Landscape Design
Patio of the Week
Fresh Design Elevates a Salt Lake City Backyard
A new fire feature, a Japanese soaking tub, an outdoor kitchen and a dining area offer the best of outdoor living
Before. The home’s driveway, leading to a detached garage in the back of the property, consisted of wall-to-fence concrete — which, as landscape designer Jayson King, principal at Landform Design Group, says, “made for a very cold entry.”
Work with a landscape designer on Houzz on your outdoor makeover
Work with a landscape designer on Houzz on your outdoor makeover
After. New plantings and a refreshed driveway have transformed the space and created more of a feeling of arrival to the home.
King kept the original concrete driveway but reduced its width to allow for new planting beds. “With budgets in mind, replacing the driveway was not an option,” King says. “Instead of tearing out everything and replacing it, we cut the old driveway to the desired shape and complemented the space with a row of columnar trees and interesting plant material.” The strip of dark pebbles running along the right side of the driveway conceals drainage.
Upright ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) and chartreuse ‘All Gold’ Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’) grow as foundation plantings alongside the house.
King kept the original concrete driveway but reduced its width to allow for new planting beds. “With budgets in mind, replacing the driveway was not an option,” King says. “Instead of tearing out everything and replacing it, we cut the old driveway to the desired shape and complemented the space with a row of columnar trees and interesting plant material.” The strip of dark pebbles running along the right side of the driveway conceals drainage.
Upright ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) and chartreuse ‘All Gold’ Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’) grow as foundation plantings alongside the house.
A row of ‘Frans Fontaine’ hornbeams (Carpinus betulus ‘Frans Fontaine’) grows on the other side of the driveway, with ‘Voodoo’ stonecrop (Sedum spurium ‘Voodoo’) growing beneath them along the fence.
7 Best Plant Types for Creating Privacy and How to Use Them
7 Best Plant Types for Creating Privacy and How to Use Them
After. King designed the new backyard around an outdoor dining area and outdoor kitchen for the homeowners. “Coming from California, they understood outdoor living and how important useful outdoor space can be,” King says. The outdoor room’s open floor plan easily accommodates a table for six, with extra patio space the homeowners can use to host a larger group.
The newly planted thornless ‘Shademaster’ honey locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Shademaster’) in the bed next to the patio will eventually grow to be a large, vase-shape shade tree, providing a broad canopy to cover the patio with dappled light.
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The newly planted thornless ‘Shademaster’ honey locust tree (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Shademaster’) in the bed next to the patio will eventually grow to be a large, vase-shape shade tree, providing a broad canopy to cover the patio with dappled light.
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The team installed a freestanding board-formed concrete wall and a series of weathering steel panels to separate the utilitarian driveway side of the backyard from the outdoor living area.
Here, you can see the divide created by the freestanding wall and steel panels, with a walkway between the two leading from the driveway to house.
The wall’s texture, created with rough cedar on concrete with an aggregate-texture finish, and horizontal board-formed lines tie in with the horizontal board fence surrounding the property. Similarly, the weathering steel panels complement the steel raised vegetable boxes in the yard.
The wall’s texture, created with rough cedar on concrete with an aggregate-texture finish, and horizontal board-formed lines tie in with the horizontal board fence surrounding the property. Similarly, the weathering steel panels complement the steel raised vegetable boxes in the yard.
Flames flicker in a gas-powered fire feature inset in the wall. The fire feature acts as the focal point of the outdoor dining area and provides light and heat in the evenings.
The new L-shape outdoor kitchen features an outdoor fridge and grill, purchased by the homeowners before the renovation and worked into the design by King.
The row of ‘Slender Silhouette’ sweetgum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’) along the fence behind the outdoor kitchen, along with Japanese maples planted on the house side of the patio, will turn a brilliant red and orange by midfall. Unlike other sweetgum species, ‘Slender Silhouette’ maintains a narrow size, perfect for smaller outdoor spaces, and drops minimal seedpods.
Behind the outdoor kitchen and across the grass, one can see where the ski lift chair — with a custom metal mount so it can be sat on — found a home.
The row of ‘Slender Silhouette’ sweetgum trees (Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’) along the fence behind the outdoor kitchen, along with Japanese maples planted on the house side of the patio, will turn a brilliant red and orange by midfall. Unlike other sweetgum species, ‘Slender Silhouette’ maintains a narrow size, perfect for smaller outdoor spaces, and drops minimal seedpods.
Behind the outdoor kitchen and across the grass, one can see where the ski lift chair — with a custom metal mount so it can be sat on — found a home.
King positioned the Japanese soaking tub partially out of sight behind the outdoor kitchen and amidst a planting of dwarf spruce (Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’), burgundy-colored coral bells (Heuchera ‘Southern Comfort’) and Scotch moss (Sagina subulata ‘Aurea’).
To create a lower profile in the landscape, King partially buried the tub in the ground. He designed a simple entry in the form of a wraparound deck, where one can sit upon entering the tub or set a drink down while enjoying the water.
Notice how the beams of the new deck radiate outward, with narrower widths in the center and wider widths at the edges — like rays of the sun. The simple, elegant deck complements the style and craftsmanship of the Japanese soaking tub.
Notice how the beams of the new deck radiate outward, with narrower widths in the center and wider widths at the edges — like rays of the sun. The simple, elegant deck complements the style and craftsmanship of the Japanese soaking tub.
Purple bloom spikes of pollinator-attracting ‘May Knight’ sage (Salvia x sylvestris ‘May Knight’) and tufts of Scotch moss (Sagina subulata ‘Aurea’) soften the concrete steps leading to the back garden area.
In the back corner of the yard, three weathering steel raised beds surrounded by crushed gravel offer a convenient growing space for vegetables, culinary herbs and berries, depending on the season. The raised beds, custom-made by local artisan Justin Holt, who also made the panels along the driveway, will continue to patinate with age.
In the evening, LED lights on the stairs, patio edges and trees illuminate the garden. The elevated fire feature stands out against the dark, unlit wall in the center of the garden.
Hardscape: Mike Stout of Waterscape Landscaping
Plantings and lighting: Mark Averett of Care
Masonry: Jake Gillen of Jaco Masonry
Concrete: Devin Johnson of Architectural Concrete & Design
Steel raised beds and screen panels: Justin Holt of Outdoor Elements
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Plantings and lighting: Mark Averett of Care
Masonry: Jake Gillen of Jaco Masonry
Concrete: Devin Johnson of Architectural Concrete & Design
Steel raised beds and screen panels: Justin Holt of Outdoor Elements
More on Houzz
Browse other landscape design guides
Find a landscape designer in your area
Shop for outdoor products
Landscape at a Glance
Who lives here: Lily Gray and Josh Weiner; their newborn daughter, Norah; and their golden retriever
Location: Salt Lake City
Size: 4,200-square-foot (390-square-meter) backyard and side yard
Design and construction oversight: Landform Design Group
Lily Gray and Josh Weiner had a specific set of requests when they contacted Landform Design Group about renovating their yard in Salt Lake City. The couple, who had recently relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area, wanted to add an outdoor kitchen, living area, fire feature and raised beds to grow veggies. In addition, they hoped to include a recently acquired Japanese soaking tub and — as a nod to their new home in the mountains — an old ski lift chair they had purchased.
The homeowners opted for a phased renovation to stretch their initial budget. Let’s take a look at phase one, completed in 2018, which encompassed the driveway and backyard.