Converting a Small Backyard Hillside into an Urban Oasis (Over the Rhine)
AFTER: A small urban backyard gets a major overhaul. Our Land Organics converted an uneven hillside into a terraced landscape filled with woodland native plants, then built out a patio, seating, and firepit area for the homeowners to enjoy outdoor living in the city.
The Challenge
When the homeowners contacted us, their small urban backyard was basically unusable. Invasive honeysuckle grew out of the hillside among uneven patches of bare dirt, and the steep slope made walking treacherous.
The homeowners desired a backyard that offered both beauty and function. They wanted to remove the honeysuckle, convert the hillside into a native landscape, and create a patio seating area and firepit that would allow them to enjoy outdoor living.
BEFORE: The uneven backyard hillside consisted of either bare dirt or invasive honeysuckle.
BEFORE: Our Land Organics began this project by removing honeysuckle and clearing the hillside, revealing an uneven, barren landscape.
The Transformation
To get things started, the Our Land Organics team removed the honeysuckle from the hillside, revealing a blank canvas of uneven terrain and bare dirt.
Our next task was to make the hillside accessible. We collaborated with the fantastic carpenters at Lively Homesteads to build stairs and terraces that created even, walkable terrain.
“Best money I’ve ever spent. We had an unusable space off of our deck, a steep hill, lopsided crazy angles, weeds, you get it. So bad it was a deterrent to using the deck. The final product is like a new room on the house. AND they stayed on budget!!!
We are now out there every day and admire our new landscaping, the retaining wall, and all the creatures that visit us to sip pollen and perch to sing to us. It’s the central selling point to our house should we ever move. What an investment.
Would recommend to anyone. Friendly, smart, and talented group. They showed up to work hard every single day and got the job done exactly as they said they would. I can give no higher praise.” - Client
Garden beds are built into the terraced layers, creating pops of green across the hillside. These beds feature a variety of native plants including asters, coneflower, butterfly weed, goldenrod, and columbine.
LED lighting strips illuminate the beds and terraced walkways, enhancing safety and creating a warm ambiance in the evenings.
Above the terraces, we installed woodland plants that are native to Ohio, including asters, coneflower, butterfly weed, goldenrod, serviceberry, fothergilla, red twig dogwood, and columbine. This plant palette creates a coherent, calming, and beautiful landscape while benefiting nature.
Pollinators and birds will flock to these native plants throughout the spring, summer, and fall, creating a woodland oasis and opportunities to connect with nature even in this urban setting.
AFTER: A crushed stone patio, seating area, and firepit create an inviting space for hosting family and friends or simply relaxing on a weekday evening.
In the flat area below the terraces, we got to work creating an outdoor living space that provides more opportunities for spending time outdoors and connecting with friends and family.
We started by building a crushed stone patio that matches the material in the terraced walkways and supports rainwater management. The permeable surface will help prevent standing or pooling water during rain events.
On the patio, a large, L-shaped outdoor sectional provides ample seating even in the relatively small footprint of this space. The central highlight is the new firepit, which creates an inviting hangout space (even at night) and extends the usability of this space into the colder months. A new set of stairs leads to a small storage space below the crushed stone patio, ensuring that function and form neatly coexist.
AFTER: Strategically selected patio furniture and a small firepit maximize usable space within a small footprint.