Fall is a great time for contemplating changes to your yard, particularly when it arrives with warm days that beg for you to be out in your yard.
In my design practice, “naturalistic lines” and “irregular curves” are the most requested shapes. Space allowing, they are lovely. But what about some hard-core take no prisoners, make no apologies straight lines?
Straight lines can have an energy and vibe that just can’t be bettered. Tight on space? They’ll maximize it. More than merely utilitarian, they simplify design decisions while adding a contemporary touch to the yard.
The idea of straight lines gives you chills? Adding a jut or two will soften the overall look, and take it up a notch from merely utilitarian.
Start with a small sized square or rectangle and use it as the basic unit for the whole front or back yard. It might be the size of an existing deck, patio, or well-established planting bed. Alternatively, the measure on an architectural feature of your home — bow/bay windows, patio/garden doors, out-jutting breakfast nooks — will do nicely. Or simply use a four or five foot square as your unit.
With a grid in place, begin assigning tasks.
In the photo example, a walkway was needed to connect the driveway to the front door. A straight line to the street, or an ‘L’ shape to the driveway are both simple options that come from a grid pattern. But what if you want a fairly direct route from the driveway? Add some juts at the elbow of the ‘L’.
How to jut?
Divide the grid units into halves or even quarters. Test out a few of the resulting lines as possible edges for the walkway (or patio, deck, planting bed…) until you get a nice fit.
In the example, the resulting walking experience is a slow arch to the steps. Creating an efficient walking route is an excellent reason for a jut, as is connecting a walkway to a patio, enlarging a patio or planting bed, or accommodating a dense privacy screen.
With the walkway figured out, two of the unused halves or quarters were used for plantings, and to reinforce the linear style, they were edged in paving stones. One or none would have worked equally well.
Don’t go jut-crazy though. Use the grid as your guide, but where there’s a need, jut away!
(Originally published in the Canstar Community News weeklies.)