Grant Park neighborhood backyard plant paradise with super comfy sitting area occupied by Carol Lindsay, Landscape Design in a Day
Design a Magical & Spacious Backyard Makeover for Outdoor Living in NE Portland’s Grant Park Neighborhood
Recently I had the pleasure of designing with Annely and Wayne, a lovely couple living in Portland’s northeast side. They wanted to turn a small and rather typical back yard into a magical outdoor living oasis. Using my collaborative Landscape Design in a Day process, we created a garden design that would bring their dream of an outdoor haven to life.
Clients Wish List for Landscape Design for Small City Back Yard
Our client had lots of plants waiting for their new home.
Space was pretty limited especially since their garage ate into back yard space but Annely and Wayne were not daunted and had ambitious goals for their back yard.
Annely dreamed of a covered outdoor entertainment area with comfortable seating for 6, and a lush garden of plants. She is a passionate hobby gardener, and had a large collection of plants at the ready. She had been waiting for several years to have the garden of her dreams and she had plants sitting about in pots to prove it. We also needed room for outdoor dining, cooking (to include BBQ, outdoor sink and prep area) and we needed easy access from the deep shared driveway to the back door. The groceries and daily family access to the house happened through the backyard too.
The newly cleared lot gives us our blank slate.
Carol and clients analyzing site conditions before design process. Photo by Alana Chau
Room for Outdoor Living with Friends
Our first step was to maximize the tiny space. We discussed possible ways to extend the small lot space, including opening up the side of the small garage to create the covered dining area, (like a casita) so the rest of the yard could be free for plantings. However, the garage storage space was too precious and a casita didn’t match their vision.
After creating multiple backyard layout drawings and more consultation and collaboration with our clients, we decided on the multi–level raised garden bed, foregoing the covered patio, and we placed a shared with the neighbor shade tree near the property line. By pushing the shade tree back, the neighbor would also get shade and we had more space for new colorful plantings.
Continue the story of our Grant Park total backyard makeover in our upcoming Part 2 blog post.
The patio is cut and its’ walls retained by D and J Landscape Contractors
Are you inspired to transform your own back yard into a true paradise? Contact me today and let us create the perfect landscape design for your city garden oasis. Together we can transform your outdoor space into something remarkable!
