bartlett case study backyard


Design and install an outdoor entertainment area with a water feature and fire pit. Include mature trees and existing heirloom plants within the new landscape design.

Outdoor Entertainment Area Challenge

  • Incorporate wooded and shaded setting with mature oak and hickory trees within the area of desired development.
  • Consider sloped topography, at 4-5’ of grade.
  • Connect new construction with an existing wood deck, basements steps, and driveway.
  • Provide outdoor LED lighting for evening entertaining.
  • Find a way to reuse heirloom hosta plants.
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Outdoor Entertainment Area Solution

  • Design a Bristol Valley brick paved patio that would incorporate mature trees to maintain the valued oak and hickory tree specimens.
  • Construct stairs out of landscape stone that adapt to site grade changes.
  • Construct a water feature with planters as the focal point of the patio setting. Incorporate color-changing lights to the water feature spillway for added evening ambiance.
  • Utilize bluestone to form beautiful garden pathways connecting all of the yard destinations.
  • Terrace the sloped grade with mossy outcroppings.
  • Construct a seat wall with pillars to frame the fire pit space. This provides secondary seating while assisting with grade retention.
  • Install a fire pit to complement the fountain planters, seat wall, and pillars. Upgrade the fire pit with a natural gas burner that is easy to use. The natural gas burner will provide warmth without smoke and the hassle of a wood-burning fire pit.
  • Arrange shade plantings such as a redbud tree (located in a more open space with some sunlight), several types of hydrangeas, summersweet, fragrant viburnum, astilbe, brunnera, coralbells, geraniums, bleeding hearts, anemone, and reinstall all of the beautiful heirloom hosta.
  • Install a low voltage LED light system, which included ‘toadstool’ path lights, hardscape lights built into the fountain and seat wall, accent/flood and spotlights to up-light the mature oak and hickory trees.
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Landscaping Materials Used

  • Unilock Products: Bristol Valley and Copthorne pavers, Brussels Dimensional Retaining Walls, Ledgestone and Brussels Fullnose Coping
  • Waterfall products by Atlantic Water Gardens
  • Natural Landscape Stone: Pennsylvania Bluestone (full color), Bluestone steps and landings, Mossy Fieldstone outcroppings
  • Locally grown trees, shrubs, and perennials
  • Kichler and Escort lighting products

To see other examples of recent projects, visit our “before and after” section or contact us at (630) 932-8966 for a free, no-obligation consultation.

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