Narrow Side Yard Makeover Part 1

comments (0) June 7th, 2009 in gallery

ShirleyBovshow, member

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The widest area in this abandoned side yard is 10 feet from the wall to the sliding doors, the average is 8 feet wide. I inherited an evergreen Pear tree, a noisy air conditioner and a used dishwasher. Where was Freecycle when I needed them 5 years ago?

I try to design on site whenever possible. I used my up-side-down marking paint and drew a new 4-foot wide walkway and flanking garden beds that average about 2 feet deep. I earmarked a sitting area and lots of fruit trees!

We fashioned steppingstones from broken pieces of used and recycled concrete and mortared each individual stone to the ground. We spaced each stone about a strides-length away (the homeowners stride), installed tube drip irrigation between each stone, filled with some crushed pea gravel for drainage, and lots of decomposed granite to top it off.

After photo: The long narrow walkway is complete! The gardens include lavender, ornamental grasses, tree roses, vines and a romantic metal arch that opens to the backyard. I even included a hanging pendent light.

After photo: The opposite view. Scent-filled gardens, perfect for a leisurely stroll. Who knew this underachieving piece of real estate could become such a valuable feature in this yard?

The widest area in this "abandoned side yard" is 10 feet from the wall to the sliding doors, the average is 8 feet wide. I inherited an evergreen Pear tree, a noisy air conditioner and a used dishwasher. Where was "Freecycle" when I needed them 5 years ago?

Photo: Shirley Bovshow "EdenMaker"

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I nominate "side yards" as some of the most under-exploited areas in the landscape! What a shame, especially when every square foot of real estate is valuable, even in a down economy. Small, narrow yards can be perplexing to some homeowners who don't know which plants and trees work in a constricted space.

The good news is that not only can you find appropriate plants for small garden areas, you can also design a narrow yard to include walkways, sitting areas, sculpture (or garden art ), water features and fruit trees!

Here's the proof. Check out this "narrow side yard" design I designed for my client in Los Angeles. With sustainable concepts in mind, we used lots of recycled materials.

More Information: My website - Shirley Bovshow