Outdoor rooms

This home is located high in the foothills of East Millcreek. The backyard is
on a fairly steep hill facing southwest. Needless to say, it's too hot and sunny
in the summer evenings to enjoy sitting out there. So the owners of this home
decided to create a living area - an 'outdoor room' - in their northeast facing
front yard.

As you can see from the picture above, the yard had a traditional Utah
landscape - flat lawn and a few yews and junipers. And luckily, a lovely, old
ash tree to provide shade in the morning. By building walled-in patio area and
creating some interesting plantings along the street, the patio area is private
and yet invites the neighbors to stop by and say hello.

The patio area itself was built with stamped concrete surrounded with flowering
shrubs, grasses and colorful perennials, all watered with a drip system. A small
fountain adds interest and helps to cover the traffic noise. The owners can
enjoy a bit of sun in the morning and cool shade in the hot afternoons and
evenings.