Small Backyard for Entertaining With More to Discover

Before: The long, narrow yard was overgrown and lacked structure. It also had a low-quality patio, just visible at the bottom of the photo.

“The owners are actually keen gardeners and had lots of things in pots, but they also had a scrubby lawn and the space was overgrown and full of weeds,” Lindsay says.

One of the homeowners had collected photos showing how the light falls in the yard to help guide plant choices. “The plants were really important to her,” Lindsay says.

After: Lindsay designed elements — including a reclaimed wood bench, Cor-Ten troughs and planting layers — to run horizontally across the yard, making the space appear larger by concealing views. The seating area shown here is at the far end of the yard.

“There’s this layering where you have ‘piers’ coming out from the side, so you have a sense of the [yard] revealing itself as you walk down it,” she says. “I trained as a theater designer originally, and I look at garden design like that — the conceal-and-reveal element and using those side flats that you would in theater to give a sense of more perspective.”

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The site plan more clearly shows the side flats running horizontally across the yard. The paved area at the bottom of the drawing is next to the house, while the patio at the top is where the seating area is.

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Key to the conceal-and-reveal design are two trees, including a new one seen here on the right (looking toward the back of the yard) that hides a water feature. “It was important to have a tree as part of the design so you don’t reveal everything in one go. It helps obscure the view when you’re in the house to give a sense of mystery,” Lindsay says.

The tree is a multistem seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides, USDA zones 5 to 9; find your zone). “It’s a wonderful tree with beautiful cinnamon bark that’s quite flaky. It really shines in the light. It has white flowers succeeded by red bracts that look like flowers, which prolongs the interest,” Lindsay.

The sweet bay (Laurus nobilis, zones 8 to 10), back left, was already established but had become huge and overgrown, so Lindsay pruned it back. “It’s lovely that we were able to keep it,” she says.

‘Splendide White’ meadow rue (Thalictrum ‘Splendide White’, zones 4 to 8) under the seven-son flower tree further obscures the back of the yard from the house. “It’s a real beauty and great in dappled light, such as under trees. It really lifts shadier areas,” Lindsay says.

Lindsay used limestone for the hardscape. “The owners wanted a space that’s as natural as possible, so there’s no porcelain,” she says.

The paving emphasizes the yard’s horizontal lines. For instance, the cobbles emerging from beneath the bench on the left and the water feature behind the meadow rue on the right cut across the yard in similar proportions. “The paving connects in a linear way across the [yard]. It helps you slow down and appreciate things because there’s a change in texture,” Lindsay says.

At the back of the yard, Lindsay laid a rectangle of limestone bricks within the paving to subtly define the seating area. “In a small [yard], you need to create different zones, but it’s quite subtle — just a change of texture to frame the space,” she says.

Paving: Zahra Beige limestone, Allgreen

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The couple initially had metal patio furniture, pictured, but swapped them for the sectional sofa shown in the aerial photo seen previously. They wanted to be able to lie down comfortably and read a book.

They also asked for plenty of extra seating. “They have a large extended family and sometimes have a lot of people over, so they wanted places where people could perch,” Lindsay says. The raised bed at the back has a 16-inch (40-centimeter) ledge where guests can sit. It continues around to the left to form a small seat where someone could add a throw pillow and lean back against the fence.

A wood bench behind the Cor-Ten planter can accommodate several guests. Lindsay wanted something that didn’t necessarily look like a bench, and this chunk of durable Brazilian greenheart hardwood is full of character, history and natural texture. “It came from a reclamation yard that specializes in tropical hardwoods salvaged from the marine industries — old ships and piers,” she says.

The Cor-Ten steel planter echoes the bench protruding into the yard. It’s planted with a colorful mix of perennials, including coral bells (Heuchera sp.), Latin Amerian fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus, zones 6 to 9) and ‘Lollipop’ verbena (Verbena bonariensis ‘Lollipop’, zones 7 to 11). Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum, zones 4 to 8) grows around the base.

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One of the joys of a custom space is that it can be tailored to the client’s lifestyle. In this case, the owner requested a spot where she could easily set down a mug. “Because she’s such a gardener, she says she sometimes just pops out for 20 minutes with a drink to do a bit of pruning, so the planter was designed with a [4-inch] 10-cm edge where she could rest her cup of tea,” Lindsay says.

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The side of the yard with the greenheart bench gets more sun, so Lindsay created a deeper bed and packed it with plants that flower in succession. Here, rich pink knautia (Knautia macedonica, zones 5 to 9) dance above evergreen spurge (Euphorbia characias ssp. wulfenii, zones 6 to 8). There’s a lovely ‘Wollerton Old Hall’ rose (Rosa ‘Wollerton Old Hall’, zones 5 to 11) seen on the right that looks almost like a peony in a soft apricot.

On this side of the bench, purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, zones 3 to 9) and ‘Walker’s low’ catmint (Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’, zones 4 to 8) bring pretty color.

In the deeper bed, paving runs into the planting to provide easy access without trampling plants.

Baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii, zones 9 to 11) spread along the cobbles. “When we laid the cobbles, the owner wanted wide gaps so there would be good drainage and the plants would self-seed,” Lindsay says. “She’s let it go quite wild and really enjoys the greenery.”

A Cor-Ten water feature sits on the other side of the space, staggered between the Cor-Ten planter and wood bench. When viewed from the house, the water feature is just glimpsed behind the tree, creating a nice moment for anyone walking down the yard (see the site plan for a clearer view). A pump gently ripples the surface and oxygenates the water to keep it clean. The boulder adds a natural feel and provides a spot for wildlife to perch and drink.

White ‘Whirling Butterflies’ gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’, zones 5 to 9) adds soft texture and movement.

Drip irrigation runs through the beds. “It’s very focused on the plants so you have no wastage. It saves on water and time and can save so many plants,” Lindsay says.

Cor-Ten steel plant and water troughs: Arthur Francis Sculpture

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The owners have a great relationship with their neighbors, so when the new fences went up, they didn’t want the side panels to be too high. They asked that the trellis at the top be quite airy so they could have conversations through it. “The diamond shape of the trellis keeps it open and it also looks more traditional than contemporary,” Lindsay says. The section by the existing bay tree on the left has been shaped to accommodate a low branch.

The back fence is higher to screen a school playground and is painted very dark green, a softer option than black in a more traditional yard. The color also echoes the color of the kitchen cabinets.

Lindsay planted star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, zones 8 to 10) to grow up the fence. “We wanted that to connect with the ivy behind and make it feel as if that back fence was almost being enveloped and the boundary blurred,” she says.

Fence paint: Obsidian, Little Greene