A new route to an old porch

A porch needs a route to it, but that route can consume a surprising amount of a small front yard. At this 1914 Austin bungalow, Austin Outdoor Design moved the gate and introduced a limestone path, leaving more soft ground available for children to play.

The change is modest in description and substantial in effect. The lawn remains a usable area rather than the leftover strips around a dominant walkway. An open cedar fence, four feet high, marks the boundary while allowing the porch and garden to stay visible from the street.

Keeping the bungalow in view

The house's deep porch and dark exterior already provide a strong architectural presence. The landscape does not compete with them. Low planting, a simple approach and the repeated verticals of the fence keep the foreground quiet enough for the windows, columns and front door to register.

The fence's openness is important to that relationship. A solid screen would turn the front garden inward; the spaced boards allow a connection with neighbors while defining the household's outdoor space. The gate becomes part of the everyday route, rather than a formal object set on an axis for its own sake.

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The low, open fence defines the yard without hiding the porch. · Austin Outdoor Design

Growing food behind the house

The backyard has a different emphasis. The owners' interest in sustainable design informed a permaculture garden with fruit trees, lemongrass, rosemary and echinacea. The planting gives the rear outdoor space a productive role alongside its connection to the house.

The project is a useful reminder that a whole-property landscape does not need one repeated treatment. The front supports arrival, play and the public face of the bungalow. The back makes room for cultivation. A relatively small decision at the gate helps the first part work, leaving the rest of the garden free to answer a different set of needs.