Backyard
Try a Sunken Patio Instead of building up, consider digging down to add level changes to a flat lot. This backyard in Vancouver, British Columbia, features a sunken seating area around a fire pit. Dropping the height of the patio visually makes the yard appear larger, and the level change allows for casual wraparound seating around the fire pit in the evening. Tip: Sunken seating areas require a solution for drainage. It’s best to work with an experienced landscape professional for design and installation.
Using evergreen trees to create privacy screens. Plant Types 1. Evergreen trees. Evergreen trees make excellent privacy screens because they provide year-round coverage. Evergreens with large foliage or evergreen conifers with branches that extend to the ground are the most useful for privacy. Planting tips. To create a dense privacy screen, evergreen trees should be spaced so that their branches just touch one another. Or mix evergreen trees with evergreen shrubs, like in the photo here, if you have the space to create a wide privacy screen. Example species: ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae (Thuja ‘Green Giant’, USDA zones 5 to 8; find your zone), garden hybrid Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica, zones 5 to 9), native to Japan Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris, zones 7 to 10) or slash pine (P. elliottii, zones 7 to 10), native to the U.S. Southeast Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora, zones 7 to 9), native to the U.S. Southeast White spruce (Picea glauca, zones 2 to 6), native throughout Canada and the northern United States, or blue spruce (Picea pungens, zones 2 to 7), native to the Rocky Mountains and some of the U.S. Northeast
Use Permeable Hardscape Surfaces Choosing hardscape materials that allow for water to run through them is another way to keep rainwater on site. In this Melbourne garden, the designers at Bayon Gardens used permeable paving for pathways and patios. Here, gravel covers a walkway leading to a fire feature, acting as a filter for rainwater to percolate back into the soil. Wood pieces guide the path and provide a place to put your feet.
Harvest Rainwater Capturing rainwater can help save water on a small scale. A rain barrel connected to a home’s downspouts allows one to capture the runoff from the roof for use in drier months. In this garden in San Luis Obispo, California, designed by Gabriel Frank, an attractive terra-cotta-colored rain barrel with a handy hose attachment allows for easy water dispensing to use on garden beds in the dry seas
Edible Container Garden Here is how the wall looks from another angle when it is open. The homeowners wanted a spot where they could grow some edible plants. Whyte-Fox designed this container garden for herbs and vegetables close to the kitchen and dining area. The home’s architecture inspired the landscape design. Elements in the landscape like the horizontal lines of this planter play off the home’s mix of horizontal and vertical siding.
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