This yard encircles a recently built townhouse in Columbia City. The builder of the house had put gravel around every non-lawn surface in the yard, so we wanted to turn this challenge into an opportunity by re-purposing as much existing gravel as possible. In addition, we wanted to get rid of the plain narrow strip of lawn, create a seating area, and add some privacy planting. The lawn does not currently serve much of a purpose, except space for maybe throwing a ball, or a dog run. The house also borders a couple parks, so this lawn space is not as desirable compared to the expanse of the parks.
Another aspect of this design was taking advantage of the soil (if any) below the existing grass for planting beds, since the client doesn’t require a huge swath of gravel to hang out in. The gray bricks that currently surround the perimeter of the grass were reused to border the new planting beds.
A sunny seating area was created off the back doors, with scattered 2′x2′ pavers that already exist elsewhere in the yard, and a dry creek and concrete water vessel as a focal point. The new border planting makes the yard feel more lush and less harsh. It also serves as a buffer between the house and a new public trail that is planned for the other side of the fence.
Installed by Mountain High Gardening.
