How to Design Your Landscape to Slow Down Water

Traditionally, the practice for managing rainfall in landscapes has been to move it out as quickly and efficiently as possible. Though it moves the water quickly out of our yards, that approach has negatively af

10 Creative Ways to Work With a Sloped Lot

Steep or hilly yards can pose some of the biggest landscaping challenges, but also some of the most beautiful solutions. Make the most of your sloped lot with artful stone, terraces, built-ins or even a slide —

How to Design Your Landscape to Spread Water

Moving water aboveground, instead of in underground pipes, is an important part of sustainable stormwater management. Water that drains immediately to underground pipes carries silt and particles into our water

How to Design Your Landscape to Sink Water Into the Ground

Sinking water, which is also called infiltrating and percolating water, enables water to pass through the soil in your home landscape, rather than sending it downstream through pipes and storm drains. This creat

Which Pergola Is Right for You?

Whether you’re planning an outdoor entertaining area or want to improve the one you have, a covered pergola could be the missing ingredient that creates a versatile space you can use no matter what the weather’s

8 Stylish Storage Solutions for Your Patio and Garden

You may imagine that there’s less need for storage in a garden than a house, but since many of us treat our outside space as an outdoor room, it often requires as much storage as those inside. Cushions, blankets

The Garden Edge: Rethink Your Garden Pathways

With careful planning and planting, your garden pathways and borders can be transformed from ordinary thoroughfares to dynamic spaces that can make a statement and excite the senses. Here are my favorite tips fo

Inside Houzz: New Data Offer Insights on Landscaping Trends

When it comes to outdoor projects, homeowners aren’t messing around. In a new Houzz landscaping survey, 88 percent of homeowners involved in an outdoor project say the scope of the work is a substantial or compl

Creative Ideas for Small Front Yards

Whether you live in an urban area or a beach cottage on the coast, if your home is sited close to the street, landscaping the front yard can pose quite a challenge. Let these thoughtfully designed petite front y

What to Know About Adding a Deck

Good weather should be enjoyed to its fullest extent. To do that you have to actually go outside. But if your home lacks an enticing outdoor living space, there’s little incentive to venture out.Outdoor living i

10 Lounge-Worthy Patios, Porches and Decks

During the warmer months, your outdoor rooms can truly be an extension of your living space if you take the time to outfit them with the comforts of the indoors — think sink-in seats, bar carts and mood lighting

Landscape Tour: A Place to Savor Life in California’s Wine Country

A couple of busy San Francisco design professionals wanted a weekend getaway that embraced everything that makes the Napa Valley wine country lifestyle so relaxing. A complete remodel of their home and yard mean

Dream Spaces: 10 Secluded Garden Nooks

Anyone who’s spent long hours working in the garden knows the pleasure that comes from a job well done. And there’s no better vantage point than a garden nook: a small, secluded spot in which to relax and enjoy

Front-Yard Makeover Ideas With Mojo

If you really want to make an impression on visitors to your home, don’t just play at improving your front garden — really make it shine. These front-yard ideas in a variety of styles — cottage, formal, minimali

Garden Tour: A Rich History Is Revived at Eltham Palace

When glamorous socialites Stephen and Virginia Courtauld moved into Eltham Palace in 1933, they set about giving the historic but dilapidated 15th-century house a fashionable Art Deco revamp. The couple — both k

24 Garden Paths to Inspire Memorable Journeys

Garden paths do so much more than take you to your destination. They influence your pace, dictate the number of people you can walk with and determine whether you can view your destination along the way. The fo

Spring Tour: Landscape Designs for Living

A garden that encourages living isn’t just about maintenance — it’s accessible, you feel at home in it and you never want to leave it. Gardens Are for Living is the theme of this week’s Gamble Garden Spring Tour

How to Cook Up Plans for a Deluxe Outdoor Kitchen

As summer approaches, you may be thinking about turning your backyard barbecue into your dream cooking and entertaining center. There’s an abundance of outdoor options, from simple surrounds for a basic grill to

Design Workshop: How to Analyze Your Outdoor Site

One of the first things landscape designers do when they start working on a garden plan is to make a site survey. This assesses a range of factors, including soil type, wind exposure, existing plants, location o

Enjoy the Romance of Dining in a Classic Gravel Garden

An outdoor dining space atop gravel can look rustic or modern, is perfect for outdoor entertaining, and makes an outstanding option for a lawn-free backyard. But that’s not to say that working with gravel is wit