Custom Outdoor Living Project in Charlotte, NC

The Challenge

This Charlotte, NC homeowner needed an outdoor space that solved a specific problem — drainage, sloped grading, an underused yard, or a transition between indoor and outdoor living — without compromising the look of the home. Our team scoped the site, identified the constraints, and proposed a design built around the way the family actually uses the space.

The Design & Material Selection

For this project we specified premium hardscape materials, chosen for durability in Charlotte's freeze-thaw cycles and for the way the color and texture sit against the home's existing architecture. The layout was drawn to match the home's sight lines, the lawn's natural grade, and the way the family moves between the house, patio, and yard.

The Final Result

For homeowners seeking to transform their backyard into a secluded sanctuary, Privacy Plantings has always been a big deal. The desire for a “screen of green” stems from a need to retreat from the outside world, blocking out prying eyes, traffic noise, or simply the view of a neighbor’s siding. Unlike rigid fencing, a living border evolves with the seasons, offering a dynamic and softening backdrop that enhances rather than encloses. This philosophy was the driving force behind a recently completed post-pool landscaping project in the backyard of a home in Monroe, NC, where the goal was to re-establish intimacy after the heavy construction of a new swimming pool.

The plant palette was carefully curated to provide immediate impact and long-term coverage. Installing healthy and tall Emerald Green trees served as the structural backbone of the design. These arborvitae are prized for their columnar growth, providing significant vertical screening without eating up valuable yard space. To complement the verticality of the trees and add diverse textures, Skip Laurel and Ligustrum bushes were integrated into the design. The Skip Laurels bring lush, glossy deep-green foliage that fills in the mid-layer gaps, while the robust Ligustrums offer rapid growth and hardy resilience, perfect for the Monroe climate.

To ensure the landscape felt like a garden and not just a green wall, some Pink Muhly grasses were placed in the foreground. These native ornamental grasses introduce movement and a soft, ethereal quality, especially when their cotton-candy pink plumes catch the autumn light. This layering effect—from the tall evergreens down to the swaying grasses—softens the hard edges of the new pool deck and creates a resort-like atmosphere. By combining these varied species, the project successfully turned an exposed construction site into a lush, private haven, fulfilling the promise of Making Homes More Beautiful® through thoughtful, functional design.