A Neglected Space Becomes an Outdoor Centerpiece

By Linda Lee, Solena Landscape Company

The BBQ bar and outdoor kitchen anchors the yard. The use of ledgestone veneer ties it into the water feature making the project cohesive. A ceramic tile counter also ties into the waterline tile on the fountain. The canvas awing helps create a ‘cozy’ feeling while dining at the bar. Azaleas, a boxwood hedge and impatiens help give the narrow planters depth and make the space feel larger than it actually is. Whooly thyme is the groundcover aused between the concrete pads – this helps soften the concrete and give it some intrigue.
Photos courtesy of Solena Landscape Company

An ignored and maligned backyard, a long and narrow space that was used for years as nothing more than a dirt dog run and consequently degenerated into an eyesore, has been turned into the homeowner’s dream spot.

According to the contractor, Solena Landscape Company, “The homeowners became tired of consciously avoiding the back yard of their Long Beach, California home.” Then came the upgrade.

The homeowners longed for an area where they could entertain and relax with family and friends. Once the design was complete, the landscape architect introduced the homeowners to Mitch Kalamian, designer and owner of Solena Landscape Company to carry out the project’s construction phase. After some design modifications, work got underway to create a quaint and cozy entertainer’s yard.

A Pentair 1/2 horsepower pump and filters is used for this water feature. The basin is a monolithic concrete basin with plaster and a ceramic waterline tile. All of the equipment was set up in a utility area about 25 feet from the actual feature to reduce pump noise.

Challenges
The project’s main challenge was the yard’s long depth and narrow width. To overcome this challenge, steps were added leading up to and down from the patio area located adjacent to the water feature. According to the contractor, “Elevation changes, such as these, add character to a landscape, while also helping to break up the space.” To clear more space, the contractor removed an old vine that was growing on the back wall.

“Elevation changes, such as these, add character to a landscape, while also helping to break up the space.”
- Mitch Kalamian, designer and owner of Solena Landscape Company

The Water Feature
The project’s centerpiece is the three-foot wide x 12-foot long, custom water feature made of slate stack stone and concrete. The fountain was plumbed exactly like a pool with a plaster basin, waterline tile, skimmer, filter and underwater lighting to keep it sparkling and free from debris. The water feature boasts a dramatic jagged ledgestone rock face that generates a soothing and relaxing sound as the water trickles over it.

Slate tiles in an ashlar pattern create the fountain patio off the living room of the house. The yard is approximately 15-feet wide x 50-feet long. The design made good use of the space by dividing it into different outdoor rooms. Before construction could begin, the installation crews ran all of the plumbing and electrical lines to the various features.

Patio
Ashlar pattern slate was installed in the patio to complement the water feature. The patio is “topped off” with a retractable patio cover that matches the one covering the BBQ area.

One corner of the yard houses an all-inclusive, canopy-covered BBQ island that incorporates all the features the homeowner needed to cook up his favorite dishes. The area was completed by the addition of coordinated bar stools that provide seating for family and friends to hang out while food is cooking on the grill. An area on the side of the house, a few steps away from the BBQ island, proved to be the perfect spot for the family’s outdoor dining room.

At the opposite end of the yard, a 6-foot tall, pre-fabricated gas fireplace is flanked with two lounge chairs to create a warm and cozy place to relax and unwind.

The entire project took approximately six weeks to install. The main patio slate is in an Ashlar pattern. The less formal patio in front of the fireplace features random flagstone pieces.

The End Result
As the contractor stated, “What started out as a barren strip of dirt, enjoyed only by the family dog, was transformed into several formal, yet very useable, outdoor rooms where the entire family and their friends are able to cook, dine and just relax.