This area has a chain link fence which we will keep. I'd like to consider making a hedge using Euonymous "Green Spire" on the south side by the yellow house. We don't plan to use much in the way of flowers. We'd like to use foliage for colors and create an Asian style/inspired private garden area. The arborvitae you see is on the neighbor's side of the fence.

My husband dug up the center and put gravel in it. The intention was to make a patio of sorts using pavers in gravel. He has not yet pursued this! I would like to use 24" architectural pavers set in gravel. I don't want stone that one could trip over - some of the flagstone looks pretty jagged around edges. Husband wants to keep a border of grass around paved area so dogs may do "their business."

The house was built in 1950 and is considered a "cottage-ranch" style. It would lend itself to an Asian influence depending on what plants and accessories we choose.
Exposure from the back door looks east. East side does have some trees which cast afternoon shade. The yellow house is on the south side. Our house is on the west and north side of this fenced area.

Some ideas are to use dwarf conifers (so many choices - which ones?) mixed in with other interesting evergreen and deciduous materials. I do have a small Cham.Saaken Sugi which I thought would be nice in SE corner. Would get morning sun, afternoon shade.

I'd be most grateful for any suggestions. I learn so much from these forums.

Cheers from Vancouver WA

The Vancouver-Portland area has a plethora of great nurseries. I'd suggest you visit a number of them with your space in mind and look what they have on offer. Dwarf conifers are a good start but look with a mind on light conditions -- most conifers prefer full sun but there are a number of cultivars with light (gold or yellow/cream spotted) foliage that would appreciate some shade. Yews are very shade tolerant and can work well.

ps. your Sekkan Sugi is a Cryptomeria, not a Chamaecyparis - both genera are very Asian in character and offer lots of dwarf or small growing forms and with a range of foliage color.

Yes, I realized later I had mis-identified the Cryptomeria as a Cham. later on. I really like both genera! The area gets morning sun from the east and midday sun from the south. Open shade from about 2 pm...depending on the season.

Thanks for the replies.

I think I would try to overcome the circular impression (ring around the patio), which will be exacerbated when you put in your remaining hedging, by trying to make some strong lines in other directions. For example, I think I would have a tree IN the yard to create an upper story of foliage. That might be toward the southwest, always the logical place for a deciduous tree, and make it something that spreads - if the airspace is there. Below the eventual tree canopy, other layers of foliage can be planned in by putting in tall arching shrubs, vines with something to climb on, or even tall perennials (eg Cephalaria gigantea, delphiniums, what have you).

I would also try to make lines and outlines on the ground that do something other than go in a ring around your central patio. I actually think it is marvelous that the patio is somewhere other than at the house wall, as it allows you to be IN the garden as opposed to looking at it when you use your patio, gives you a path destination, and so on. It is possible that a wall/bench along one side of the patio could enhance your use of the space. Otherwise, maybe think in arcs, or ellipses, or anything but a ring or a square. Not sure if this is Asian or not, just creating dimension and patterns.

Karin L

I too had the thought of doing something with an arc or something to break up all the rectangles I see. My husband insists on keeping some kind of grass border for the dogs and I am inclined to keep that grass to the south, near the yellow house which is also where I wanted to use the Euyonmous Green Spire for a hedge. There is a rather strained relationship with the people in that yellow house and I want to block their view and give us privacy.

Am including a couple of photos I found on Houzz which depict the kind of intimate small garden room feel I'm attracted to.

I had visualized your rectangular pavers being fitted tight to each other. I have some pavers spaced as shown in your photos and hate it - the gaps are ankle turners and chair leg grabbers, and growing in ground cover to that ideal extent is a "yeah right" proposition in a high use area, which with dogs, yours might be.

Karin L

What kind/size/sex are your dogs? A grass border would be hard to maintain in the presence of one or more largish female dogs, unless they are very well trained to use a specific spots to do 'their business'! :-) If they are used to having this whole area as their bathroom space, there could be some major training needs coming up... :-) I'd be inclined to keep the perimeter plants to a limited number of tough perennials and shrubs that can survive the attentions of your dogs.

I should explain that this little side garden is but a small part of the half-acre we live on and having been working on. This fenced area is connected directly to the back of the house. Beyond the back area is a slope which we're planting with natives and the two dogs will run down the slope and play where it levels out when we are there to supervise them.

The dogs are both 9 years old: one female Black German Shepard, one neutered male Doberman. Both are calm dogs but will play hide and seek sometimes behind shrubs. Mostly they prefer to be indoors. The Doberman will "sun" himself on the gravel.

I find my brain is attracted to the squares and rectangles because it offers order; like looking at a well planned pantry. Something in me wants order in this small space perhaps because we've been dealing with renovating this half-acre which really had no order to it. I'm already doing curves in the front lawn area which is more park-like so I don't feel the need to do curves in this smaller area.

The gravelled area is 240 sq. feet. I know that from measuring to see how many pavers I would need.

I've been to several open gardens in the Portland area where people have worked miracles in very small urban gardens. My planting plan is to use mostly foliage for color, perhaps a small hydrangea here and there. I like the look of Euonymous Green Spire for a hedge because it's narrow and more columnar. I want height for privacy but do not want something dense or growing outward too much. I can do hostas and ferns on the east side. The sunnier side is by the house itself. Not too worried about choosing plants...it's the actual design/hardscape I'm trying to work out. Thanks again for the responses.

This is puzzling because you seem to have the shape and location of the patio already established. Are you just looking for suggestions of materials to make it of? ... Construction advice? ... Connections to pedestrian circulation? ... Grade and pitch? ...A different layout geometry ...What?

Your photo lacks in giving an overall feel for the space and especially how it relates to the house. I feel like I'm looking at this spot with blinders on. Depending on what you're after, a plan sketch might also be helpful.

I'm not an expert, but we enjoy our backyard patio immensely late spring through fall as we're located outside the Seattle area with a long rainy season like you. In the rainy season I look out at the patio from my kitchen sink window & enjoy the view. We have portable fountains that attract birds including hummingbirds and provide enough white noise to drown out sounds.

Our backyard is much shadier and we've replaced thin grass & moss with many curving wood chip paths. We have a small dog who enjoys running on the paths more than the yard. We also have other pets such as chickens, ducks, doves, & rabbits, so the backyard space includes them, too.

You might want to include a climbing plant on a trellis or berm up the soil for the hedge to provide the privacy you need.

I share our pics to inspire you that a novice can create a useful & beautiful space.

view of patio displaying fuchsia starts ready for transplanting, Masterwort Shaggy in front left

patio view toward back of yard bench with fuchsia and blooming Lamium Aurea, Hosta & Filipendula ulmaria in bloom

view from path toward chicken coop with Astilbe Visions in Pink