Slate Patio, Stone Fireplace, and Parge Coated Retaining Walls

What a great hillside location to claim for a new outdoor room. This project consisted of the design of a new slate patio, parge coated retaining walls, stone retaining walls, a stone fireplace and stone steps to access the new lawn.  We included a terraced planting bed to reduce wall height and bring plants closer to the patio.  At this stage, the footprint of the lawn is evident along with all the new plants.  In a few short weeks, the grass will be strong enough to accept foot traffic and the terraced planting bed will be filled with plants chosen for both bloom time and foliage interest.  

We had a great time selecting the materials for this project.  The house has a traditional style but the yard has a woodland feel, so we worked to integrate the two styles.  Another factor was the extensive brickwork around the existing rear entryway as well as a large supply of irregular slate already around the property. 

The stairway area shows all stone materials blended together

I love the way the natural materials work together in this design.  Even with several different materials, the space flows with repetition of certain stone materials that integrate the existing home and the new patio well.  The brick border along the walkway from the existing rear entry area matches the brickwork on that side of the property and creates a nice transition between the retaining wall and the slate walkway.  We used a combination of parge coated block and veneered stone for the walls.  Parge coated block is an inexpensive way to incorporate the earth tones of the blue ridge natural stone in a clean, simple wall design.  The walls necessary to complete the space were extensive so using stone throughout would be both cost prohibitive and give more of a woodsy- mountain feel than we wanted.  We used stone piers and stone wall caps to tie together the walls of the patio area and the walkway.  Hints of bluestone throughout the space add a clean, sophisticated feel to the design.  The hearth, step treads, and pier caps are all of large slabs of bluestone. 

The plant materials were selected for structure, texture and bloom time.  The ferns will naturalize to enhance the woodland feel around the fireplace.  Two very different Japanese Maples will add structure.  A ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese Maple behind the fireplace will be uplit to create a view from the kitchen.  Its presence over the patio area will create a statement all year, with the tree structure apparent in winter and the beautiful foliage standing out in summer.  Fall foliage will be beautiful as well!  The “Butterfly” Japanese Maple is a much smaller cultivar with variegated leaves that can be appreciated up close.  It is in the terrace surrounded by heuchera and helleborus, both shade perennials that will grow to cover the ground.  Several textural plants will creep down the transition area between the retaining walls, including ajuga, creeping jenny, and heuchera.  Finally, shrubs with many bloom times were incorporated to fill in the area.  Camellia Japonica, Endless Summer Hydrangea, Gardenia, Viburnum Davidii, Daphne, and Annabelle Hydrangea will all add interest  with their blooms and fragrance. 

If you’d like to check out the progress, click these links to watch as we worked around the snow storms to complete the projecct!

http://russellcombsdesign.com/2010/01/19/winter-planning-for-spring-enjoyment/

http://russellcombsdesign.com/2010/01/19/pouring-the-footings/