We've pondered over our neglected backyard for almost three years now. In other words, our garden deserves more than a weed-filled lawn and a few patches of dirt. This year we hired a landscape architect to help put our ideas to paper, and now we're finally ready to fix the landscape.
The design is simple, manicured, and geometric; the 60-by-60-square-foot backyard will be lined in a horizontal cedar fence, following straight flower beds (think lots of boxwood plants), geometric gravel paths, and centered with a square lawn in the middle. Look at these 10 geometric backyard gardens with gravel paths, and you'll see what I mean.
Above: These garden paths are lined with pearly quartz gravel. The gravel also functions as a transition between the hardscaping of the terrace and the softer garden plantings. For more, see Landscape Architect Visit: A London Terrace Gets a Grownup Update from del Buono Gazerwitz.
Above: Designed by Luciano Giubbilei, the Boltons garden in London has limestone gravel paths alongside evergreen shrubs that lend year-round structure and interest to the garden. Photography via Luciano Giubbilei. For more, see Garden Designer Visit: The Precocious Genius of Luciano Giubbilei in London.
Above: Dutch garden designer Martin Veltkamp abuts a bluestone path with a gravel walkway with metal edging. For more, see A Classical Approach to a Minimalist Dutch Garden. Photographs via Martin Veltkamp.
Above: Low hedges and a gravel path surround the square-shaped lawn. A seating area was added to one of the sides. The garden was designed by Louise del Balzo Garden Design.
Above: The previous garden (and home) of Troy Rhone, of Troy Rhone Garden Design features a square design with gravel paths edged in bricks.
Above: The backyard of designer John Tong (founder of +tongtong, a Vancouver-based multi-disciplinary design studio), features patches of sod, concrete pavers, and gravel areas for low-maintenance and affordable landscaping. The cedar backdrop is used for plays and as a screen for projecting movies. Photography by Stacey Brandford via House & Home.
Above: This geometric garden in a Brooklyn backyard, designed by Susan Welti of Foras Studio, features bluestone pavers, pea gravel, and square flowerbeds.
Above: A simple backyard with concrete and lawn patches and gravel paths. Architect Patrick Ousey of Austin-based Fab Architecture designed the home. Photography by Coles Hairston.
Above: A square gravel pathway surrounds the centered lawn. A small backyard building can be seen in the background. The landscaping is designed by architect Nick Harrell of Core Landscape Group in Atlanta.
Above: E2 Homes, a Florida-based design firm built this project together with architecture firm Evergreen Consulting in Winter Park, FL. Their goal was to help improve the functionality of the outdoor areas and create a livable indoor/outdoor space.
For more backyards inspiration (and gravel), see:
- 11 Best Backyard Landscaping Ideas of 2015.
- Before and After: A Modern Brooklyn Backyard on a Budget.
- Landscape Designer Visit: A "Showstopper" Backyard in Brooklyn.
- Before and After: A One-Month Makeover for Alison Cayne's NYC Backyard.
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