Contemporary front-yard patio makes inviting entry

February 02, 2021

A subtle front-yard patio garden attracted my attention one day, as I passed a house with orange doors in my northwest Austin neighborhood. Steel edging outlines a rectangular planting strip around a simple concrete patio adjacent to the front walk. Low native and adapted plants add texture, movement, and greenery: Mexican feathergrass (Nassella tenuissima), society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea), Queen Victoria agave, and a few others.

Four gray plastic chairs offer a spot for conversation — perfect for the covid era and beyond. The patio opens up what might have been patchy lawn or shrubbery crowding the front walk. An inviting and stylish solution!

__________________________

Digging Deeper

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!

All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

10 responses to “Contemporary front-yard patio makes inviting entry”

  1. Mark and Gaz says:

    Not always easy to pull off an inviting social space at the front of the house, nice!

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Even a single bench is nice by the front door. But this conversation patio really hits the spot in the covid era!

  2. Gail says:

    That is cool. Thanks for sharing.

  3. Kris P says:

    I wonder if the area was created specifically in response to the pandemic with risk mitigation in mind. For the first time since we’ve lived in our current house (10 years now), we’ve made good use of the two benches on either side of the front door, the perfect place for a masked chat when a friend stops by.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      It has the look of having been there for a while, but who knows. I know what you mean about outdoor seating spaces. Ours have never gotten more use than they have since covid hit. We don’t have anyone inside, so spaced-out seating in the garden is essential.

  4. Lori says:

    I love how it looks, and those molded IKEA chairs are super comfortable as well as affordable. The only thing I don’t like is impermeable concrete right over the critical root zone of that poor tree! I would have opted for a floating Trex deck instead.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      Good point, Lori. To be fair, I couldn’t tell for sure if it was concrete or stone pavers. Let’s hope for the latter. But a floating deck or gravel would be an ideal choice under a tree canopy.

  5. Sharon Maurin says:

    Sometimes less is more!