Four corners, four kinds of outdoor living: a Los Angeles garden offers places to be together and apart

Sunset, August, 2002 by Peter O. Whiteley

When all you have is a broad expanse of lawn for your backyard, you start dreaming of possibilities. The owners of this garden saw themselves entertaining, cooking, growing roses, relaxing in a spa, and simply stretching out in the sun. Their subsequent remodel offers lessons for anyone who wants to incorporate a variety of activity areas into the backyard.

Landscape designer Nick Williams removed the lawn and divided the bare, rectangular yard into quadrants corresponding to the owners' needs. The center of the garden is filled with flowering plants and slender paths connecting the sections. The plan gives the overall impression of a densely planted garden with distinctive destinations in each corner.

The main entertaining spaces--a covered dining area with a large freestanding outdoor fireplace, and a horseshoe-shaped barbecue center--lie closest to the two-story house. The elegant fireplace is near the edge of a pergola. The area faces the interior rooms and creates an inviting gathering spot for alfresco meals. The arched barbecue center with a tiled counter sits in an open area at the other end of the house.

Two secluded areas are positioned in the two quadrants farthest from the house. A spa with a raised bench lies out of sight beyond the fireplace; it's hidden by the rocks of an elevated recirculating brook that spills into a pond with water plants and fish. A triangular arbor, which catches the afternoon sun, defines the most remote area of the garden. The arbor's gas-fed firepit adds to the intimacy of evening conversations.

Williams points out that each quadrant offers a different experience and view and that the connecting paths meander past the rich colors and sweet scents of the flower bed. "You might not realize what you can pack into a relatively small space and still create a sense of grander scale," he says. It's a garden designed for exploration.

DESIGN: Nick Williams and Associates, Tarzana, CA (818/996-4010).