Backyard Landscaping Post Remodel Zone 6a - Ideas?

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

We're heading for an October finish of a large scale remodel of our home and I'd love some opinions around what to do with the back yard. It was nicely done, had 3 tiers of decking and some very large boulders. It is now a complete DISASTER as you'll see in the pics.

We are in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6a (Colorado front range up against the mountains). We like low maintenance and did the front with Aspen trees, dwarf pines, some grasses, wild roses and small stone ground covering mixed with mulch areas, professionally designed and installed. Sorry I don't know the correct terms or plants.

Thinking just the now smaller deck and the rest in stone patios. One larger area and a smaller area near the Spa. I like the idea of big rectangular or square stones with with either grass or rock in the joint areas. Sort of a Tuscan look (minus any fountains). Kind of Mountain meets Southwest with some Cottage mixed-in could describe my image of "look" but again, I am no expert.

Any ideas, to the extent it's possible, would be really great! Pardon the whiteout!

Featured Answer

PRO

Yardvaark

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Since no planting can be figured out until the hardscape is planned, you should limit your request for help to hardscape to start with.

It's going to be hard to help with hardscape until you can make the site and your expectations better understood. Will there be walks that link various doors? These should be made obvious on the plan. Would the larger patio be adjacent to the deck? Is this the front yard or the back? Do guests enter the property through this yard? Is that the permanent location of the hot tub? You didn't mention a fence around the carport. Is that a passing thought or something you're committing to?

It's important to stay at a single position with the camera while capturing a view. I would suggest you show us the yard from this view (see plan) providing a full 180* of slightly overlapping pictures. Because the area is at a lower level, it would be best if you found something 2 or 3 feet high to stand on for the pictures, and hold the camera in the vertical format. If possible, set the pictures to a size or two up from what you're showing above, as those are small. The above pictures might have loaded sideways if you're uploading them from a phone. Try submitting new pictures via computer.

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Comments (6)

Steve
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the advice about photos. The pics loaded sideways from my computer but were sent to my computer from my phone. Yeah, I hesitated posting because it is such a high-level question with just me trying to give an idea of style. The amount of detail you point-out makes sense but would also mean an even longer post. Maybe I'll take a shot drawing then put it up for thoughts (aka ridicule - ha).
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PRO
Yardvaark
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
The post does not necessarily need to be "short" to be good. It needs to be concise and clear. The photos were confusing, as pictures of a scene must overlap (from the same camera viewpoint) in order to be rejoined -- even if only in the viewer's mind. Then, of course, the basic project objectives and parameters need to be given.

The easiest way I've found to rotate pictures in my computer is to open them in MS Paint and use the "Rotate" tool. One tip for that, though, is to first stretch out the virtual background. [Shrink the drawing to 50% (lower right corner) so that there is room enough to stretch out the background.] Use the "Select" tool (or "Select All") to move the whole picture to the center of the enlarged background. Re-select the picture with much background included and then rotate it. If you do not include extra background in the selection, a part of the picture will be cut off when it's rotated. After rotating, reposition the picture back to the upper lefthand corner, and then use the background handles to get rid of excess background. If the latter is not done, the picture will show up very small when uploaded.
PRO
Van Zelst Inc
7 years ago
Here are some stone patio ideas like you described with plants in between the stones. More on our Photo Gallery. Good luck with your project!
Steve thanked Van Zelst Inc
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
7 years ago
Finish the deck then post some pics or better yet get a landscape designer involved or at the very least get some help from your local garden center I actully like 2 or 3 level decking better than stone patios and find them more user friendly too
Steve thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
Steve
Original Author
7 years ago
Good advice. I'll do that. Currently deciding between doing Ipe or going for Trex Transcend. If Ipe isn't much more $, I'd prefer wood but we shall see. On our rooftop deck, I'll do the composite.