Designing a Resilient Coastal Garden for Australian Conditions

Australias coastline draws homeowners seeking ocean views, but the environment is rugged—windswept, rarely lush green, with a palette of grays, blues, dusty greens, and warm earth tones against the Pacific. Successful co

Landmark Status Protects a Halprin-Designed Midcentury Landscape

Sam Ferris and his siblings have devoted years to protecting their childhood home in Spokane, Washington. After their parents passed, the family restored, documented, and secured landmark status for the property—one of S

How to Design a Large Side Yard With Purpose and Style

When side yards rival the house in scale, the default—turf grass or arboretum—wastes potential. Instead, devise a distinct design theme: use mature trees and shrubs, emphasize distant vistas, create foreground vignettes

Sunken and Raised Gardens: Changing Grade for Drama and Function

Remember 1960s sunken living rooms—white leather sectionals, shag carpeting, martini slabs? That love pit energy has migrated outdoors. Even on flat land, grade changes create excitement, energy, and distinct garden room

Create a Landscape That Squares Up: Geometry in Garden Design

The square is garden geometrys workhorse—especially in formal and contemporary settings where its classic simplicity resonates. Perhaps squares satisfy because they mirror our built environment: buildings, rooms, the spa

Lessons From a Manhattan Rooftop Kitchen Garden

City centers conjure culture and dining—not farming. But landscape architect David Seiter argues we should leverage existing infrastructure for food production. His Pool Farm project, converting a restaurants rooftop poo

Outdoor Lighting: Make Your Home and Landscape Glow After Dark

A house glowing at night beckons you home. Extend that warmth to your yard, and you gain outdoor rooms that function long after sunset. From minimal solar stakes to designed installations, even the smallest light transfo

Design Icon: Thomas Dolliver Church, Father of California Living

Garrett Eckbo called Thomas Dolliver Church the last great traditional designer and the first great modern designer. Church bridged eras, pushing landscape architecture into the modern movement while honoring site and cl

Community Flourishes Atop a Seattle Parking Garage

Seattle designers, neighbors, and city officials have elevated community gardening—literally—creating the citys first large-scale rooftop garden on a 50-year-old parking structure. UpGarden transforms 30,000 square feet

Simple Container Plantings for High-Impact Garden Design

Pots, tubs, and containers have been garden staples since cultivation began. Their versatility is unmatched—especially as gardens shrink and space becomes precious. Todays approach moves beyond decorative additions: cont

Art Meets Architecture: Elevating Modern Home Exteriors

Modern residential architecture is often described as museum-like—minimalist white walls awaiting artwork. But what about the exterior? How does art engage the outside of a home? This exploration considers the relationsh

Great Design Plant: River Birch for Year-Round Beauty

Few trees deliver four-season interest quite like river birch (Betula nigra). This North American native dazzles with multicolored, papery bark that peels dramatically from the trunk, making it a standout choice for driv

An Intimate Rooftop Sanctuary Above Manhattan's Skyline

In the shadow of the Empire State Building, a 500-square-foot Chelsea loft roof has been transformed into a tranquil garden retreat that frames iconic views while creating a world apart from the citys bustle. Architect L

Universal Design Transforms a Hilltop Retreat into an Accessible Oasis

Perched atop a Saratoga, California hillside, this three-acre property presented a unique challenge: create a contemporary, low-maintenance backyard with unusual yellow blooms that could be fully navigated by wheelchair.

Ornament Your Garden the Artful Way: Balance Art and Nature

We all love adding art to the garden, but doing so correctly requires care, consideration, and restraint. You want a garden enhanced by art, not cluttered. As lines between interior and exterior design blur, we travel co

12 Creative Ways to Use Yard Corners

Weve been making corners work hard inside the house; its time to maximize yard corners. Whether you have acres or a postage-stamp yard, deck, or small balcony, youll find ideas to swipe for spring plans. 1. Tuck In an O

Framing Garden Views: Create Intrigue and Abundance

Good photographers crop extraneous details to improve a picture. Similarly, you can improve your gardens overall picture by imposing a frame around its views. Classic design elements—line, shape, texture, color—are usefu

Terraced Plantings: Elevate Your Garden Game on Slopes

Planting terraced beds requires considering retaining wall materials, right plants for conditions, and balance between plantings and hardscaping. Getting plantings right not only provides decorative benefits but prevents

9 Urban Gardening Tips from Hong Kong Rooftops

Hong Kong is a concrete jungle—dense, towering skyscrapers. Its rooftops become perfect refuges, and those with plant life improve air quality. Whether you live in Hong Kong or Houston, if youre on the top floor of an ap

Enclosed Garden Sanctuaries: The Ancient Art of Hortus Conclusus

Garden rooms may seem new, but they trace back to the hortus conclusus—the enclosed garden. Originating in ancient Persia, Egypt, and Mesopotamia, reappearing in the Middle Ages, and later as the core of 20th-century Art