Photos by Michael Woodall The backyard re-do at this Scottsdale patio home included retiling the barbecue, adding a covered patio and arbor, and revegetating the landscape.

A patio home’s backyard is revamped to create a lush outdoor setting

Landscape architect Greg Trutza uses a single word to describe a Scottsdale backyard he renovated five years ago: paradise.

Explaining that the word has Persian origins meaning “enclosed garden,” Trutza, owner of New Directions in Landscape Architecture, recalls his plan to transform the once nondescript and underutilized space into a lush walled landscape—one that offers an escape from everyday stresses. The homeowners were seeking a child- and pet-friendly area that would be usable year-round and provide room for relaxing with family and friends. Toward that end, Trutza designed a yard with a lap pool, covered patio with an arbor, vine-covered walls, and an eye-catching water feature with a reflecting pool.

Prior to the re-do, the backyard was dominated by a standard kidney-shaped pool that left little space for entertaining or for the homeowners’ grandchildren and pets to play. Removing most of the existing vegetation and filling in the pool allowed Trutza to approach the project as a blank slate.

The Phoenix Home & Garden Master of the Southwest painted white perimeter block walls sage green to add dimension and planted creeping fig vines along their bases, creating a French-Mediterranean feel. At one end of the yard, he used the block wall as a backdrop for a new 8-foot-tall color-washed yellow wall with a Venetian plaster finish and stone accents. It is fitted with three scuppers, or canales, that spill into a rectangular reflecting pool. “I wanted drama from the oversized carved cantera canales and spaced them between arched windows, which provides a sense of mystique and creates the illusion of obscured views of another garden,” Trutza explains.

Other additions include the lap pool, a sunken spa, grassy areas, terraced planting beds and picturesque murals on walls. Trutza collaborated with architect James Kottke to construct a backyard patio—complete with a fireplace and ample seating—that acts as an alfresco addition to the home’s living room. Colorful cushions, accessories, outdoor artwork and potted plants in vibrant containers lend playful touches.

Thanks to the fragrant scent of the arbor’s Lady Banks’ roses, the tranquil sound of running water, and the visual appeal of lush greenery, a spot was created that truly pleases the senses and offers a getaway from the bustle of the outside world

Creeping fig vine and dwarf oleander create a verdant front yard.

“Pool placement is always a critical component to good design,” says landscape architect Greg Trutza, explaining that siting a lap pool in the narrowest part of this yard allowed for more green space. He also designed a decorative wall at the rear of the property to hide pool equipment.

Designating room for spacious sitting areas is another essential design element, according to Trutza. Here, red-blooming Jatropha and a wall of creeping fig create a lush backdrop for two colorful chaise lounges.