A couple of months ago I commissioned my husband to build me a bench to circle the
Magnolia tree in front of the house. With only bark mulch covering the area, the space felt too empty to me. Although I already have several seating areas scattered around the garden, including two benches next to the front door, aesthetics seemed as good a reason as any other to add this feature.
![]() |
| Wide view of the completed bench under the Magnolia |
The back portion of the bench faces a hedge along the house so I elected to use that portion as plant shelves. The bench, constructed in six pieces, has two levels with the front being higher than the back. It was originally three different levels but that looked funky so, to my husband's chagrin, I called for a last minute design change (even though he reminded me that the bench had been built to my personal specs).
Here's a closer look at the completed product:
![]() |
| Front of the bench |
![]() |
| Side view showing the difference in level between the front and back portions |
The pots I placed on the bench were selected based mainly on the color of the containers rather than the compatibility of the plants in the pots, most of which are succulents. The pots are in shades of brown and green (as opposed to the prevailing blue colors used elsewhere in the garden). I expect I'll be tweaking the collection as time goes on.
![]() |
| A close-up of the plant-shelf portion of the bench |
The bench's tawny color stands out against the bark mulch and the tree's trunk at this point but it's made of redwood so it will fade over time to a more companionable silvery color.
With that project completed, the next one is already underway. The remaining sod was stripped away by a landscaping service earlier today. We are now entirely lawn-less!
![]() |
| Photos showing the main part of the backyard lawn area before and after the sod was removed |
![]() |
| Before and after shots of the front lawn area |
Although this crew did a better job than the last one, plenty of sod netting and crabgrass roots were left behind, which I've already started pulling out on my own. However, rather than spend two months digging up the soil to clear it of debris before adding more topsoil to raise the soil level, I think we're going to pay to get help there this time. Then we'll face the task of laying more flagstone paths...
All material
© 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
