How to Design a Coast-Loving Garden That Lasts

Australias splendid coastline means there is no shortage of people wanting to establish their ideal home and garden with a view. The natural coastline is rugged and windswept, with a definite color palette. It i

Landmark Status Honors a Historic Modern Landscape

Sam Ferris and his siblings have a passion for protecting the house where they grew up, in Spokane, Washington. Now that their parents have passed away, the family has worked hard to get the house in tip-top sha

How to Tap the Potential of a Big Side Yard

When the land on either side of your home is nearly as large as the structure itself, you may feel overwhelmed. The obvious solution is to treat it as a private arboretum or golf course — a space worthy of turf

Sunken and Raised Areas Take Gardens Up a Notch

Remember those sunken living rooms of the 1960s, à la Austin Powers? The term love pit comes to mind, hinting at the exotic, the secretive or the slightly naughty, at least on the small and large screen. Think w

Create a Landscape That Really Squares Up

Of all the geometric shapes, the square is the most useful in the garden — especially in formal and contemporary settings, where it gives a design classic simplicity. It may be that the square is such a satisfyi

Lessons From an Edible Garden on a City Roof

We look to our city centers for culture, nightlife, fine dining and above all, high-density urban living. Farming typically doesnt come to mind. But landscape architect David Seiter says we can and should turn t

Outdoor Lighting to Make Your Home and Landscape Glow

There is something about a house at night, glowing from within, that beckons you home. Translate that effect to your yard and you can gain extra outdoor rooms all night long. Start with the front door to welco

Design Icons: Thomas Dolliver Church

Iconic modern landscape architect Garrett Eckbo described Thomas Dolliver Church as the last great traditional designer and the first great modern designer. Church was instrumental in pushing landscape architect

Community Thrives Along With a Garage-Top Garden

A group of Seattle designers, neighbors and city officials have upped the community gardening ante with the citys first large-scale community garden on top of a 50-year-old parking garage. Somewhere out there, J

Simple Container Plantings for Intriguing Garden Design

Whatever we call them, pots, tubs and containers have been a feature of gardens since people started gardening. Their versatility is perhaps their greatest asset, especially as gardens become smaller and theres

Art Brings a New Experience to Modern Home Exteriors

Modern residential architecture is often described as museum-like. Minimalist white walls and spaces make them like galleries waiting for artwork to adorn their walls. But what about the exteriors of modern hous

Great Design Plant: River Birch

River birch (Betula nigra) is a one of the best trees for year-round interest. With its multicolored papery bark that peels away from the trunk, this North American native species is a great choice for a drivewa

Discover an Intimate Garden Nestled on a Manhattan Rooftop

The Manhattan skyline offers some of the world’s most dramatic and recognizable architectural icons, and city dwellers with access to those exclusive views highlight them in any way possible. In the shadow of th

Universal Design Opens Up a Hilltop Landscape

The owners of this Saratoga, California, home wanted their backyard to look clean and contemporary with minimal color but lots of unusual yellow flowers. And they had another consideration for their hilltop land

Ornament Your Garden the Artful Way

We all love to add art to the garden. Yet to do so correctly requires care, consideration and restraint. You want a garden that is enhanced by art but not cluttered by it, right? As the lines between interior de

12 Ways to Make Better Use of Yard Corners

Lets take it outside! Weve been making corners work hard all over the house; its time to make the most of the corners in the yard. Whether you live on several acres or have a postage stamp–size yard, a deck or a

Frame a Garden View for Intrigue and Abundance

Good photographers learn how to crop the extraneous details from the outer edges of a picture to improve its quality. Similarly, you can improve the overall picture of your garden when you impose a frame around

Step Up Your Garden Game With Terraced Plantings

There are many points to consider when planting terraced beds: the materials used for the retaining walls, the right plants for the conditions created and the balance of the plantings in relation to the hardscap

9 Urban Gardening Tips From Hong Kong Rooftops

Hong Kong is a concrete jungle — dense and filled with towering skyscrapers. Hong Kongs rooftops can become the perfect refuge from this chaotic city, and those with plant life can help better the air quality to

Unwind in an Enclosed Garden Sanctuary — Outdoors or In

We may think that garden rooms are a relatively new feature in garden design, but they actually go back a long way in garden history to the hortus conclusus — the enclosed garden. The Hortus conclusus started in