fitte residence
september - october 2019
This small grassy side yard was an unused area of this property that had a very small amount of outdoor space. The client wanted a place to entertain and hang out that was surrounded by plants, felt private, and gave off a cozy vibe to draw her out of the house. Because the neighboring house was so close, a trellis taller than the fence line allowed us to provide privacy without taking up a lot of space. We planted asian jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) as it is an evergreen vine, as well as bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa) and silver ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea) for a soft termination to the patio space. All of the spec'd plants are drought tolerant and freeze-hardy in central Austin, but do have drip irrigation to help keep green in those seemingly-endless hot months.
The trellises also block the trash bins and grill that also reside in the side yard, so even though the space still needs to have some functional elements, it's not in direct view while eating dinner and spending time with friends. The cable string lights are hung on the trellis and attach to the house. The pavers are poured-in-pace concrete with a steel-angle detail to break up the slab.
*Photos by OES except for the night shot, which was provided by the client.