Feedback on backyard plans

I have been working on our backyard plans and this is what I have come up with:



What it looks like now:


We dont have a huge amount of space to play with and I want to create distinct areas: dining, Outdoor longe and play area (for future kiddies)

- Raised garden along back fence with screening trees (possibly olives)
- Built in merbu seating surrounding dining area (hopefully with storage underneath)
- Lounge area with large daybed (along fence) and some armchairs?
- play area to the left (any sugggestions for ground? thinking about rubber tiles)

Still undecided about paving, grass, rubber tiles (I HATE fake grass!)

Any comments (good or bad are appreciated )

That looks similar to what I have been discussing with my partner.

Though the raised garden bed was going to double as a seat.

What are the dimensions of your backyard?

14 meters wide and about 7 meters deep

Looks great You've planned it well, and have utilized all possible spaces. Aside from the olive trees, do you plan on using anything else for shade? Looks like it'll be a hot area...

Nice sized area.

Maybe something to get from the Alfresco area to the paved area. (Few pavers etc)

As if it is raining the grass area may pool all of the water, unless there is sufficient drainage.

I was thinking about some shade sails as we can take them down in winter

Go lawn over rubber tiles

I am a Lawn convert I was ANTI-Lawn but now after laying lawn my little yard is the place to be

Everything else looks great

I added seating to the raised planters and that space is now where people gravitate to


it is 1000 times cooler than when I had a deck in the same area and I can imagine the rubber tiles getting just as hot

Sure there is a little more work in the lawn but the benefit outweighs the cons

thanks for the feedback

here is a version with the OH input. He wants the dining area in the middle (maybe with a feature on the fence behind the BBQ)



Any thoughts?

Which version do you prefer?

this one but shade will be needed to cope with summer sun

You don't want to entertain the concept of what is known to leach from the rubber and what it does with health. Legal to be sold in Australia but other countries have regulations on the use of recycled rubber products.
It will have a huge thermal mass.

Do a small lawn and maintain it with a Flymo push mower.

Use EZ or a Buffalo for the turf area

I like the first idea with the BBQ out of view from the main entrance of the garden. The day bed at the end would look really good You could still build one in the corner too.

That location for the veggies and herbs should be good but get plenty of herbs into the raised garden bed too. That way you have enough to use and the smells will add to the comfort of the seating areas. Lots of Basil in summer, coriander in the winter, parsley etc are all easy to grow

The water feature idea behind the BBQ would look good but the practicality of it won't work so well. Fats and grime from cooking may build up on the water feature.
If you can build it in such a way that it doesn't happen the that is great. That is also part of why I'd look at putting it against the theatre wall. A water feature behind a day bed, now that would be cool Especially with a roof over that spot, the water feature won't dry out every few hours. You'd look out from the kitchen and alfresco and be drawn out into the garden space far more than a BBQ will do

Now that is looking scarily a lot like the one I drew up a month or so ago.

Though I had 4 vegie "bins" in the corner where your Daybed is.

As a feature behind the BBQ we were thinking of 3 walls on a diagonal.
With plants in front to contrast, possibly with little spot lights to make them cast a shadow.

Would be good to see some pictures of before/after

I'm with Fu, don't want to be looking down on BBQ (you will make it the feature).

Oh and plants lots of chillis in there for eye catching easy grown colour. You can even dare friends to eat them