Page 4 - 2013 LDN Home Improvement Magazine

2013 HOME IMPROVEMENT MAGAZINE. LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com May 1, 2013
4
Creating a distinctive and functional
area in a small outdoor space
When Diane Springer moved into
her mother’s house on Tremont
Street in Lincoln last year, she
knew some things had to change. The house
had been in the family for years, and other
than a room addition on the first floor, nothing
had changed. The yard in back of the house
also was the same as it had been for decades.
She decided that a project updating the interior
and exterior was in order.
The front yard is a large area of grass
extending to the street. The very small yard
areas in back and on the side were another
matter. The house has a door midway on the
side between front and back. The area outside
this door was dirt that turned to mud with even
a small amount of rain.
Because the house shaded this area, grass
would not grow. As the side yard progressed
to the back, it sloped downhill. Farther back,
a door opened off the new addition close
to the stand-alone garage. This area was
mostly broken concrete slabs that just looked
unsightly.
Where the original house and the new
addition joined is a small alcove. Across the
back of
the house,
a broken
s i d e w a l k
e x t e n d e d
to the side
s t r e e t .
S p r i n g e r
knew she
wanted to
create a personal space on the side and back
of the house. She also knew it was time to call
the experts.
She first contacted Lorrie Paige of Bee’s
Landscaping. After some preliminary
discussions, Paige took detailed measurements
and then went back to her office and began to
draft a plan for the back and side yard.
Paige has over 27 years in the landscaping
business and has worked all over central
Illinois. She currently has a commission at
Lake of the Ozarks.
Paige hand-draws each new job she receives.
After completing the original concept, she gets
together with the client to see if she is headed
in the right direction. In Springer’s case, Paige