One of the unique qualities of this house lot was that the garage and driveway were located in the rear of the property and were accessed by one road while the front door of the house faced a second road. Given this 'alleyway' configuration, the backyard between the driveway and the home's back door was extensively used by the family in their daily routine. The homeowners desired to improve the area, which had become overgrown with brush and vines.

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Shoplick Landscape Architecture proposed installing a bluestone patio between the house and garage that was large enough to comfortably accommodate a grill, chairs and sofa for entertaining, and a picnic table. A new wood fence and arbor clearly defines the patio area and screens the cars parked in the driveway. The patio is slightly raised above the adjacent lawn, which gives parents the chance to watch over their children while being separate from them. To maximize the lawn area for play, many of the overgrown shrubs and trees were pruned or removed, and replaced with plant varieties that have smaller narrower growth habits.
 

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