Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Mar 01, 2014 7:01 pm hi all, I'm really hoping for some help from the board members with suggestions on a backyard layout. I have done a few steps without properly considering an overall plan and now some 4 mths has passed without any progress. I am considering hiring a landscaper to complete it but feel that shouldnt really be required for such a small space. Im pretty much defeated by the whole thing at this point. Background: I had the yard excavated out and leveled, which meant a retaining wall/planter box was required along the back fence. I built that and intended to render it but now am considering tiling it in full height natural stone tiles. The large lemon tree dictated that the wall jut into the yard at 90 degrees in the right corner. I also replaced the existing fences recently with one left to do. I built the left-hand side fence tall, with extra posts and made it level horizontally against the slope of the block. The extra posts are because I planned to clad it and make it a feature wall as a backdrop to a bbq and paved area. I wanted to do a kind of polished concrete finish but this has proven too ambitious. The only other thing I've done is made a rear-gate out of cor-ten steel for access to the lane. This is never really used and so I try not to design things around it. The real challenges I have are the layout of paving, grass, decking, or whatever other materials can be used. I cannot come up with a design that pleases me. If I pave and deck I find it hard to soften it and create interest. If I try to introduce lawn or garden I find it hard to leave a nice, usable space. My goals are to have a decent sized area usable for activities such as setting up a table tennis table or doing exercise. A seating area for entertaining and BBQ. SOrry for the long post - if anyone can just imagine they had this space to work with, what would you do? Any ideas gratefully received. One last item, the predominant access to the backyard is via the right hand side of the house. Here are a few photos, I'm embarrassed to post them but this is what I'm dealing with. Thanks all. Looking to the left rear side, 'feature fence'... Looking from left to right Access from this side of house Ideas Re: Help needed - Lost for backyard ideas 2Mar 02, 2014 1:26 pm hi ! I think a vertical garden on the fence would look fantastic .. just a thought !! Re: Help needed - Lost for backyard ideas 3Mar 02, 2014 6:35 pm Is that a dog in the picture? I guess the dog would like something cooler to lie on than just pavers. I'm planning for a similar sized space so am interested in what you come up with. I'm thinking of going halfway between pavers and grass by having some ground cover around pavers or stepping stones, which gives you somewhere to walk but it looks a bit softer. My other thought is a path between gardens on either side, but my space is a bit longer and narrower than yours. That sucks! Hope it all works out. Good to move away from steel anyway for all your reasons, but it's also thermally poor. 16 17775 DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair That laser level looks lovely! We bought one for less than a quarter of that price off eBay. It worked really well for us and it's still going now, five years later. After… 1 16705 It's possible but a soak well is usually much larger. Your 'soak well' only holds 424 litres when full. What is your soil type? Soak wells need sandy soils. 10 8985 |