Hardscapes Accentuate Backyard

By Gregory Harris, LASN

The home sits on 20 acres of land, providing ample room for their desired backyard. They wanted a space with different seating areas, so the design incorporates seating on and next to the stone outcropping, in the patio areas and seating around the swimming pool.
Photo Credits: Skoog Landscape and Design

Inspired by the use of a unique hardscape material on a smaller project they had seen, an Illinois couple decided that they wanted the same material for their backyard project. Thirty-two tons later, they have their dream open space.

These homeowners were able to use such a massive amount of Chilton outcropping stone – a material not native to their Illinois location - because their home sits on 20 acres of land.

Upon completing a huge home remodel, the homeowners wanted a backyard to match the expanse of their “new” home. Unlike the home’s formal front however, the desired backyard was designed to be a less formal space geared toward relaxation.

This side view of the backyard space shows the top of the Chilton stone wall. Plantings include Hemerocallis, orange iris (to the left of the wall) and Stephenandra ‘nana’.

Something Different
The homeowners wanted a unique terraced wall with plantings along an eight-foot slope at the back of the home. In addition, they desired a patio area and connection to the existing deck.

Julie TerHark, a landscape designer with Sterling, Ill.-based Skoog Landscape and Design, said the Chilton outcropping stone was chosen for the wall and steps that were to utilize the backyard slope.

“This stone had the beautiful natural colors that the homeowners wanted,” she said.

In addition to the outcropping wall, the project features an abundance of decorative concrete. The Bomanite canyon stone pattern used on this new walk leading to one of the patios is a sand base color with cocoa plum highlight.

Hardscape Materials
TerHark said the homeowners gave her a general idea of what they wanted for the backyard but did not give specifics on the materials to be used. After seeing the Chilton stone on another project and being shown examples of decorative concrete, a Skoog specialty, TerHark presented design ideas to the homeowners.

“They wanted a space with different seating areas,” she said. “There is seating on the stone outcropping, seating next to the outcropping, a patio area and seating around the swimming pool.”

The Chilton stone was supplied by Eden Stone Co. based in Wisconsin. The Chilton stone is not a material that is found in northwestern Illinois which was part of the appeal for the homeowners.

“They wanted something that was unique to the area,” TerHark said.

Eden Stone Co. has year round mining operations at eight quarry locations throughout southeastern and central Wisconsin. Trucking 32 tons to stone from Wisconsin to the home in Illinois was challenging, as was the seasons.

“The installation began in late fall 2007 and had to be shut down during the cold winter months,” TerHark said.“Frost blankets were placed on the slope to insure that we could begin construction early in the spring. It was a long process but construction was completed in May 2008.”

The lower entertainment patio is flanked with plantings including Chamaecyparis ‘sungold.’

Slope Considerations
The design left the eight-foot slope in place rather than it resulting in the demolition or reduction in height of the slope. The outcropping stone was used to build an extensive terraced wall with steps leading to an upper intimate patio.

Bomanite decorative concrete was utilized for the walk and patio areas. The walk, patio and upper patio are Bomanite decorative concrete Canyon Stone pattern with Sand base color and Cocoa Plum highlight color. In addition to the large amount of outcropping stone, roughly 700 square feet of decorative concrete was used on the project.

Unlike the general design of the backyard space, the homeowners had very specific requirements for the plants in the space.

“These are plant people,” TerHark said. “The husband wanted ornamental grasses which we used on the upper levels, and they wanted bright colors and some burgundy.”