When I was called by the very colorful client, I knew I had an interesting task in front of me. Living in a two story townhome apartment was nice, but the small patio in the back was a source of constant frustration for her. Her backyard had many problems, and she was desperate for solutions.

One of the problems was the very messy roses. Overgrown and poorly maintained, they loomed overhead with fading blooms, thorns, and irregular growth.

Above the roses were even more problems. An neighbor’s Weeping Bottlebrush and King Palms were dropping constant garbage into the yard. The owner was growing tired of having to sweep her patio whenever she wanted to use her barbecue.

Mostly the problem was that the space was dark, boring, and an uncomfortable place to be... and the long length and narrow width made the area seem very linear and stark.

The plants chosen were to soften up the harshness of the back wall, while still having the owner's favorite flower (daylily) up close and personal for her to enjoy. The containers, which only need water once or twice a summer, helps to break up the drab corners and match the colors of the cinder block and brick.

Five months later after my company's work was completed, I get a call from my client. "I'm getting married, and it's going to be in my garden!". I immediately found myself feeling like a wedding planner, asking her questions about the color of her dress and how she wanted to decorate. I drove over the day before and put up some decorative ribbon and a fabric shade structure (repurposed from her old mattress cover). The trellis I designed was made as a place to fashion hanging baskets, flowering vines, but also to outline a seating place in the garden. The light colors of the trellis was also to lighten up the space.

The all too predictable corners and bleak walls were offset with placement of colorful terra cotta pots (to match the brick), with some drought tolerant plants that provided texture and form. Small patio trees (also drought tolerant) added some needed color in those dark corners.

Congratulations to the bride and groom and thank you so much for letting me transform your space!