Big Ideas for a Small Yard

An artist once told me that charcoal gray is the ideal backdrop to set off all other colors, so I chose dark gray pavers for the terrace and path. The gray pavers are now a calm oasis in an explosion of exuberant orange, yellow, and purple plantings.

Here, concrete-paver stepping stones lead to compost and storage areas along on one side of the house. The orange flowers of Lobelia tupa brighten the pathway.