Big Ideas for a Small Yard

Tacoma, Washington-based garden designer Richard Hartlage sketched out the basic "bones" of this backyard garden: one patio for outdoor dining off the deck and another tiny one for relaxing in a back corner; a grid of round and rectangular raised beds; and two 8-foot-tall wire screens. The angling of the terraces and raised beds away from the house visually enlarges the space. Curved elements help soften the geometry of the plan. Raised beds give the flat lot topographical interest, as do the tall trellis screens, which also build in some privacy.