out onto the pathways and soften the design; the more mature the landscape gets, the more this will happen. Once established, the plants also will be drought-resistant and attractive to insects.
The two beds seen here contain a couple of grasses: Sedge (Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’) grows in the foreground of the bed on the left, and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’), an architectural grass that will grow tall and straight, provides a vertical accent to contrast with the softness of the other plants. Also planted here are yarrow (Achillea millefolium), which is just behind the pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Penstemon ‘Raven’ and flat-headed Baltic parsley (Cenolophium denudatum).
In the opposite bed are ferns and meadow-rue (Thalictrum sp.), the tall, mauve flowers growing against the fence. Two varieties of clematis are starting to climb the fence on either side: Clematis ‘Prince Charles’ and Clematis montana var. grandiflora.
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The idea is for the plants to spill out onto the pathways and soften the design; the more mature the landscape gets, the more this will happen. Once established, the plants also will be drought-resistant and attractive to insects.
The two beds seen here contain a couple of grasses: Sedge (Carex oshimensis ‘Everest’) grows in the foreground of the bed on the left, and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’), an architectural grass that will grow tall and straight, provides a vertical accent to contrast with the softness of the other plants. Also planted here are yarrow (Achillea millefolium), which is just behind the pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Penstemon ‘Raven’ and flat-headed Baltic parsley (Cenolophium denudatum).
In the opposite bed are ferns and meadow-rue (Thalictrum sp.), the tall, mauve flowers growing against the fence. Two varieties of clematis are starting to climb the fence on either side: Clematis ‘Prince Charles’ and Clematis montana var. grandiflora.
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Before: Here’s a view of the yard’s original fence.
After: Orchard installed new fencing and painted it dark gray for a contemporary look. “It’s also a great foil for the green planting,” he says.
Evergreen and fragrant star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) climbs up the fence at the far end of the yard near the seating area. It’s underplanted with sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum). “It’s a great ground cover plant with little star-shaped flowers in spring,” Orchard says.
Fence paint: Anthracite (RAL)
Evergreen and fragrant star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) climbs up the fence at the far end of the yard near the seating area. It’s underplanted with sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum). “It’s a great ground cover plant with little star-shaped flowers in spring,” Orchard says.
Fence paint: Anthracite (RAL)
Halfway into the backyard, Orchard planted an Amur maple (Acer ginnala) tree, seen in the foreground here. “It turns an amazing fiery red in autumn,” he says.
The owners plan to add seating to this area. “There’s not much going on here, but that almost creates a bit of a pause from one end of the garden to the next, somewhere to sit and relax in an open space,” Orchard says. This idea, he explains, also was inspired by Japanese design.
The owners plan to add seating to this area. “There’s not much going on here, but that almost creates a bit of a pause from one end of the garden to the next, somewhere to sit and relax in an open space,” Orchard says. This idea, he explains, also was inspired by Japanese design.
These two beds, filled predominantly with lime green lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) and purple catmint (Nepeta sp.), which is loved by bees, flank the path into the back end of the yard. Seen here, the golden-leaved coral bark Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’), a multistemmed tree, is a big focal point in the landscape as a whole.
A pot containing agapanthus adds floral interest next to the fence, and at the back, a hedge hides the new shed.
A pot containing agapanthus adds floral interest next to the fence, and at the back, a hedge hides the new shed.
In the left-hand bed, there’s also a Cor-Ten steel water bowl. “It reflects the sky and the tree,” Orchard says. It’s balanced in the opposite bed by a ball-shape Phillyrea, an evergreen shrub that will provide structure all year round. Spiky sea holly (Eryngium sp.) also adds interest in the right-hand bed.
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The tree is underplanted with Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra). “It’s really soft and will completely fill out that space and spill onto the paving,” Orchard says. “It turns a nice orange in late autumn and is fantastic when you get the wind through it — it’s almost like water rippling.”
Sandstone planks have been laid in this area. The owners plan to add a sofa and a fire pit to create an inviting entertaining space.
Sandstone planks have been laid in this area. The owners plan to add a sofa and a fire pit to create an inviting entertaining space.
Before: This photo shows the original yard from the other end, looking back at the house.
After: This photo was taken from the same viewpoint after the transformation, with the new plank paving more clearly visible.
Sandstone plank paving: London Stone
Sandstone plank paving: London Stone
Orchard planted coralbells (Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’), another bee-friendly plant, in a pot on the shady side of the patio by the house.
Also up by the house are pots containing golden oregano, mint and purple sage.
More on Houzz
How to Create a Spirit-Lifting Sensory Garden
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More on Houzz
How to Create a Spirit-Lifting Sensory Garden
Read more landscape design guides
Find a pro for your home project
Shop for outdoor products
Who lives here: A professional couple
Location: Southeast London
Size: 1,238 square feet (115 square meters); 76 by 16 feet
Designer: Simon Orchard
Before: When Orchard first saw the backyard, it was unkempt and hadn’t been touched in a long time. “There was an old patio, plus a rotting shed at the far end, and the rest was just laid to lawn,” he says. “It was a nice blank canvas.”