Driveway to Courtyard: A Private Outdoor Room in Phoenix

By relinquishing part of her driveway, Phoenix landscape designer Carrie Nimmer solved two problems: she wanted a private outdoor spot for coffee or wine, and a prettier view from her kitchen window than a concrete strip and bare wall. She enclosed a 14-by-14-foot section with an 8-foot wall, covering the old driveway with granite pebbles that transition to decomposed granite near the courtyard. Broad stone slabs invite entry, flanked by Chinese pots with Agave colorata and Mexican feather grass (Stipa tenuissima).

Neutral brown walls provide a foil for the agave and work with greens, pastels, and fiery colors like red-flowered crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii). An ocotillo screen conceals a passage to her home office.

DESIGN: Carrie Nimmer (602/254-0300)