Minor Landscaping Projects Can Make a Major Impact

When it comes to landscaping projects, the old ‘Go big or go home’ adage doesn’t necessarily apply. With proper planning, which considers both functionality and aesthetics, a small project – one that can be completed in a minimal amount of time and without a massive budget – can completely transform the way you use your yard.

South Yarmouth Patio

This Cape Cod summer home already had attractive landscaping and mature trees. A charming garden filled with a variety of flowering bushes clustered around a white arbor, situated along the rear border of the property, provided a beautiful focal point in the home’s large backyard. But, because the garden was some distance from the house, the homeowners didn’t spend much time in it. And with no patio off the back of the house, there wasn’t a place to sit and enjoy looking out over the beautiful yard they had spent so much time and effort creating. There also wasn’t a comfortable space for outdoor dining and entertaining.

We came up with a landscape design which included a bluestone patio with a wide walkway that runs along the entire back of the home. The patio is easily accessed through a set of sliders leading from the kitchen, which makes outdoor entertaining a breeze. A white pergola, anchored in concrete beneath the patio so it can withstand Cape Cod’s windy weather, offers a bit of shade and is large enough to accommodate a dining set that comfortably seats six. The pergola’s design also complements the arbor at the back of the property, creating a sense of continuity between the old and new landscaping elements.

With just the addition of the patio and pergola, the homeowners find they spend much more time outdoors.

Dennis Outdoor Kitchen

This home also had well-established landscaping in both the front and back yards. An oversized, elevated deck, which runs the length of the entire back of the home, offered a great place to gather and enjoy views of the private backyard. That big deck was the perfect place to entertain, something the homeowners do frequently in the summer months, and they wanted something more substantial than the portable grill they’d been using to cook for large groups. It was time for an outdoor kitchen.

Situating the outdoor kitchen on the deck would have meant restructuring a portion of it to add support which would have meant major construction. The kitchen also would have impeded the views. A much more streamlined approach was to build a small patio, using Unilock pavers, at ground level. The new patio is accessed from the existing deck by a short staircase. The kitchen unit is also relatively compact, yet it includes an oversized grill, separate side burner, refrigeration and storage. All of this is set within a cabinet made of impervious material that looks like classic bead board that will stand up to the elements for decades. A granite countertop provides space for food preparation and a lamppost topped with a vintage-style lantern baths the area in warm light. A stone wall, which helps define the space and offers seating, completes the project.

Dennis Granite Staircase

When these homeowners decided to retire to Cape Cod and live here year round, they purchased a charming home in a quiet Dennis neighborhood north of Route 6A. The homeowner, an avid gardener, reworked some of the existing flowerbeds. Whitten Landscaping was brought in to assist with some of the larger elements of the landscape renovation which included new walkways and adding perennial beds. A set of granite stairs, while not especially big in size, provided the biggest overall change.

With the home situated on a sloping lot with a walkout garage and basement, the front yard was significantly higher than the garage – the logical place to park upon pulling into the drive. The original arrangement was inconvenient for the homeowners and left visitors unsure of which door to use.

The newly-installed granite stairway, which curves gently around the home and includes two landings, offers an attractive and clearly-defined egress between the lower-level parking area and the front door. Perennial beds on either side are planted with lilies which will fill in quickly. A lamppost topped with a classic onion light is the perfect finishing touch.