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Outdoor Spaces: Pockets of Peace and Quiet – Backyard Niches

By Lisa Markowski

People are finding new appreciation in their own backyards, not just for enjoyment of the space itself, but for the time spent with each other. Soaring gas prices are keeping us home in favor of hitting the highway, and that’s not a bad thing. More together time means more talking, and a dose of imagination can transform the space outside your door into a peaceful, at-home retreat; a pocket within your backyard where you just want to stay for hours, talking and unwinding or just reflecting by yourself. It can all be done with less effort than you might expect, and at price points that fit any budget.

Working With What You Have

Smaller backyards are the norm around here, and that’s just fine; you want a niche, not a dance floor. Niches by definition are small. What defines the space is the atmosphere you create for it. Look around your yard for the ideal site. It might be obvious: a tucked-away nook just begging for a table and chairs, or an especially lovely (and quiet) corner of the garden. Or you might have to think outside the box to find it. Take some time to brainstorm, keeping solitude, natural beauty, and, for practical reasons, shade in mind. Consider, too, what the main purpose of each niche is to be. If it’s dining, then you’ll need room for a table large enough to enjoy outdoor meals, with extra chairs for guests. For niches where intimate conversation will be the primary activity, focus on seating that allows people to face each other and elements that provide separation from the rest of the yard.

A Quiet Corner

To make a quiet corner into a conversation retreat for two to four, consider adding a quaint, cast iron bistro table, or arrange two benches at right angles to each other. Glider benches, cedar and wicker varieties topped with colorful outdoor pillows are great for visual appeal and comfort. Outdoor pillows made of fade-resistant, water-repellent fabric are available at Pottery Barn, Lowe’s, Overstock.com and other retailers at prices ranging from $10 to $90, depending on quality and size. Here, if shade is not already provided, you’ll want to create some using natural elements. This could be as simple as enclosing the area in trellis, climbing vines and a few thoughtfully chosen potted plants.

As much as those long, summer days can scorch us, it’s easy to forget about the shivers of winter nights. That’s when a quiet corner can come to life with the addition of a crackling fire. Metal fire pits and, even more so, chimineas fit the bill by providing warmth in the chilly season along with ambience and Southwestern charm the rest of the year. They’re relatively cheap and abundant at garden centers and department stores and work very well tucked into that once-forgotten corner.

Garden Paradise

A well-kept garden is an ideal spot for resting between weed pulling and tilling sessions. With foliage already in place, all one really needs is a carefully placed sandstone bench or maybe a couple of deep wicker chairs with a complementary accent table for ice cold lemonade. Creating a garden paradise from scratch requires some planning, but not necessarily a lot of work. Container gardens can add beauty to any conversation niche, especially if they’re grown in interesting planters and pottery. Use these generously to create a partial enclosure. Double or triple planter benches like those found at www.benches.com are excellent choices for combining container gardens and seating.

Another place to start is with a mature tree that serves as the focal point of your property. Finding suitable seating is quite easy; curved tree benches in wood and iron that wrap around the trunk of a tree (or even an oversized planter container) are abundant on www.nextag.com. Without an existing tree, you may want to plant now for shade in the future. Mesquite trees’ wide-spreading branches provide ample shade, but they do call for more real estate than other desert-loving options. Palo Verdes have a less-dense branch formation. Acacias and desert willows are also pretty choices for low-water trees.

Smaller, potted trees can even provide some shade, with the added advantage of portability. Something like a dwarf citrus tree will love spending most of the year outdoors, as long as you have a spot indoors for the winter. Use a plant stand with casters for moving potted trees more easily in and out of the house as well as into or out of direct sun as needed.

Kiss the Cook

Barbecuing and enjoying home-cooked meals al fresco is a great alternative to dining out. If the grill is set apart from the dining area, make it inviting so that people are drawn to it as the food is being prepared. Add a high-top table or a portable bar set. Target has several sets available that include a bar-style table and pairs of stools in bamboo, wood, resin, metal or wicker. If there’s room by the grill, a console table is a great place to keep some potted herbs to garnish dishes and beverages. What’s better than pinching off some fresh mint to dress up those mojitos?

For the dining table, some degree of enclosure can define the area, so try to plan it against an existing wall or similar structure, such as the side of the house or a row of hedge. Rather than setting up in the standard spot under the patio awning, setting it away from the house, maybe in a patch of green grass, leaves endless possibilities for sprucing it up. Patio screen panels, available from www.improvementscatalog.com, set off the space and can even become a vertical garden with the addition of some crawling plants.

Canopies with gauzy drapes or pergolas add visual appeal and texture, especially when they’re accessorized with strung lights or climbing plants. Plant desert-hardy vines that flower or bear fruit, such as climbing snapdragon or canyon grape, and train them up the pergola so they can eventually cover it with lush growth. Until then, you can attach shade cloth to the top of the structure, or even improvise with an all-weather tablecloth. More of those outdoor chair cushions and small pillows will keep your guests comfortable from appetizers to long after dessert.

Pool Time

The swimming pool is the main attraction in many Vegas backyards, and it provides an obvious hot-spot for conversation. Adirondack chairs and chaise loungers reign supreme on the deck, but it’s the shade elements that will set this area apart from the rest of the yard. Most patio furniture stores offer a vast selection of patio umbrellas, from simple, center-pole versions for less than $20 to cantilevered, canopy-style umbrellas for $1000 and up. Sail shades are another quick solution for anywhere from $35 to $150 either online (www.csnstores.com has a fantastic selection) or at outdoor-living stores. These triangular or square canvases come in many fade-resistant colors and can be installed permanently above a deck or patio or moved as needed. Just remember to check with your homeowner’s association rules before installing a permanent fixture.

Potted trees or shrubs on casters can play multiple roles here to define and beautify the conversation niche: roll them around the pool area to create shade where you want it, or line them up to form a beautiful, living wall that doubles as a privacy screen. That sort of intimate space will encourage and enhance conversation, whoever your companion may be.

It’s All About You

Your backyard conversation niche should not only be an extension of your home, but an expression of yourself. Do something unique to really set it apart from the rest of your surroundings. That could mean using a more daring color scheme or even a theme that you wouldn’t use indoors. (Can you say Tiki bar?) More conservative folks with strictly neutral indoor décor might base the niche’s design around a color that’s off-limits inside. Think lemon-yellow chair cushions, kiwi-green glazed pottery, and blazing orange flowers. Let your personality lead the way, and the spot will be undeniably you. And if you’re comfortable there, everyone else will naturally feel the same.