Lush Plantings Meet Elegant Structure in a Small London Yard
A landscape designer artfully blends two homeowners' distinct style preferences in this efficient backyard makeover
It’s not unusual for two people to have different tastes, and these London homeowners were no exception. When it came to their backyard, the husband wanted wild, while the wife preferred a more formal look. Landscape designer Fi Boyle artfully blended the two styles to create a beautiful and inviting outdoor space they could both enjoy.
In this photo taken from the middle of the yard, looking away from the house, we see the leafy new dining area at the back of the property. The perimeter wall and decorative gate edge the space.
Neighbors look out over the far end of the yard, so privacy was a key consideration. Pleached trees and a new fence, which replaced a dilapidated slatted one, line the rear wall. “Once [the trees have] grown in fully, you won’t see the houses; you’ll just be in this calm sanctuary,” Boyle says.
Privacy also guided Boyle‘s decision to include the freestanding decorative gate. “It distracts the eye, and you’re drawn to it, so you don’t really notice the houses behind,” she says. She couldn’t use the old wall to hold the structure, so it had to stand alone. It’s built of rendered cinder block and Haddonstone, a cast stone, and has a mirror set within it to suggest a space beyond. (The gate’s careful placement and the fact that the homeowners close the doors when they aren’t dining protect backyard birds from harm.)
Two lights illuminate the gate, with a few smaller fixtures tucked beneath the multistemmed trees. “The lighting is quite low-key, just enough to provide some ambient light,” Boyle says. “I think you need to be quite subtle about [landscape] lighting. A [space] like this looks better when it’s not overlit.”
Before and After: 3 Barren Yards Become Lush, Inviting Retreats
Neighbors look out over the far end of the yard, so privacy was a key consideration. Pleached trees and a new fence, which replaced a dilapidated slatted one, line the rear wall. “Once [the trees have] grown in fully, you won’t see the houses; you’ll just be in this calm sanctuary,” Boyle says.
Privacy also guided Boyle‘s decision to include the freestanding decorative gate. “It distracts the eye, and you’re drawn to it, so you don’t really notice the houses behind,” she says. She couldn’t use the old wall to hold the structure, so it had to stand alone. It’s built of rendered cinder block and Haddonstone, a cast stone, and has a mirror set within it to suggest a space beyond. (The gate’s careful placement and the fact that the homeowners close the doors when they aren’t dining protect backyard birds from harm.)
Two lights illuminate the gate, with a few smaller fixtures tucked beneath the multistemmed trees. “The lighting is quite low-key, just enough to provide some ambient light,” Boyle says. “I think you need to be quite subtle about [landscape] lighting. A [space] like this looks better when it’s not overlit.”
Before and After: 3 Barren Yards Become Lush, Inviting Retreats
Before: The vintage doors were a real find, though they were in poor condition. Boyle cleaned and revived them using a special paint that conditions the wood. “I painted them as closely to the original as possible. I had to mix several colors to get the right shade,” she says.
After: Here are the restored doors with their new teal finish.
Before: In this shot, taken from the patio next to the house and looking toward the back of the yard, we can see the outdoor dining area before the renovation. The grill, seen with a cover over it, has remained in place but is now a little more hidden amid the foliage.
Rotting wooden planks separated the two halves of the yard. “They were set at an angle that had them heading straight into a tree, so they made no sense,” Boyle says.
Boyle was able to keep many of the existing plants, including ferns, calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica, USDA zones 8 to 10; find your zone) and the camellia seen here in the far corner, which gives that area some winter greenery and color. “We just dug up the plants and put them in pots to reuse them,” Boyle says. “I do try to reuse plants when I can.”
Rotting wooden planks separated the two halves of the yard. “They were set at an angle that had them heading straight into a tree, so they made no sense,” Boyle says.
Boyle was able to keep many of the existing plants, including ferns, calla lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica, USDA zones 8 to 10; find your zone) and the camellia seen here in the far corner, which gives that area some winter greenery and color. “We just dug up the plants and put them in pots to reuse them,” Boyle says. “I do try to reuse plants when I can.”
After: This photo, taken from the same vantage point as the previous image, showcases the new dining area’s lush, wild feel. The plantings highlight a variety of tones and textures, along with plenty of year-round interest, all in a calm palette requested by the homeowners. This is where the skill of a good landscape designer comes in. The planting beds are relatively small and filled mostly with foliage, but Boyle’s clever mix of leaf shapes, sizes and shades creates a beautiful display.
“Because it’s such a small space, the texture was incredibly important,” she says. “It’s all about the different greens and mix of shapes. The flowers come and go — they’re quite transient. Apart from an existing red rose and camellia, both of which I kept, the flowers are mostly white and surrounded by all these lush greens.” The sweet gum (Liquidambar sp.) on the right was existing; Boyle added a multistemmed one on the other side to match it, “so you frame that space,” she says.
“I planted quite heavily, but that was because we wanted to create this green haven,” she says. “I like to create a rhythm, so I have three [Japanese maples] in a triangle, and three Tasmanian tree ferns [Dicksonia antarctica, zones 9 to 10], which give a jungly feel and a lovely canopy while still allowing for stuff [to grow] underneath. Their trunks add nice texture, which is offset beautifully against the rest of the planting.” Boyle installed root barriers so the plants won’t spread to other yards.
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“Because it’s such a small space, the texture was incredibly important,” she says. “It’s all about the different greens and mix of shapes. The flowers come and go — they’re quite transient. Apart from an existing red rose and camellia, both of which I kept, the flowers are mostly white and surrounded by all these lush greens.” The sweet gum (Liquidambar sp.) on the right was existing; Boyle added a multistemmed one on the other side to match it, “so you frame that space,” she says.
“I planted quite heavily, but that was because we wanted to create this green haven,” she says. “I like to create a rhythm, so I have three [Japanese maples] in a triangle, and three Tasmanian tree ferns [Dicksonia antarctica, zones 9 to 10], which give a jungly feel and a lovely canopy while still allowing for stuff [to grow] underneath. Their trunks add nice texture, which is offset beautifully against the rest of the planting.” Boyle installed root barriers so the plants won’t spread to other yards.
See why you should hire a professional who uses Houzz Pro software
“In a small space, plants have to work hard and justify their position, and [foamflowers, Tiarella sp.] are so pretty and flower for so long,” Boyle says. “And the leaves are wonderful, because they have a little vein running down each lobe.”
The underplanting includes white bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘Alba’, zones 3 to 9), seen here, hostas, calla lilies and white columbine (Aquilegia ‘White Barlow’, zones 3 to 9).
“The leaf shapes all pick up on each other, because you have the starry leaves of the [sweet gums] and [Japanese maples], and the leaves of the [bleeding hearts] and [foamflowers] pick up on that,” Boyle says. “Then you have a nice contrast with the rounded leaves of the hostas and calla lilies.”
“The leaf shapes all pick up on each other, because you have the starry leaves of the [sweet gums] and [Japanese maples], and the leaves of the [bleeding hearts] and [foamflowers] pick up on that,” Boyle says. “Then you have a nice contrast with the rounded leaves of the hostas and calla lilies.”
The yard has a simple but effective irrigation system, with a tap on a timer and a drip line system, which delivers an even amount of water right along the pipe. “It waters at night, and the pipes sit under mulch, so it’s a much more economical way of watering a [yard], because it soaks in before [it can evaporate in] the heat of the day,” Boyle says.
For the tree ferns, which need to be watered from the top, Boyle fitted little sprayers that run up the back of the trunks and spray the base of the leaves.
For the tree ferns, which need to be watered from the top, Boyle fitted little sprayers that run up the back of the trunks and spray the base of the leaves.
Boyle chose 10-millimeter Cotswold limestone pea gravel for the dining area’s floor material. “It’s just softer and brings light and a bit of texture into the space,” she says. “Because it’s not too big a gravel, it compacts. I hate sitting on a chair and it wobbles.” Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, zones 4 to 9) softens the borders.
Gravel: Hills Quarry Products
Gravel: Hills Quarry Products
Looking from the dining area back toward the house and its glass kitchen addition, you see the more structured seating area. The sunny patio was existing, and the homeowners didn’t want to change it. It’s a great entertaining spot, especially as the doors leading to the kitchen fold back. A fire pit extends the outdoor living season, and it has a neat lid (seen here) that allows it to serve as a coffee table when needed.
Boyle replaced the rotting wood planks separating the two halves of the yard with wood-look porcelain pavers and turned them 90 degrees, so they connect the two spaces. She aligned the new pavers with the angle of the patio and brought the planting beds out to create a threshold between the entertaining area and the dining space. Baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii, zones 9 to 11) growing between the pavers further soften the transition.
The new pavers and gravel closely match the color of the patio for continuity. “When you’re using materials in a [yard], especially a small one, you need no more than three different landscaping materials, because otherwise it looks [too messy],” she says. “If you want it to be elegant and give a feeling of space, you don’t want to introduce too many color changes.”
Fire pit: A Place in the Garden
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Boyle replaced the rotting wood planks separating the two halves of the yard with wood-look porcelain pavers and turned them 90 degrees, so they connect the two spaces. She aligned the new pavers with the angle of the patio and brought the planting beds out to create a threshold between the entertaining area and the dining space. Baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii, zones 9 to 11) growing between the pavers further soften the transition.
The new pavers and gravel closely match the color of the patio for continuity. “When you’re using materials in a [yard], especially a small one, you need no more than three different landscaping materials, because otherwise it looks [too messy],” she says. “If you want it to be elegant and give a feeling of space, you don’t want to introduce too many color changes.”
Fire pit: A Place in the Garden
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Zooming further into the patio, we see that two urns frame the glass kitchen addition. They’re in the same color as the decorative gate in the dining area, linking both sides of the yard. “I wanted to have the connection of that teal blue,” Boyle says. “The urns are sitting on little plinths, as they looked too low initially. The devil really is in the detail.”
The glass flooring immediately outside the doors, which by chance is a similar color to the pots, allows light into the basement below, where there’s a home office. Solar panels attached to the fence power spotlights aimed at the urns as a temporary measure; Boyle will be replacing them with wired-in lighting.
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The glass flooring immediately outside the doors, which by chance is a similar color to the pots, allows light into the basement below, where there’s a home office. Solar panels attached to the fence power spotlights aimed at the urns as a temporary measure; Boyle will be replacing them with wired-in lighting.
Not sure where to start on your home project? Learn the basics
The large planters near the house have a teal tinge that coordinates with the urns and the gate. They’re planted with dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’, zones 4 to 11), which brings greenery up to the kitchen and links with the Japanese forest grass.
The Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, zones 9 to 11) on the left was existing and adds structure and color year-round.
Note: Species of Pennisetum can self-seed and spread, depending on the location and garden conditions. Check with your local cooperative extension offices and reputable nurseries before planting.
The Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, zones 9 to 11) on the left was existing and adds structure and color year-round.
Note: Species of Pennisetum can self-seed and spread, depending on the location and garden conditions. Check with your local cooperative extension offices and reputable nurseries before planting.
Boyle enlarged an existing planting pocket next to the patio and turned it into a little herb bed. “There was some damaged paving,” she says, ”so I’ve expanded and tidied up the shape of the pocket and put in some herbs — perfect for when the owners are using the [grill].” Climbing plants already are creeping along the walls and will fill in around the seating area in time.
The couple likes to use the yard all the time, year-round. “They love it,” Boyle says. “If [the wife] is between meetings in the basement, for instance, she’ll pop out here for a cup of coffee.”
But don’t take the designer’s word for it — here’s the review the owner left on Boyle’s Houzz profile: “We couldn’t be happier with the results. Fi managed to give both my husband and me a garden we love, despite our differences! The transformation is remarkable — our garden feels larger, more inviting, and a peaceful retreat right in the heart of London. The plants are thriving, and we now have a wonderful space to relax in.”
But don’t take the designer’s word for it — here’s the review the owner left on Boyle’s Houzz profile: “We couldn’t be happier with the results. Fi managed to give both my husband and me a garden we love, despite our differences! The transformation is remarkable — our garden feels larger, more inviting, and a peaceful retreat right in the heart of London. The plants are thriving, and we now have a wonderful space to relax in.”
On this site plan, you can see the more structured patio closest to the house on the left and the outdoor dining area to the right. Lush plantings encircle the dining area, while porcelain pavers in the middle connect the two spaces.
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Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three grown children
Location: Southwest London
Size: 710 square feet (66 square meters)
Landscape designer: Fi Boyle
Boyle designed two distinct areas: a more formal patio for lounging and entertaining (in the foreground, closest to the house), and a relaxed dining area at the back. A new freestanding gate anchors the dining space and creates the illusion of a more expansive yard. Stepping pavers, repeated colors and leafy plantings connect the two halves for a cohesive whole. (Scroll to the last image for a site plan of the new backyard design.)
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