A yard with the outline of an arrowhead doesn’t have to be a head-scratcher.
In this final installment of a four-part series on challenging terrain, landscape designers explain how they conceive creative ways to commandeer acute sections with living spaces and install plants to obscure angles.
This week’s edition: Triangle-shaped yards
The opportunity: Square it with flair.
How: It’s amazing what a few plants and pavers can accomplish.
Ben Bowen, head designer with Ross Northwest Watergardens in Portland, Ore., had a recent job where the yard narrowed at the back. To bring balance, his team started close to the house, planting medium-sized conifers that were wide at the base. Going out from the house, they planted narrower dwarf conifers.
“It minimized the feeling of it narrowing as it went toward the back,” Bowen says.
Designers also can use hardscaping, such as pavers, patios and paths, to create strong parallel lines to a house. This imposes order and draws attention away from acute angles.
Another option is to divide and conquer with rooms. “Just because the lot is triangular doesn’t mean the rooms should be triangular,” advises Eric King, owner of King Landscaping serving the greater Atlanta area.
Determine where a natural room would be. It could be square or circular. Fill the remaining odd shapes with plants.
SEE RELATED
Odd Lots Part I: How To Deal With Hills
