Because the property sits on a corner and all that stood between the rear patio and the street was a picket fence, achieving privacy was a primary concern.
Our landscape design called for large evergreen trees such as Cryptomeria japonica, Arborvitae ‘Elegantissima’ and ‘Oakleaf’ Red Hollies to be carefully sited to gain maximum privacy for the patio. A wood enclosure was constructed to hide trash cans and an informal path was created to tie the rear patio to the driveway. But first, a stand of invasive bamboo was removed, a large quantity of soil amendments was worked into the existing ground, and new drainage pipes were attached to downspouts to replace old and broken clay drainage pipes.