Garden Overhaul: Which Plants Should Stay, Which Should Go?

When renovating a large landscape with lots of existing plants, it can be tempting to remove everything and remake the entire landscape with new plants. I strongly caution against this approach. It’s expensive t

How to Make Your Stone House Feel at Home in the Landscape

Stone is one of the predominant materials used for house exteriors today. Whether your home’s style is colonial, traditional or contemporary, stone lends a timelessness and an organic connection to the earth. Bu

Bring a Touch of Renaissance Italy Into Your Garden

Italy has influenced many fields of design, so it is not surprising that it has also had a great influence on garden design. Italy’s Renaissance and villa gardens are renowned for their skillful design, attentio

Understand Your Site Plan for a Better Landscape Design

The site plan represents the overall design for a landscape and is the primary tool used by the landscape architect to lay out the space. Landscape architects are trained to create the design in plan view as one

How to Make Your Painted or Stained House Feel at Home in the Landscape

Every house has untapped potential. Far too many of them, whether clad in brick, stone, stucco, wood or composite siding, sit atop the land in unremarkable ways, barely making any meaningful connection to it. Go

How Grading Shapes the Ground and Manages Stormwater

Grading is the process of shaping and contouring the land and is an important technical tool of landscape architects. Grading is important because the shape of the ground makes water flow across it in a particul

The Case for Functional Garden Design

Before the landscape architects of the 20th century followed their architecture colleagues and looked away from historical references for their inspiration, garden design tended to be solely about decoration, or

9 Creative Ideas for Urban Outdoor Spaces

Having a piece of green space in the city, no matter how small, is something to treasure. But urban outdoor spaces are notorious for being oddly shaped, not so sunny and, yes, small. Here are nine creative ways

See 6 Yards Transformed by Losing Their Lawns

If you’re rethinking the lawn in your yard and looking to do something different, these six yards featured on Houzz in 2014 can provide some ideas and inspiration. Each homeowner left the lawn behind in favor of

How to Make Your Metal House Feel at Home in the Landscape

Metal houses are certainly not for everyone, but they are special to those who live in them. They can look out of place, odd or even garish in the traditional neighborhoods that blanket America. In the right set

What to Know About Concept Design to Get the Landscape You Want

You have hired a landscape architect and had an initial site meeting, during which you walked the property and discussed priorities, a budget and a project timeline. Now the landscape architect is coming over to

How to Incorporate Your Roofing Into the Landscape

The best landscapes connect with the homes that sit atop them in both large and small ways. Attention to detail is what will move your space from ordinary to extraordinary. Pulling hues from brick, stone or pain

Lay of the Landscape: 12 Elements of Provence Garden Style

The mild climate of the Provence region, in southeast France, allows residents to enjoy outdoor living nearly all year round. Provence gardens are linked to the stone farmhouses, or mas, that are central to the

How to Find and Hire a Great Landscape Contractor

You’ve approved your landscape architect’s final site plan for your landscape design, and now it’s time to get the project built. You can pay the landscape architect to select a contractor for you, or you can hi

5 Reasons to Consider a Landscape Design-Build Firm for Your Project

For homeowners who are looking to get a landscape project under way, a landscape design-build firm can streamline the process. Using a design-build service may have pluses and minuses, depending on the scope of

How to Help Your Home Fit Into the Landscape

Winter’s cold, dreary days are the most splendid days for daydreaming. Many people find distraction and solace in planning outdoor projects that will commence with the warmer, kinder days of spring. Planning now

DIY Tree Forts and Deck Bring Out the Neighborhood Kids

While living in a small 1920s bungalow in downtown Orlando, Florida, with their son, this professional couple found out they were expecting another child. They left the downtown area in search of more space and

Think Turquoise to Energize or Soothe the Garden

Turquoise, the greenish-blue color that takes its name from the ornate gem, is believed to create a feeling of calm and well-being. Turquoise is touted as a great color to revive interiors, but how about our gar

How to Hire a Landscape Architect

You see all of the breathtaking gardens on Houzz and cruise the portfolio pages of landscape architects while dreaming about the possibilities for your own landscape. Landscape architects have many different sty

What to Know About Landscape Design Service Agreements

You have interviewed several landscape design professionals, and now you are ready to hire a professional designer for your landscape project. Congratulations! It’s a very exciting time, and you are probably bur