Everyone loves a before and after, and as professional landscape designers, we do too. But our team at Big Rock Landscaping knows that every project requires months of preparation, planning, and installation to go from the before to the after.

Plan To Planted: Hammond

Before and after photos are addicting—that instant dopamine hit of seeing a space transformed instantly is addicting. Obviously, we love a before and after as much as anyone, but we also know the planning, teamwork, and labor behind every before and after you see.

This project for the Hammond family is no exception—the before and after photos are impressive, but they certainly don’t encapsulate the months of work this landscaping project required. Our client had a lot of dreams for this space, including plenty of room for entertaining, a sport court for tennis and basketball, and plenty of lawn space for playing and lounging.

Our challenge was figuring out how to deliver all those dreams in a very sloped yard, which is where our expertise in landscape design really delivered. Using our process developed over our many years in business, we created a truly breathtaking space for our clients to enjoy.

Planning For The Hammond Project

When we first walked onto the property, we realized our first challenge would be creating usable space in a sloped yard. Add in the fact that our clients wanted plenty of space for entertaining, a sport court, all while maintaining a modern aesthetic, and we had our work cut out for us. Our team got to work after our initial consultation, the first step in our streamlined process. The design included retaining walls and decks, and incorporating the use of trees, shrubs, and bushes in every step of the plan. Consider this before shot of the front yard—it started out skeletal— the barest of inspiration.

We wanted to create a welcoming, unique front yard that had walkways to the backyard as well as the garage, but we didn’t want to sacrifice the cool, contemporary look of the home with poured concrete. So our team opted to add grass between the concrete slabs, creating a softer, welcoming look.

The Landscape Design Concept For The Hammond Project

We had a few landscaping elements we wanted to work with, rather than against. Of course, in order to provide flat, usable spaces, we had to create retaining walls and stairways, but in order to keep the natural beauty of the yard, we were selective with how we leveled the space. We kept plenty of the natural slope exposed, honoring the beauty of the space.

And when we added retaining walls and decks, we tried to integrate them into the existing landscape rather than compete with it.

We also wanted to ensure that every part of the landscape had thoughtful details to create a cohesive look. So we added ground cover between the pavers, complimentary shrubs in the planters, and neutral, modern colors throughout the design. Using the natural beauty of the landscape and working with the slope of the backyard, we created a design for the space that honored the Hammond’s wish for a contemporary, welcoming, and fun landscape.

Structures Incorporated Into the Landscape Design

This sloped yard required our team to exercise our best landscape design and installation skills, especially considering that the clients wanted a sport court, multiple spaces for outdoor entertaining, and plenty of lawn. Using the landscape as an ally rather than a problem led us to build retaining walls that incorporate the natural elements of the area, and created an opportunity to add multiple outdoor stairs. With the retaining walls came space to add a patio and a deck, all without sacrificing the beauty of the landscape. We added plenty of trees and rocks to the sloped areas of the yard, not only because they are beautiful but because they prevent erosion. Our vision was to take an unusable hill in a backyard and create a space the Hammond family could love and enjoy for decades to come.

Front Yard Landscaping On The Hammond Landscaping Project

We wanted to make sure that the front yard of this home matched the beauty of the home itself, which was no small feat. To soften the landscape, we poured concrete slabs with space between to grow grass, and we installed custom planters to fill with colorful plants. We also incorporated shrubs and bushes to add color to the front yard.

We planted two trees to frame the front door, adding depth and texture to the entryway.

The front yard transformed into a welcoming, beautiful introduction to the home, incorporating the neutral tones of the home’s exterior while adding color and texture.

Backyard Landscaping On The Hammond Landscaping Project

Sloped spaces definitely present a unique challenge, but with that challenge comes the opportunity for innovation, and this backyard landscape design is a shining example of our team’s innovative landscape design.

We put the sport court at the bottom of the yard, for multiple reasons. Not only does this prevent noise pollution from the sport court to the patio and decks, but it wasn’t reasonable to pour literal tons of concrete anywhere else.

But we didn’t want to lose the calming aesthetic of the rest of the landscape, so we added plenty of trees and greenery around the court.

We wanted to ensure there was plenty of level space for entertaining and play, but in order to achieve that goal we needed to install retaining walls. We used multiple types and sources for the retaining walls, including boulders and brick.

With the security the retaining walls built, our team installed a patio and a deck for more liveable outdoor space.

Of course, in order to get from lower areas in the yard to higher areas, we had to add stairs. And while you might think that outdoor stairs are an eyesore, they actually became focal points of the whole design.

Because the retaining walls created so much level space in the yard, our team added grass for the Hammond family, creating even more space to enjoy their backyard.

Overall, we took the backyard from a dirt hill to a modern oasis, complete with multiple patios and decks, a sport court, natural elements like trees, shrubs and grasses, the perfect backyard for a family.

Let Us Plan (And Plant!) Your Dream Yard

You already have an idea of the way you’d like to transform your backyard from boring to stunning, but until you talk to landscape professionals, you can’t have it. The Hammond family has their dream yard, complete with every perfect detail they could imagine. They are enjoying late nights on the patio, warm days playing tennis, and long afternoons lounging on their deck. You can enjoy your yard too, but not until you take the first step by contacting the team at Big Rock Landscaping. With Big Rock Landscaping you can count on decades of landscaping expertise that is innovative and inspired. You can count on an end result that feels like your backyard is your own slice of paradise, and we can’t wait to help. Contact us today to start your dream yard!