Patio of the Week: Mature Trees and Shade Drive the Design
An Illinois backyard gains an outdoor kitchen, dining area, pergola-covered lounge and meditative area
The dilapidated patio and patchy lawn in this backyard in Naperville, Illinois, wasn’t going to cut it for a horticulturist and owner of a design-build landscape firm. Kevin and Melanie Manning and their two kids wanted to make their yard more conducive to spending a lot of time outdoors. After a collaboration with designer John Algozzini, the backyard now includes an outdoor kitchen, a dining area, a pergola-covered lounge, stone paths, a contemplative bench and fun swings. And plants that thrive in shade fulfilled Melanie’s penchant for purple and white flowers.
Kevin’s must-haves were an outdoor kitchen, privacy screening from the neighboring houses and ample lighting. Melanie’s were purple and white flowers and incorporating a serene meditative space.
Algozzini and Manning were used to working together, so they were able to divvy up tasks and collaborate with ease. “Kevin picked out the materials and furniture and designed the lighting scheme. I completed the space planning, the planting plan and designed the wood structures,” Algozzini says. The material palette of the project is predominantly thermal blue Pennsylvania bluestone on the ground and some accents; Wisconsin limestone on the walls, stepping stone path, bar and post bases; and cedar on the privacy screen, pergola and some of the outdoor furniture. The existing deck on the right was dismantled and rebuilt out of cedar after the photo shoot.
Algozzini’s layout scheme placed the outdoor kitchen closest to the deck and the dining area just beyond it for easy serving. The pergola-covered lounge area is separate, located on the opposite edge of the property. Two separate paths connect the dining and lounge areas.
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Algozzini and Manning were used to working together, so they were able to divvy up tasks and collaborate with ease. “Kevin picked out the materials and furniture and designed the lighting scheme. I completed the space planning, the planting plan and designed the wood structures,” Algozzini says. The material palette of the project is predominantly thermal blue Pennsylvania bluestone on the ground and some accents; Wisconsin limestone on the walls, stepping stone path, bar and post bases; and cedar on the privacy screen, pergola and some of the outdoor furniture. The existing deck on the right was dismantled and rebuilt out of cedar after the photo shoot.
Algozzini’s layout scheme placed the outdoor kitchen closest to the deck and the dining area just beyond it for easy serving. The pergola-covered lounge area is separate, located on the opposite edge of the property. Two separate paths connect the dining and lounge areas.
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Working with the mature existing trees, Algozzini placed the patios first and worked from there. The dining area is on the top left of this plan and the pergola-covered lounge on the bottom right. “Logical transition between spaces determined the paths between them,” he says.
The plan also shows how the screened-in porch opens to the deck, which leads down to the rest of the yard.
The plan also shows how the screened-in porch opens to the deck, which leads down to the rest of the yard.
The outdoor kitchen has a grill, a beverage refrigerator, a trash pullout and a granite countertop. Algozzini designed a beautiful cedar privacy screen to block the view of the neighboring house and back lawn from the deck, outdoor kitchen and dining area.
Browse photos of outdoor kitchens
Browse photos of outdoor kitchens
About 90% of the backyard is shade-covered. When choosing ground covers and perennials, Algozzini chose shade-loving plants and featured the purple and white blooms Melanie had on her wishlist. He included variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’), dwarf astilbe (Astilbe chinensis var. pumila), ‘Bridal Veil’ astilbe (Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil’), Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) and hosta, including ‘Big Daddy’ (Hosta ‘Big Daddy’), ‘Royal Standard’ (Hosta ‘Royal Standard’) and ‘Guacamole’ (Hosta ‘Guacamole’).
Kevin worked out the lighting scheme, which includes low landscape lights, seen here along the path, cafe lights on the privacy screen, uplights on the mature trees and LED lighting underneath the outdoor kitchen’s countertop.
The firm crafted the small side tables from cedar and rockface bluestone. “These were made for displaying orchids,” Algozzini says. The dining table top is concrete and the base is covered in wood veneer. The concrete plays nicely off the bluestone.
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Shop for outdoor dining furniture
Two paths diverge in this yard. A more formal bluestone path provides the most direct route to the pergola-covered social lounge. The casual Wisconsin limestone stepping-stone path takes a more circuitous route by way of a special bench. That spot fulfilled Melanie’s wish for a serene meditative spot in the yard.
The shade-loving woody plant palette includes BOBO panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘ILVOBO’), ‘Limelight’ panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’), Korean spice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) and Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis).
The shade-loving woody plant palette includes BOBO panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘ILVOBO’), ‘Limelight’ panicled hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’), Korean spice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) and Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis).
Here Melanie enjoys the meditative space with her son. “The bench’s placement is close enough to everything else to be of good use but hidden enough to be a private space,” Algozzini says. Though close to the edge of the neighbor’s lawn, the plantings create a setting with a woodsy feel. Some of the Canadian hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) were existing, but he added more to screen the yard in a way that makes it feel private.
The bluestone path and patio are composed in a somewhat randomized ashlar pattern. Eyebrow-shaped beds of Japanese pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis) and variegated Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’) break up the stone. The pachysandra planting was controlled. “While troublesome in some locales, pachysandra is an evergreen, deer-resistant, shade tolerant ground cover that provides a classic and timeless beauty,” Algozzini says. “It is unmatched in the Midwest as a companion plant to shade-loving perennials.”
Note: Check to see if pachysandra is invasive in your region and in the conditions it’s been selected for before choosing it for a project.
Note: Check to see if pachysandra is invasive in your region and in the conditions it’s been selected for before choosing it for a project.
There are two distinct seating areas underneath the pergola, which works well for big gatherings. The pergola’s bases are covered in and capped with Wisconsin limestone.
The path and surrounding beds provide a pretty view from the lounge toward the dining area.
The approach along the side of the house also provides a beautiful view.
25 Ideas to Perk Up Your Side Yard
25 Ideas to Perk Up Your Side Yard
Off the side of the pergola, new Canadian hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) provide privacy from the house next door. The existing mature hemlock trees can be seen beyond the pergola on the left.
A ring chandelier with a rustic look and lighting integrated into the stone pergola bases provide a welcoming glow at night. Two swings on the right side were meant for the kids, but they can handle adults too.
Chandelier: Kichler; furniture: Anacara
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Chandelier: Kichler; furniture: Anacara
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The new design provides the house with beautiful backyard views.
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Patio at a Glance
Who uses it: Kevin and Melanie Manning and their two kids
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Size: Dining space: 224 square feet (21 square meters); social space: 336 square feet (31 square meters)
Designers: John Algozzini and Kevin Manning of K&D Landscape Management
Before: The mature hickory, oak and hemlock trees made it impossible to grow grass. “The lawn was scruffy, to say the least,” says designer John Algozzini. In spite of that, the shade-providing canopy was an asset. The homeowners embraced alternatives to a typical backyard lawn. Algozzini designed the site plan around the existing trees, and he only had to remove one unhealthy 3-inch (diameter) hickory tree during construction.
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