Yard of the Week: Colorful Refuge for a Couple Who Love to Cook
A landscape designer creates an outdoor space with bright flowers and vegetable-filled planting beds
These homeowners were hoping for a bright outdoor space where they could grow vegetables, cook outdoors with friends or sit quietly beside a water feature, and they wanted it to be full of bold, appealing plants They hired landscape designer Jackie Gough to fulfill their wish list, and the result is a versatile, relaxed landscape that will fill up over time with bright flowers.
The original outdoor space had a rectangle of grass and a patio. The couple left the patio as it was but wanted more contemporary paving elsewhere. Gough found sandstone slabs that tie in with the original paving.
She built a brick raised bed to the side of the patio doors and filled it with plants including coralbells (Heuchera sp.), geraniums and hostas. Fragrant jasmine, roses and clematis will eventually climb up an ornate trellis behind and grow over the pergola.
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She built a brick raised bed to the side of the patio doors and filled it with plants including coralbells (Heuchera sp.), geraniums and hostas. Fragrant jasmine, roses and clematis will eventually climb up an ornate trellis behind and grow over the pergola.
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Alongside a freestanding grill, Gough’s team built a brick outdoor kitchen. A pizza oven is flanked by two cabinets with cedar wood doors and granite countertops. To the left is a rotisserie area.
What to Know About Adding an Outdoor Kitchen
What to Know About Adding an Outdoor Kitchen
Gough created a pond near the patio that stretches the width of the yard. “Originally we’d designed steppingstones over it,” she says, “but as this was the only access into the [landscape], it made sense to go for a more practical, filled-in bridge.”
The owners wanted to have a quiet seating spot next to the pond, so Gough designed a bench area with an arbor above it.
“We chose gravel here to differentiate it from the rest of the space,” she says. “Climbing roses and clematis will grow over the trellis and arbor, and the lush planting will surround the space.”
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“We chose gravel here to differentiate it from the rest of the space,” she says. “Climbing roses and clematis will grow over the trellis and arbor, and the lush planting will surround the space.”
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The owner who is an avid cook wanted to start growing her own ingredients, so Gough turned the middle section of the yard into a place for cultivating edible plants.
The greenhouse needed to be practical yet ornamental, as it’s in a prominent position. “We designed an octagonal spot, and the owners chose a suitable greenhouse to fit in the space,” the designer says.
To the left of the greenhouse is a raised bed for vegetables, and a fig tree was planted behind the greenhouse. “There’s also an olive tree, which isn’t edible but goes with the foodie theme,” Gough says.
The greenhouse needed to be practical yet ornamental, as it’s in a prominent position. “We designed an octagonal spot, and the owners chose a suitable greenhouse to fit in the space,” the designer says.
To the left of the greenhouse is a raised bed for vegetables, and a fig tree was planted behind the greenhouse. “There’s also an olive tree, which isn’t edible but goes with the foodie theme,” Gough says.
A contemporary path leads through a series of low borders, raised beds and wooden arches toward a cozy seating area and shed. From the sofa spot and fire pit (see next photo), the owners can look through the arches right down to the back of the house.
The rear seating area is surrounded by flowering plants, including geums, sage (Salvia sp.) and jasmine. “The couple really wanted bright colors — reds, yellows, purples and oranges,” Gough says.
“They were brave in their design choices, which has paid off, as the [landscape] feels different,” she adds. “They love the space, and as the plants grow, it will become even more zingy and lush.”
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“They were brave in their design choices, which has paid off, as the [landscape] feels different,” she adds. “They love the space, and as the plants grow, it will become even more zingy and lush.”
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Read more stories about patios
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Shop for your outdoor spaces
Who lives here: A couple with older children who’ve left home
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Landscape designer: Jackie Gough
The homeowners wanted to add quite a few things to their yard, but the main aim was to create a space they could enjoy with friends and family. “The wife loves to cook, and they have a [grill], [pizza oven] and rotisserie for outdoor cooking,” Gough says.
The couple’s wish list included an outdoor kitchen, a seating area, a quiet seating area beside a pond and a greenhouse in which to grow vegetables. “I just needed to work out how to fit everything in,” Gough says.
Sandstone paving slabs: London Stone