Landscape Design
Before and Afters
Patio of the Week: Once Unusable Backyard Is Now a Favorite Spot
Native plants, lovely stone, thoughtful grading and careful planning transform a steeply sloped site in Virginia
This patio was part of a complete redesign for a steeply sloped backyard in Richmond, Virginia. The project also included a new deck off the back of the house. With one young son and another on the way, this couple needed a flat place for a play set and grading that would make their backyard functional and attractive. Their wish list included two lounge areas, a fire pit, a grilling area and edible gardens. Landscape design-build firm Outdoor Dreams came up with a smart design that gave them everything they wanted.
Before: The yard had a steep slope that made growing even grass difficult. And French doors off the breakfast nook opened to a long drop to the ground.
Deck Tier
Now the French doors open out to a beautiful deck made with kiln-dried pressure-treated lumber. The dark color around the doors inspired dark aluminum pickets in the railings. These allow for more open views out to the tree canopies than wooden rails would have.
Koehler planned the deck to include a nook for the grill, space for lounging and a staircase centered on the backyard that provides a nice transition down into it.
Now the French doors open out to a beautiful deck made with kiln-dried pressure-treated lumber. The dark color around the doors inspired dark aluminum pickets in the railings. These allow for more open views out to the tree canopies than wooden rails would have.
Koehler planned the deck to include a nook for the grill, space for lounging and a staircase centered on the backyard that provides a nice transition down into it.
Deck boards set at a 45-degree angle from the house draw the eye toward the yard. A comfortable lounge area includes an outdoor sectional sofa and a large umbrella to provide shade on hot Virginia summer days.
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Shop for outdoor umbrellas
Transitional Zone
Often the space underneath a deck is an eyesore, but here Koehler turned it into a design asset. He surrounded the area with box planters for vegetables, herbs and cut flowers. And he covered the exposed underdeck area with lattice. Plants like green bean vines and tomatoes in the planters climb the lattice like a trellis. And there’s a door in the lattice so the homeowners can use the space underneath for storage. “This additional storage has put off the need for a shed,” he says.
The straight lines of the deck’s structure transition into the more natural lines of the woods at the ground level. The aforementioned vines and other plants, stone pavers and plantings around the yard have a looser, less rigorous and structured look.
Often the space underneath a deck is an eyesore, but here Koehler turned it into a design asset. He surrounded the area with box planters for vegetables, herbs and cut flowers. And he covered the exposed underdeck area with lattice. Plants like green bean vines and tomatoes in the planters climb the lattice like a trellis. And there’s a door in the lattice so the homeowners can use the space underneath for storage. “This additional storage has put off the need for a shed,” he says.
The straight lines of the deck’s structure transition into the more natural lines of the woods at the ground level. The aforementioned vines and other plants, stone pavers and plantings around the yard have a looser, less rigorous and structured look.
Koehler used a mix of geometric and organic curves for the hardscape, which ties the architecture of the house and deck to the landscape.
The deck’s stairs lead down to a transitional area — a stone landing path angled toward the new circular patio. The landing is composed of bluestone slabs outlined in brick-shaped pavers. Beyond the landing, a set of stone steps leads down to the sunken patio. To the left of the landing is easy access to the play set tier.
Landing pavers: Blu 60 slabs in Champlain Grey; outline pavers: Villagio in chestnut brown; steps: Mini-Creta Architectural blocks and caps in Champlain Grey; all by Techo-Bloc
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The deck’s stairs lead down to a transitional area — a stone landing path angled toward the new circular patio. The landing is composed of bluestone slabs outlined in brick-shaped pavers. Beyond the landing, a set of stone steps leads down to the sunken patio. To the left of the landing is easy access to the play set tier.
Landing pavers: Blu 60 slabs in Champlain Grey; outline pavers: Villagio in chestnut brown; steps: Mini-Creta Architectural blocks and caps in Champlain Grey; all by Techo-Bloc
Browse landscaping stones and pavers
Patio Tier
Koehler carved into the slope with a striking curved retaining wall with an integrated bench. By carefully calculating the amounts of cut and fill during the planning stages, he was able to complete the grading without bringing in additional fill. This was a big budget-saver.
He planted the slope with a mix of grasses, shrubs and perennials that provide a lovely view and make the patio feel more enclosed. The patio’s location on the lowest portion of the yard gives it a cozy and private feeling.
Retaining wall materials: Mini-Creta Architectural blocks and caps in Champlain Grey, Techo-Bloc
Koehler carved into the slope with a striking curved retaining wall with an integrated bench. By carefully calculating the amounts of cut and fill during the planning stages, he was able to complete the grading without bringing in additional fill. This was a big budget-saver.
He planted the slope with a mix of grasses, shrubs and perennials that provide a lovely view and make the patio feel more enclosed. The patio’s location on the lowest portion of the yard gives it a cozy and private feeling.
Retaining wall materials: Mini-Creta Architectural blocks and caps in Champlain Grey, Techo-Bloc
The wood-burning fire pit adds another circle that works well with the curve of the bench wall. Its warmth extends patio season into the chillier months.
The patio’s river-stone-inspired pavers in a mix of brown, gray and tan are more rustic than the others. The border pavers around the patio and fire pit are the same brick-like pavers used around the landing, which adds a more formal touch.
Polymeric sand — a mixture of fine sands and polymers — fills the joints between the patio pavers. The material, which hardens when dry, holds the pavers in place and keeps weeds and insects at bay.
Patio pavers: Antika in chestnut brown, shale grey and sandalwood; fire pit blocks: Valencia in Champlain Grey, both by Techo-Bloc
The patio’s river-stone-inspired pavers in a mix of brown, gray and tan are more rustic than the others. The border pavers around the patio and fire pit are the same brick-like pavers used around the landing, which adds a more formal touch.
Polymeric sand — a mixture of fine sands and polymers — fills the joints between the patio pavers. The material, which hardens when dry, holds the pavers in place and keeps weeds and insects at bay.
Patio pavers: Antika in chestnut brown, shale grey and sandalwood; fire pit blocks: Valencia in Champlain Grey, both by Techo-Bloc
Plant Palette
For the planting plan, Koehler and his team stuck with native plants and cultivars. “Native plants are beneficial to the environment, provide a natural look and, because they are adapted to the local environment, require little maintenance like fertilization and watering to thrive,” he says. They also blend into the natural surroundings beyond the yard.
The plant palette includes native grasses, Little Henry Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Sprich’), ‘Autumn Brilliance’ serviceberry tree (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’) and highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum).
Learn how to grow plants native to your region
For the planting plan, Koehler and his team stuck with native plants and cultivars. “Native plants are beneficial to the environment, provide a natural look and, because they are adapted to the local environment, require little maintenance like fertilization and watering to thrive,” he says. They also blend into the natural surroundings beyond the yard.
The plant palette includes native grasses, Little Henry Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica ‘Sprich’), ‘Autumn Brilliance’ serviceberry tree (Amelanchier x grandiflora ‘Autumn Brilliance’) and highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum).
Learn how to grow plants native to your region
Some of the colorful flowering native plants Koehler used in the plant palette are ‘Magnus’ purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’) and ‘Goldsturm’ black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’), seen here, along with ‘Woods Purple’ New York aster (Aster novi-belgii ‘Wood’s Purple’), ‘Baby Sun’ tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Baby Sun’) and ‘Goblin’ blanketflower (Gaillardia x grandiflora ‘Goblin’).
Other plantings include ‘Cloud Nine’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’), ‘Shenandoah’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’) and ‘Idyllwild’ eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana ‘Idyllwild’).
“One year after installation, this landscape is thriving with very little effort. The grasses provide a soothing sound as they sway in the wind, while the wildflowers provide stunning color and attract beautiful birds and butterflies,” he says.
Other plantings include ‘Cloud Nine’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud Nine’), ‘Shenandoah’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’) and ‘Idyllwild’ eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana ‘Idyllwild’).
“One year after installation, this landscape is thriving with very little effort. The grasses provide a soothing sound as they sway in the wind, while the wildflowers provide stunning color and attract beautiful birds and butterflies,” he says.
Another important aspect of the project was a comprehensive lighting plan. The lighting is layered — there are uplights on the house and some trees, path lights along walkways and wall, and step lights in the retaining walls, patio steps and deck staircase. The scheme provides ambiance and makes it safer to scramble down to the fire pit at night.
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Find an outdoor lighting specialist in your area
Play Set Tier
Lacking anywhere level to put this play set was a big part of what made the homeowners redesign the yard. Now it sits above the patio on the second tier. This photo also shows how well the plantings on the slope are filling in.
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Lacking anywhere level to put this play set was a big part of what made the homeowners redesign the yard. Now it sits above the patio on the second tier. This photo also shows how well the plantings on the slope are filling in.
Shop for backyard play sets
A rustic free-flowing bluestone path leads out beyond the patio.
Takeaways
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Takeaways
- Planter boxes at the base of a deck can provide much-needed gardening space and create a nice transition between the deck and yard.
- Try for a grading plan that can give your yard a pleasing topography without the need to bring in extra fill.
- Native plants are better ecologically and well-suited to the region.
- Illuminate stairs and pathways for safety at night. Layer in features like uplighting for ambiance.
More on Houzz
Read more stories about patios
Browse patio photos for inspiration
Hire a landscape contractor
Browse outdoor products
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Patio of the Week
Who uses it: A young family of four
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Size: Patio: 283 square feet (26 square meters); deck: 314 square feet (29 square meters)
Designer: Outdoor Dreams
“More than anything, this family wanted their backyard to be usable,” landscape designer Greg Koehler says. He came up with a three-tiered plan to maximize the backyard. At the lowest level, the first tier is a patio with a fire pit for relaxing. A newly manageable planted slope leads up to the second tier, the flat play area. The third tier, a deck off the main floor of the house, looks over it all.
As for style, the family wanted a built space that would transition nicely into the wooded area at the edge of the yard. This resulted in a mix of casual and polished style and of clean-lined and rugged elements.
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