Contemporary Minneapolis Landscaping

Contemporary Landscape, Cool Water Feature

These Minneapolis homeowners have contemporary tastes. The original home on this spot was torn down to build a dream home that was just their size. Drainage issues and lack of comfortable outdoor spaces made the entire yard unusable. The location of the sliding doors meant the side yard became the landscaping focal point. Solving a drainage problem and creating patio areas for outdoor dining and entertaining topped the to-do list followed by a water feature. And not just any water feature...the clients were looking for something unique.

The yard sloped toward the house. Water puddled close to the foundation. Building a stacked stone retaining wall and re-grading the back yard solved the drainage issue. To handle the slope in the side yard, two concrete tile patios were created.

Blending the New with the Old

A portion of the concrete foundation of the original garage runs along the side of the yard. The designer was charged with the task of blending the old with the new. The new Fond du Lac stone retaining wall stone had to tie in with the old, original concrete wall. A cedar fence and pergola with hanging baskets perched on top of the wall gives a little privacy from the neighbors so the designer added tall Junipers.

A Streamlined Stream

The upper patio is unique for its stylish water feature. The water falls out of the upper wall, flows around the upper patio, and pours out the scupper on the lower wall into a bed of Mexican beach pebbles. Crossing the modern interpretation of a stream, step carefully…there is only one step to access the upper patio. (Truth be told, anyone could probably step across the entire stream from one side to the other.)

Hardscapes: Fond du Lac stone retaining wall, patio, stone steps
Additional Feature: Water Feature with Stream