Case Study
South Minneapolis Brick Patio
Project Overview
We worked with this growing family to create a beautiful front and backyard design that transformed their South Minneapolis outdoor space. The curb appeal was very low because of the small planting and unattractive lawn. The backyard had no established space for entertaining guests and the foundation plantings were haphazard and unwatered along the house. This was truly a blank slate.
The house was built in 1902 and our designer, Kent Gliadon, wanted to respect the history and beauty of this home with a red brick walkway and patio. The curvilinear nature of the walkway adds room for a planting area and guides visitors over to the patio nestled in the corner. The feature plant of this planting is the Tina Crab Tree. It blooms with beautiful white flowers each spring. The patio is approximately 14 ft by 20 ft. This is a perfect size for a grill (the client has an awesome grill) and furniture to entertain. There will also be room for a fire pit and other seating if they choose.
The front yard landscaping adds a formal touch with a hedge line of ‘chicagoland’ boxwoods and a row of ‘incredibal’ hydrangea. The annuals in the plant boxes add a colorful splash that welcome guests in. The lawn is irrigated in the front to ensure lush, green grass. All of the plants installed in the property are irrigated on a regular basis by dripline to encourage growth and health. The curb appeal of the home has gone from drab to fab.
More Project Information
Location: South Minneapolis in the 50th and Lyndale area.
Timeframe: The project took just under two weeks to complete from beginning to end.
Materials: Red Courtyard Brick from Twin City Brick. Irrigation system including drip line in plant beds, rotor heads, and spray heads. Plants featuring a Tina Crab Tree, Knockout Rose Trees, and Chicagoland Boxwoods. Steel landscape edging around plant beds.
Notes from construction: We had never built a patio out of clay bricks before which was an interesting twist. The pattern of the brick is a herringbone which matches the formal nature of the front yard landscaping. A herringbone is also really easy to lay (not that that particularly matters but it’s good to know). Ensuring the walkway was level was a little bit of a challenge but we used a laser level (transit). The sprinkler system had a very smooth install and is expandable if/when the family decides to do more landscaping in the backyard.
This project was completed in June 2015 by KG Landscape Management.
