Side yard- design help needed!

10 years ago

We need help creating a sideyard that is usable & decently private.

Facts:
1. Side yard is street facing. (We live in a townhome- 2nd picture is from common driveway, 1st from sidewalk next to street)
2. Dimensions are ~20' x 35'
3. We currently have a fence ~4ft that is black metal with one gate to the public sidewalk.
4. The wood fence in pic is to our very-small, concrete patio area.
5. Our HOA will not allow us to replace the black fence with a privacy fence.
6. We can grown vines (had vines, but they were not grown properly and we're wild and messy so we removed them)
7. We live in TX and mosquitos are an issue some months.

Future use/ goals:
We would like to use our side yard as a place to relax when the weather's nice, play bean-bag toss with friends during dinner parties or create a space for our little one to play when he's big enough (e.g., ride a baby bike, etc,). We live near uptown and while fairly safe, there is some concern for accessibility and security of our things if we don't build in some kind of privacy.

Any ideas welcome!!!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

PRO
User
10 years ago
what are you allowed to to do construction wise?
maydesh
Original Author
10 years ago
The board has stated that they want to keep the wrought iron fence, but will consider patio designs and I think anything that would keep with the 'feel' of the community. Our adjacent units have their front yards street facing. Their front yards have hedges/ bushes near the townhouse, but are much smaller. One option I've thought of is 'building' a hedge wall within the fence to provide some privacy. Or maybe a short paver-wall set back a little ways with potted trees.
Related Professionals
Hannibal Interior Designers & Decorators · Concord Interior Designers & Decorators · Rocky Mount Interior Designers & Decorators · Newark Interior Designers & Decorators · Bridgeport Interior Designers & Decorators · Sanford Interior Designers & Decorators · Corpus Christi Architects & Building Designers · Rockford Architects & Building Designers · Riverton Architects & Building Designers · Bronx Architects & Building Designers · Middlesboro Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Grand Rapids Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Altoona Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Orange County Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Scottsbluff Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
libradesigneye
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Plant a columnar hedge just inside the fence from the end / across behind the mailbox, skip the gate area where you might turn the hedge corner back just one plant deep to deal with the stair - continue and return at that corner back to your wood fence. On that short end with the tree just outside the metal fence, keep the hedge shorter ... so you can look over it when you sit down . . but along the road .. grow it thick and to about 5' high.

Columnar ficus is probably invasive but yew pine is a good one (podoocarpus - not real yew, which does have poisonous berry so not good for kids and pets) . . .over plant side by side all the way around -Five foot is too high for most eyes to see down into the space but low enough to still get good airflow.

Add pavers in a nice pattern in the larger area to the left as you come through the gate so that you have a flat surface you can use for a table or a little driver . .leave grass around the perimeter or replace with a pretty flowering groundcover that you don't have to mow - dimondia takes foot traffic well . . maybe do something like a wood trellis for jasmine (always pretty) against the brick wall expanse and in the rest of that wall - hang something artsy and decorative for outside - get a hold open piece of hardware for your wood gate. Add adirondack chairs in the other space.

They probably don't have guidelines on what you can plant - green fences are the best for condo rules . .

Don't tell them how high you plan to let it grow . . they should allow 54" anyway .. if the other spaces have hedges, you can have a hedge ..
PRO
Arbordale Landscaping Ltd
10 years ago
Perhpos you could build a retaining wall 18" back from the fence. This would help you gain some land from the sloping lawn area. In front of the wall you could plant a hedge to hide the wall and add to your privacy.

Create a patio space off the current walkway for dining/lounging/entertaining. Adding plants at house would help soften the brick.

Leave lawn area on far left for bean bag toss and kids play area.