3 Essential Steps for Selecting Perfect Patio Plants

Designing an urban garden presents unique challenges, and planting one is even more demanding. In compact contemporary gardens, plants serve as crucial structural elements—the smaller the space, the more prominent their

Creating an Asian Edible Garden: Beauty Meets Bounty

Japanese, Asian, Zen—gardens designed with an Eastern sensibility go by many names but share recognizable traits: aesthetic (artistically placed rocks), symbolic (Buddha statues), or sensory (falling water). Theres no ru

Design Principles for Turning a Small Outdoor Space Into a Peaceful Retreat

Downsizing is as common as flies at a summer picnic these days. Whether urban sprawl and long commutes have drawn you closer to the city center, or youre an empty nester craving a simpler life, you may find yourself with

A Writer's Studio and Japanese-Inspired Garden in Portland's Laurelhurst

Nestled in Portlands Laurelhurst neighborhood, this 2,500-square-foot backyard transformation draws quiet inspiration from the nearby Portland Japanese Garden—itself a tribute to Sapporo, Japan, Portlands first sister ci

Corrugated Metal in the Garden: Modern, Sustainable & Surprisingly Versatile

Corrugated metal is strong, lightweight and rustproof, and can be used in many ways to add a unique touch to the garden. Though there are many standard landscape building materials, metal is increasing in popularity for

Modernist Edible Garden Design: Clean Lines, Metal Planters & Architectural Plants

Clean, unadorned lines and an open, spacious feel are the hallmarks of modernist garden design. Food gardens—with their exuberant growth and chaotic medley of species that can go from tiny seedlings to an overgrown jungl

Composite Timber in the Landscape: Low-Maintenance, Sustainable Alternative to Wood

Composite timber can be a low-maintenance and sustainable alternative to wood in home landscaping projects. It has been manufactured to be stain and blemish resistant, without needing an annual sealant, and comes in a wi

Mortared Stone Garden Walls: Structure, Style & Lasting Beauty

Mortar has been used to build walls and structures for centuries, with the earliest known use dating back to 6,500 B.C. in Pakistan. While mortared natural stone garden walls are a practical choice for retaining soil, cr

Recipe for a Tropical Edible Garden: Fruits, Herbs & Lush Foliage

Lush foliage and exotic flowers are the two most important ingredients landscape designers use to create tropical ambience in the garden. I would argue that luscious fruits and exotic herbs should—or at least could—play

Precast Concrete Pavers: Versatile, Permeable & Stylish for Any Garden

Precast concrete pavers are versatile and resilient, and give homeowners and professionals many possibilities for creating a fun and attractive outdoor paved surface. Pavers set with stones or gravel make a beautiful and

10 Reasons to Love an Outdoor Shower (Beyond the Beach House)

You may think of an outdoor shower as belonging at a beach house, and while thats certainly true (see No. 8 below), sand and salt arent the only things outdoor showers are good for. Here are 10 reasons to love outdoor sh

7 Ways to Design with Plant Drifts and Masses for a Natural Garden

Most gardeners, I think, want to bring a bit of the wilder natural world into their home landscapes. This doesnt mean an unkempt look, but it does often mean imitating and interpreting the natural structure, form and lay

Designing with Local Stone: Types, Costs & Sustainable Sourcing

Local stone is a great material for creating a landscape design thats timeless and durable. When thinking about landscape materials for garden design projects, consider local stone based on the shapes, sizes and colors a

Tour 7 Stunning New York Gardens: Rooftops, Estates & Urban Courtyards

Most garden visitors probably wouldnt expect to see a coastal-inspired landscape on the 15th story of an apartment building and a restored estate garden covered in the same tour, but this weekend and next, visitors will

3 Stunning Fire Pit Designs to Kick Off Summer

It seems like summer always arrives more quickly than you can toast a marshmallow. Which brings up the topic at hand: fire pits. With the first day of summer kicking off this Sunday, its a good time to celebrate those ba

Creative Concrete: Design Ideas for Patios, Paths & Walls

Versatile, strong and readily available, concrete is one of the most widely used outdoor materials. Though its sometimes thought of as cold or even dull, its design potential for paths, patios, walls and other features i

London Garden Retreat: Naturalistic Plantings Transform a Long, Narrow Plot

When faced with that London rarity, a large garden, the owners of this property in the citys Crystal Palace area felt compelled to call for backup. They approached garden designer and landscape architect Kate Eyre seekin

Bring Reclaimed Wood to Your Landscape: History, Sustainability & Design Ideas

Its hard to beat the lovely patina of aged wood. It brings warmth, texture and character to the home landscape. Used in the garden, reclaimed wood from historic structures brings history and charm to your planting beds,

Sustainable Landscape Solves Severe Runoff with Cisterns, Rain Gardens & Green Roofs

For a newly rebuilt home outside Washington, D.C., landscape architect Sandra Youssef Clinton was tasked with tackling severe water runoff, creating spaces that speak to the homeowners environmental proclivities and addi

Using Scrim in Garden Design: Mystery, Depth, and Seduction

Great gardens unfold gradually, revealing new discoveries at every turn. Scrim—any semi-transparent layer that obscures while hinting at what lies beyond—adds instant depth, mystery, and a voyeuristic allure. From sheer