A Contemporary Garden

Landscape designer and contractor Rich Radford of The Garden Route designed a bold, updated design that combines existing structures with new features. He gave a facelift to the existing concrete patio, wall and wooden fence, while adding new but inexpensive elements, including redwood screens, high-tech polymer fence and stone patio extension. He carried out a consistent contemporary theme, characterized by bold colors and strong vertical and horizontal lines and geometric shapes, rather than soft, curving shapes, to focus attention on specific features in the garden.

This episode involves five different but interrelated projects:

1. Resurfacing the concrete patio and adding a bright tile accent
2. Adding a high-tech fence for privacy
3. Modernizing the concrete walls with splashes of color
4. Creating more living space with a geometric patio extension
5. Increasing the intimacy of the garden with redwood lattice screens

Fortunately, this high-tech project is possible without a high-tech price. Although a professional would charge about $11,000 for the five projects, do-it-yourselfers can buy the materials for only $2,400. These projects are rated a 3 on a difficulty scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult) and can be completed in three weekends with the help of a friend.

To prepare for the modernization, a crew removed overgrown landscaping and used a jackhammer to remove the brick band that traversed the patio. They also cut down the unattractive chain-link fence.

Step One: Resurfacing the Patio

Step Two: Setting up the Screens

Dig post holes two feet deep and set the screen posts into the holes, making sure that the screens are level and plumb. Have someone hold the screen upright while you pour quick-setting concrete into the holes. Fill with water and mix well. Brace the screens with temporary stakes on each side, which you'll remove after the concrete has cured, at least 24 hours later. Figure D shows three completed redwood lattice screens.

Step Three: Building the Fence

Radford replaced the chain-link fence with opaque polymer panels commonly used in greenhouses. The panels reflect ultraviolet rays and block wind, while allowing light to come through. These cutting-edge, contemporary-looking panels cost about $75 each. Radford says that you can attach the panels to existing posts, but he chose to update the chain-link posts with redwood posts to tie in with the redwood screens.

Because the fence at this site sits atop a concrete wall, the redwood posts are attached to the wall with 1/2-inch all-thread screws. The crew added 2x6 top and bottom rails to complete the frame and made two 12-foot sheets of the plastic panels to span the length of the wall.

Step Four: Setting the Stone

The patio extension consists of Sedona snap-cut stones cut into squares and rectangles and set into a sand base in a geometric pattern. The total cost for the patio is about $800.

Step Five: Adding the Color

To add color to the concrete patio, the crew replaced the brick band with cobalt blue ceramic tiles. Fill the trench with mortar and smooth it out using a hand trowel. Press tiles firmly into the mortar, leaving a narrow gap between them. Once they have set, wipe off any excess mortar and wait at least 12 hours. Then fill the seams with a pre-colored grout, applied with a masonry bag. Clean off the tiles and let dry. Figure H shows the tile inset.

Radford's design calls for varying shades of blue on the walls and fences to add a splash of contemporary color in the garden. Just apply two coats of any exterior latex paint. Figure I shows the completed contemporary patio with its bold colors, modernized features, and added privacy.

Planting: A Contemporary Garden

To complement the architectural elements of the garden, Radford added textural plantings in colors that contrasted with the blue walls. He filled large urns with tall grasses and vines with colorful blooms, and planted vines to climb up the lattice screens for privacy. Fragrant groundcover between the stones of the patio extension brought color and softness to the geometric shape. The planting plan includes:

• Purple hop seed (Dodonaea viscosa) 'Purpurea', Zones 9-10
• Wooly thyme (Thymus serpyllum) 'Elfin', Zones 4-9
• Phormium 'Sundowner', Zones 9-10