Outdoor oasis

Southern Living, Aug 2000 by Griffin, Eleanor

Native materials and garden art tie together three rooms in this Louisville backyard retreat.

A gardener knows it's as important to furnish the outdoor rooms of a house as it is those indoors. Ellen Collier was thinking about her new house from this perspective. When she and her husband, Norman, found their Louisville garden home, she knew the backyard needed a total overhaul.

"With our children grown, Norman and I were ready for a smaller house and lot," says Ellen, "but we didn't want to give up the joy of a wonderful terrace and outdoor space." They called landscape designers Mary Webb and Barbie Tafel Thomas for help with transforming the backyard.

"The house was in a very desirable neighborhood," says Barbie, "but the backyard was long and narrow and completely exposed to a road."

As a plus, the house had separate views into the backyard from the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom, offering inspiration for this design.

"We simply divided the backyard into three areas that lined up with the interior room views," says Barbie. "We used low boxwood hedges to outline each area. A brick terrace and walk are the hardscape common elements that tie the design together.

Here's how Barbie and Mary organized the outdoor rooms.

Dining area terrace: French doors from the kitchen lead to a spacious brick terrace with an outdoor dining area and grill. Barbie and Mary planted the space with a side border of arborvitae and a background of white Cherokee Princess dogwoods.

Formal area with birdbath: Opening off the living room and in full view of the front door, this part of the garden needed to look green year-round. Boxwoods frame the area, and ivy adds to the lush look. Norman and Ellen selected white crepe myrtles to anchor the spot. Hostas and Delaware Valley white azaleas accentuate the birdbath made by metal artist Tom Torrens.

Koi pond: This outdoor area is visible from the master bedroom. The couple wanted a water feature here to show off their prized koi. A distinctive copper weather vane placed behind a shellshaped fountain adds personality to the pond and provides a focal point for the axial view from the terrace.

The Colliers also wanted a private backyard retreat, but their property looked directly into their neighbor's yard. Mary and Barbie created a living screen of white pine and saucer magnolias. For privacy at the rear of their property, the Colliers interspersed white pines with river birch for texture and year-round color.

"I enjoy decorating, and I was lucky to have a hand in the finishing touches on this property," says Ellen. "I've always felt that a house isn't a home unless the outdoor areas work as one with the indoor rooms." Eleanor Griffin