A Small Side Yard Becomes a Secluded Haven
A Virginia homeowner transforms her side yard into a cozy destination
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The underutilized side yard had no focus, with deep shade that presented growing challenges.
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Hardscape provides structure, while shade-tolerant low-maintenance plants soften beds and lend multi-seasonal color.
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Decorative flagstone used for stacked raised bed walls, the patio and pathways add color and visual interest to the landscape.
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Stacked stone wells were created around mature trees to preserve the root zone. Golden grasses and variegated ground covers were used to brighten this deeply shaded spot.
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The side yard of a Reston, Virginia home (USDA Zone 7a) was what homeowner Alli Guleria describes as a dead zone. “I used that area to store plants and my wheelbarrow. There was no focus, and the area was in deep shade, making it difficult for plants to thrive. One day I went back there and realized it had potential as a space I could enjoy spending time in.”
Project Highlights:
- Location: Reston, VA
- Budget: under $45,000
- Patio size: approximately 200 sq. ft.
- Landscape design: Gardenalia
Design Goals Guleria wanted to create a quiet haven where she could relax away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. “This corner of the yard was one of the few spots that had a really nice view looking back at the house,” she notes.
Following her lifelong passion, Guleria recently started her own landscape design company. She drew up a plan that included raised stacked stone walls to define garden beds, a small stone patio, and a pathway to connect the patio seating area with the rest of the yard. “The gentle curves of the pathway make the space feel larger, and the patio creates a focal point and destination as well as a place to rest. I want my yard to be an extension of my home, to blur the lines between the indoors and outside,” she says.
Landscaping Solutions Guleria chose West Mountain wallstone—an irregularly shaped stone with a rustic appearance and warm orange-pink tones—for the pathway and stacked walls. Full Color Range Natural Cleft Pennsylvania flagstone, which looks similar to slate, comprises the patio. “I wanted the stone hardscaping to be attractive and appealing, like a piece of fine art,” she says.
Tips for a Side Yard:
- Create a destination with seating
- Use curves for beds and pathways to make a space feel larger
- Design a space that envelops in order to evoke a sense of enclosure
- Use plants with winter color and interest
The fence was repainted the same color as the James Hardy Deep Ocean siding on her home to unify the house and yard. A small water feature was added to drown out the sound of traffic from a nearby busy road. “I try to bring the element of water into all of my designs. The sound of moving water is calming and makes a space feel more secluded by blocking out urban noises,” Guleria says.
Side Yard Lawn Alternatives:
- Add low-maintenance hardscape such as pathways, raised beds and patios
- Replace lawn with garden beds and choose easy-care plants with multiple attributes such as interesting foliage, flowers and structure for year-round color
- Use shade-tolerant groundcovers, perennials and shrubs, which will perform better than lawn in deeply shaded areas
To brighten up the deeply shaded area, Guleria hung mirrors along the fence to reflect light and used shade-tolerant perennial plants with colored or variegated foliage. ‘Beacon Silver’ lamium and ‘Forever Purple’ coral bells were planted in the garden beds for their tolerance to shade, reliability, and ease of maintenance.
Gold-foliaged ornamental grasses including ‘Ogon’ sweet flag (Acorus gramineus) and Hakonechloa ‘All Gold’ brighten up shady spots. “I like the flow and movement that grasses bring to the landscape,” Guleria says. Variegated shrubs including ‘Flaming Silver’ pieris and ‘Firepower’ nandina provide multi-seasonal color and structure along the pathway.
Guleria integrated sustainable landscape practices, preserving existing mature trees, painting the fence a new color rather than replacing it, and repurposing a bench from another spot in the yard. With these renovations, Guleria now has a private sanctuary where she can relax and enjoy her yard and views of the house.
Click here to see more of Alli Guleria's garden on GardenDesign.com
Gardenalia
Reston, VA
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Contributing Author: Janet Loughrey, contributing writer for Landscaping Network |
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