Landscape Design
Patio of the Week
Patio of the Week: Elegant Outdoor Rooms Surrounded by Plants
A landscape designer creates a serene, stylish retreat in California inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show
When the longtime owners of this San Francisco Bay Area home sent their kids off to college, they realized it was time to transform their family-friendly yard into a space that would better fit their style and stage of life. “The idea was to turn it more into an adult space,” says designer Hallie Schmidt of Tierra Madre Fine Gardens, whom the couple hired to renovate their landscape.
The owners wanted an elegant and sophisticated backyard sanctuary where they could relax and hang out. With less than 2,000 square feet of available space — including an existing deck — and a long wish list from the homeowners, Schmidt set to work overhauling the tired lawn into a lush, plant-filled outdoor retreat.
The owners wanted an elegant and sophisticated backyard sanctuary where they could relax and hang out. With less than 2,000 square feet of available space — including an existing deck — and a long wish list from the homeowners, Schmidt set to work overhauling the tired lawn into a lush, plant-filled outdoor retreat.
After: The yard is almost unrecognizable now, as billowy grasses and garden art frame gravel paths and cozy nooks for dining, entertaining and relaxing. The homeowner Schmidt was working with wanted a pergola, a fountain and a fire pit. “That was a good challenge to get all of that to fit in a small backyard,” the designer says
As for how she wanted the space to look, the homeowner had one place in mind: the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She shared photos with Schmidt of flowering meadows, geometric paths and tightly pruned evergreen shrubs. “It’s not borrowing from anything traditional,” Schmidt says of the design and the Royal Horticultural Society projects that inspired it.
The inspiration gave Schmidt the opportunity to dig into her horticulture expertise, which includes maintaining the historic Filoli gardens in Woodside, California. “My main passion started with plants,” she says.
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As for how she wanted the space to look, the homeowner had one place in mind: the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She shared photos with Schmidt of flowering meadows, geometric paths and tightly pruned evergreen shrubs. “It’s not borrowing from anything traditional,” Schmidt says of the design and the Royal Horticultural Society projects that inspired it.
The inspiration gave Schmidt the opportunity to dig into her horticulture expertise, which includes maintaining the historic Filoli gardens in Woodside, California. “My main passion started with plants,” she says.
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The yard, seen here in late spring, is designed for year-round interest. Bulbs pop up in spring, deciduous trees change with the seasons, and pruned evergreen hedges provide garden structure. “The concepts that inspired the design process were lushness, serenity, green with hints of white and lavender, a simple plant palette with repetition, architectural forms and seasonality,” Schmidt says.
Luxuriant-looking drought-tolerant plants and the yard’s small size enabled Schmidt to create an English-inspired garden in California. Most of the garden’s lushness comes from drought-tolerant grasses and sedges, such as Carex, Sesleria, Chondropetalum and Pennisetum, and evergreen shrubs, such as Podocarpus macrophyllus var. maki (USDA zones 7 to 9; find your zone). “Thirstier hydrangeas make subtle guest appearances,” Schmidt says. The garden also features wildlife-attracting salvia, a low-water plant that flowers from late spring into summer.
Losing the lawn, shrinking the planting beds and improving the irrigation also helped to reduce water needs. “Though the garden appears lush, it will use much less water than a typical backyard with a lawn,” Schmidt says. “Instead of using spray irrigation, the new plantings are watered less frequently and with more efficient drip irrigation.”
The designer adds that the added trees, combined with a healthy application of organic compost, will create more shade and further reduce water needs over time.
Luxuriant-looking drought-tolerant plants and the yard’s small size enabled Schmidt to create an English-inspired garden in California. Most of the garden’s lushness comes from drought-tolerant grasses and sedges, such as Carex, Sesleria, Chondropetalum and Pennisetum, and evergreen shrubs, such as Podocarpus macrophyllus var. maki (USDA zones 7 to 9; find your zone). “Thirstier hydrangeas make subtle guest appearances,” Schmidt says. The garden also features wildlife-attracting salvia, a low-water plant that flowers from late spring into summer.
Losing the lawn, shrinking the planting beds and improving the irrigation also helped to reduce water needs. “Though the garden appears lush, it will use much less water than a typical backyard with a lawn,” Schmidt says. “Instead of using spray irrigation, the new plantings are watered less frequently and with more efficient drip irrigation.”
The designer adds that the added trees, combined with a healthy application of organic compost, will create more shade and further reduce water needs over time.
The team incorporated an existing deck into the new design. Its proximity to the kitchen made it their first choice for the new outdoor dining area, but its exposure proved less than ideal for daytime eating. “The deck is west-facing. That means it gets blasted [by the sun] and is really hot,” Schmidt says. They considered building a pergola for shade but ended up putting the dining area elsewhere.
Instead, they sited the fire pit lounge there so that it could be used after the sun sets. A newly planted maple tree next to the corner of the deck will eventually grow to shade the space during the warmest months.
Schmidt also had to work with the deck’s existing built-in benches — uninviting, uncomfortable and never used. She repurposed them as shelves, placing planters on top to form a mini screen around the new outdoor sofa. “We made use of them, though not as a seating element,” she says.
Instead, they sited the fire pit lounge there so that it could be used after the sun sets. A newly planted maple tree next to the corner of the deck will eventually grow to shade the space during the warmest months.
Schmidt also had to work with the deck’s existing built-in benches — uninviting, uncomfortable and never used. She repurposed them as shelves, placing planters on top to form a mini screen around the new outdoor sofa. “We made use of them, though not as a seating element,” she says.
After: Schmidt ended up designing a planting bed right in front of the steps, but added potted plants on the deck to deter guests from stepping into the garden.
The steps lead down to a gravel path, which runs through the yard and connects the new outdoor rooms. The permeable — and budget-friendly — material adds to the European vibes, with the bonus of reducing stormwater runoff. Metal edging helps to keep the gravel in place.
The steps lead down to a gravel path, which runs through the yard and connects the new outdoor rooms. The permeable — and budget-friendly — material adds to the European vibes, with the bonus of reducing stormwater runoff. Metal edging helps to keep the gravel in place.
Granite cobble paths also run through the landscape, bisecting the gravel and even some of the planting beds to create a more direct route across the yard. “I was thinking we could have a little footpath that would be a fun way to incorporate the cobbles and have them cut through [the meadow] so you can get to the dining room faster,” Schmidt says.
The granite cobbles are 4-inch cubes, which the landscape contractors installed by excavating the soil, compacting a base, setting the cobbles with mortar and then filling in around them with gravel.
Zinc spheres from England keep with the Chelsea theme and add year-round interest. “Once we had those in there, we could do a mix of boxwood balls, zinc balls and the allium balls,” the designer says.
In the planting bed here, we see ‘Green Beauty’ Japanese boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. japonica ‘Green Beauty’, zones 6 to 9), allium (Allium ‘Globemaster’, zones 4 to 9), moor grass (Sesleria ‘Greenlee Hybrid’, zones 5 to 9), sanddune sedge (Carex pansa, zones 8 to 11) and iris (Iris germanica, zones 3 to 10).
The granite cobbles are 4-inch cubes, which the landscape contractors installed by excavating the soil, compacting a base, setting the cobbles with mortar and then filling in around them with gravel.
Zinc spheres from England keep with the Chelsea theme and add year-round interest. “Once we had those in there, we could do a mix of boxwood balls, zinc balls and the allium balls,” the designer says.
In the planting bed here, we see ‘Green Beauty’ Japanese boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. japonica ‘Green Beauty’, zones 6 to 9), allium (Allium ‘Globemaster’, zones 4 to 9), moor grass (Sesleria ‘Greenlee Hybrid’, zones 5 to 9), sanddune sedge (Carex pansa, zones 8 to 11) and iris (Iris germanica, zones 3 to 10).
The new dining area draws guests into the yard for outdoor eating and entertaining nearly year-round. Slate pavers set in an ashlar pattern ground the space, and the patio is one step up to separate it from the rest of the yard. The custom powder-coated-steel pergola shades the area and acts as a garden focal point.
When creating the pergola, the team first looked at prefab designs but couldn’t find one with the clean, straight lines they wanted. Then, by coincidence, the homeowner was at the home of a friend, who had a pergola she really liked. It turns out that Schmidt’s friend had designed the yard (and pergola) and let them adapt the custom plans to suit their needs. A metal screen adds shade to the dining area without fully covering the space.
Pergola and fountain basin fabrication: Hernandez Welding
What to Know About Adding a Pergola
When creating the pergola, the team first looked at prefab designs but couldn’t find one with the clean, straight lines they wanted. Then, by coincidence, the homeowner was at the home of a friend, who had a pergola she really liked. It turns out that Schmidt’s friend had designed the yard (and pergola) and let them adapt the custom plans to suit their needs. A metal screen adds shade to the dining area without fully covering the space.
Pergola and fountain basin fabrication: Hernandez Welding
What to Know About Adding a Pergola
Outdoor lighting illuminates the yard at night. The designer strategically placed the fixtures to illuminate the steps and height transitions. The low-voltage lighting on the stairs, steps and fountain is by FX Luminaire.
The low-voltage chandelier over the dining table is perhaps the most visible and dramatic landscape light. “We did the lighting in the dining area so you can eat out at night and see what’s on your plate,” Schmidt says.
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The low-voltage chandelier over the dining table is perhaps the most visible and dramatic landscape light. “We did the lighting in the dining area so you can eat out at night and see what’s on your plate,” Schmidt says.
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A single armchair a few steps off the dining area invites lounging in a spot the homeowners call the reading nook. It features a custom fountain with spillover basin that adds a soft, relaxing sound and attracts wildlife.
A wall of zellige tile forms the back of the new fountain. Water softly cascades down against the handmade tile’s irregular edges. Once the water reaches the first basin at the bottom, it spills into a secondary basin that surrounds the reading nook. The painted gray concrete base adds to the yard’s calm, restrained feel.
A wall of zellige tile forms the back of the new fountain. Water softly cascades down against the handmade tile’s irregular edges. Once the water reaches the first basin at the bottom, it spills into a secondary basin that surrounds the reading nook. The painted gray concrete base adds to the yard’s calm, restrained feel.
The homeowners wanted privacy from surrounding neighbors, Schmidt says. The fountain creates a sound barrier that drowns out noise without being so loud that the neighbors might be bothered by it. The team also planted shrubby yew pine along the yard’s perimeter; it will eventually fill in and screen the space.
Plants seen here include ‘Albostriata’ Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Albostriata’, zones 4 to 9), ‘El Campo’ cape rush (Chondropetalum tectorum ‘El Campo’, zones 8 to 10), moor grass and ‘Green Beauty’ Japanese boxwood.
Plants seen here include ‘Albostriata’ Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Albostriata’, zones 4 to 9), ‘El Campo’ cape rush (Chondropetalum tectorum ‘El Campo’, zones 8 to 10), moor grass and ‘Green Beauty’ Japanese boxwood.
If you keep walking past the fountain area, you’ll come to a raised bed in which the homeowners grow kale, lettuces and other edible greens. The raised bed’s dark color comes from the Japanese shou-sugi-ban method of burning wood. The designer chose this material for its color and because it naturally resists rot.
A dwarf lemon and an espaliered fig tree also grow in the compact kitchen garden.
A dwarf lemon and an espaliered fig tree also grow in the compact kitchen garden.
The yard requires upkeep, as most yards do, but its size makes maintenance manageable. In the beginning, the focus will be on weeding; as the garden matures, more effort will be spent on pruning. The garden rooms will take on more of a romantic, mysterious feel as the plantings fill in.
“I feel very pleased with the layout and how we were able to bring all the elements in,” Schmidt says. The space now feels serene, inviting, enchanting and calm. “It was an amazing transformation,” she says.
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“I feel very pleased with the layout and how we were able to bring all the elements in,” Schmidt says. The space now feels serene, inviting, enchanting and calm. “It was an amazing transformation,” she says.
More on Houzz
Read more landscape design stories
Get landscape design ideas
Find a landscape designer or architect
Shop for outdoor products
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with kids away at college, and cats
Location: San Mateo, California
Size: 1,950 square foot backyard (181 square meters)
Landscape designer: Tierra Madre Fine Gardens
Landscape contractor: Green Again Landscaping & Concrete
Before: The yard didn’t offer a lot. “There wasn’t much going on there,” Schmidt says. “It was really a basic backyard.” The struggling lawn and lack of shade didn’t encourage the homeowners to spend much time outside. “The lawn was good for when the kids were young, but now that the kids are older and not home, it wasn’t useful,” Schmidt says.