We had the pleasure of working with a young South Philly family to give their uniquely L-shaped backyard an update, including designing a pitched shade arbor and accompanying table and storage bench for outdoor dining. The hardscape was custom built by our friends at A Work In Progress, who also constructed a new patio from refurbished bluestone. We unified existing shrub and perennial borders into a pollinator heaven, and formalized a few raised vegetable beds in the new lawn. The garden connects the client’s home to a backyard studio, which we obscured with a dense low grove of Sassafras albidum and a ground covering of ferns and carex to enhance the sense of a retreat and enclosure.