This Upper West Side resident wished to modernize an existing rear garden to create a patio area for outdoor seating and grill, to remove some steps for more even grade, and to replace the various styles of existing fence panels for a continuous fence that provided more adequate screening from neighbors. A low maintenance garden was also requested.

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The new design borrowed from Japanese garden typology of bamboo and linear stone surfaces. The design proposed to use a customized cedar shadowbox fence style with slim horizontal panels, allowing for ventilation while providing screening. Black bamboo was planted in narrow beds around the perimeter of the garden to further enhance screening. The black bamboo was selected to contrast with the gray cedar fence. Bamboo was planted within beds of dark gray Mexican beach stone. Uplighting was proposed for the perimeter of the planting beds. Small seasonal planting beds and pots were also included.