This was a quick design I did a few months back for a friend’s backyard, also on
the East Side of Austin. I thought I would share it. The idea here was to create an environment that once established will, for the most part, take care of itself.
Early concept sketches defining the main hardscaping features & elements
planning gate position and access around the yard
settling into a more refined concept, utilities and plants are integrated into the plan.
I then worked into some of the main features a little more…
From a Shed…
to a jungle temple, surrounded by large ornamental grasses. The bamboo will have the lower shoots removed to highlight the green culms against the white shed. The bamboo softens the edges of the shed, and blue river rocks suggest water at the base.
A seasonal herb tank will be the future star of a
circular courtyard.
More refined sketch, isolating some of the main features.
Here are the final images. I took photographs of views that visually “describe” the yard layout. I then worked up photoshop images based on the design and plantings defined in the earlier plan. I pulled plant images from my own yard, and found the rest online to create the following after shots.
looking back to the rear door same image with photoshopped design. Recognize that gate? she has one too! The gate is set at an angle to the house and represents the end of the side yard. The gate is flanked by two bamboos which help soften the edges of the gate and house. The gate leads into a circular courtyard area.
before shot same shot photoshoped. The circular courtyard has a 900 gallon herb container as a center piece. The area adjacent to the house has a mass planting of Dwarf Miscanthus with a line of Giant Timber Bamboos behind to create some evergreen, light privacy. ( a request for the scheme)
Before shot. These trees will go. There is the gate against the tree. Pathway from the back door to the gate with low maintenance planting. The fence on the left is hidden with a line of Loquats to create a tropical feel. All of the grass in the yard is removed in the new plan.
All these scrappy trees down the property line need to go, replaced with Timber Bamboo. The sunken area to the right of the shed is to be the future home of a carport. This was screened with a horizontal line of Loquats so that from the house this area would not be visible. Curved seating was introduced to the courtyard area to fit with the circular courtyard theme.
Photo-shop is a good tool to visually communicate how a yard will
look at different stages of its development. The images here visualize a future planting scheme at around the 4 year mark.
Other Notables I noted on notepaper:
This emerging Agave “needle” reminds me of the scary chaps wrist weapon on the movie “Signs”.
“That Austin garden blogger was right about these “Iced Turbans” they really do keep you cool in a heatwave, as well as not allowing aliens to read your mind”!
look how big the culm that jumped ship is now! “she is approaching the culm!”
Gazing ball and Gopher plant.
Aloe and Azure “Reflections, all those reflections, reflections within reflections etc,etc.zzzzz”
Looking into your Purple Heart
Can someone tell me if this is dwarf campanula, or something else?
Sad peppers wilting in the heat. “look over there dad, he hasn’t watered today”!
“Son, I hope this will never happen to you.”
A gnarled old planter is now a sculptural feature in one of my beds.
Firecracker Plant, Cigar Plant
Latin: Cuphea ignea
The plant gets its common names from the reddish-orange flowers which are cigar shaped and about and inch and a half long.The tubular red flowers of this summertime bloomer make it an attractive plant for hummingbirds and butterflies.
And to finish, a couple of dragons!
Stay Tuned for:
“A Beer in Time Saves Nine”
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