Backyard Type: Relaxed – Creating Tranquil Garden Hideaways

Nature as the Ultimate Stress Relief Portland garden designer Susan LaTourette steps onto a raised deck via a plank walkway that evokes a boat dock, looking out over a sea of green. For deeper retreat, she hikes to a sma

Materials and Tools for Building a Trellis Table

Materials 2 8-foot-long 4×4s 2 10-foot-long 4×4s 3 6-foot-long 2×6s 9 8-foot-long 2×6s 2 10-foot-long 2×6s 1 6-foot-long 2×4 13 8-foot-long 2×4s 2 pounds 2½-inch deck screws 26 3½-inch deck screws 8 7-inch-long ⅜-inch c

Desert-Edge Garden: Entertaining Friends and Wildlife

Terracing a Sloping Site In Tucson, Arizona, Barbara Gutek and Geza Bottlik wanted a garden that welcomes both guests and desert wildlife. Designer Jeffrey Trent terraced the sloping property to maximize usable space. Th

Pathway Transition: From Formal Garden to Wild Landscape

A Path That Mirrors the Journey Landscape architect Tito Patri uses a path to mark the transition from a controlled garden to an uncontrolled native landscape in Woodside, California. In the formal area, Indian basalt co

Front-Yard Sanctuary: A Sunken Patio Under an Ash Tree

Turning a Front Yard into a Private Retreat Homeowners Patti Bowen and Monte Atkinson of Boulder, Colorado, lacked a backyard but craved a woodsy escape. They found their solution beneath the sprawling canopy of a mature

Creating a Tropical Backyard Oasis in Los Angeles

A Hollywood-Inspired Paradise California native Greg Asbagh fell in love with tropical scenery while watching Elvis movies—Blue Hawaii was a favorite for its lush landscapes. A Caribbean honeymoon and subsequent trips to

Brise-Soleil Sun Screen Keeps Seattle Home Cool and Stylish

Architect Tim Carlander designed a cedar slat screen (½ x 3½ inches) 4 ft from the wall. Summer: high sun blocked, reflected light enters. Winter: low sun enters, warming the house. Stained for uniform look. Practical an

Sunken Meadow Garden Creates Alpine Retreat in Seattle Backyard

Designers Hendrikus Schraven and Jules Durant transformed a flat lawn into a multi-tiered, grass-free retreat: sunken meadow with New Zealand brass buttons, Montana slate terrace with creeping thyme, Eagle Mountain stone

Top Trees for Spectacular Autumn Foliage

Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis): orange/red/gold; zones 4-16, 18-23. Japanese maple (Acer palmatum): varieties Bloodgood, Bonfire, etc.; zones A3, 2-10, 12, 14-24. Liquidambar: Palo Alto (orange-red), Festival (mu

Double Archimedes' Spiral: A Mini Labyrinth Garden Design

Ahna Pietras-Dominskis backyard features a double spiral path around a rock border with ornamental alliums. She calls it a mini labyrinth with spiritual and physical presence.

Build Your Own Backyard Bocce Court for Classic Italian Fun

Standard court: 60x12 ft. Steps: dig/level, build box with builders level, install French drain (¾-inch crushed rock), cover with ½-inch hardware cloth, fill with class II base rock, top with 3-inch decomposed granite/cl

Sister Duo Shares Pro Garden Maintenance Secrets for Year-Round Color

Sisters Brenda Gousha and Barbara McFadden (with Patrice Longmire) run Sisters Specialty Gardens. Tips: groom plants at 45° angle toward paths; use specialized tools (hand rake, pruning knife, garden scissors); raise pot

Build an Instant Gazebo in an Afternoon with Prefabricated Arbors

Four prefab arbors form walls; a market umbrella on a table forms the roof. Cost ~$450, time: afternoon. Steps: layout 13-ft circle, set arbors in gravel at umbrella-rim height, add benderboard rim, fill with decomposed

Phoenix Garden Embraces Native Desert Ecology for Outdoor Living

Designer Christy Ten Eyck: front courtyard with curved planters, recycled concrete patio, palo verdes, penstemon, milkweed attracting pollinators. Backyard: curved retaining walls, boulder outcropping spilling water into

Tucson Garden Captures Historic Sonoran Desert Rancho Style

Designer Jeffrey Trent transformed a Tucson property in three years: removed old structures, built a stone ramada and entry arbor resembling a 1930s WPA structure. A preexisting fountain became the focal point, connected

Santa Fe Meadow Garden Blends Seamlessly with Natural Landscape

Betty and Jonathan Calverts garden (designer Richard Wilder) uses a blue grama grass meadow with a flagstone path, taller grasses for realism, mounded soil, and boulders to mimic rolling hills. Minimal hardscape blurs bo

Building a Little Garden House on a Patio Platform

Sometimes one thing leads to another. Architect Bari Thompson of Lake Oswego, Oregon, first created a level terrace on an unusable slope, then installed a patio, then used the patio as a platform to build the little gard

Bougainvillea Thrives on a Desert Slope with Agaves and Cacti

Subtropical bougainvillea makes a surprisingly good companion to agave, cactus, desert spoon, and other Southwest plants on this slope. According to landscape designer Ray Martin, Bougainvillea blooms best when its a bit

Lessons from a Botanical Garden: Fragrance, Giants, Birds, and Seasonal Interest

Planting fragrance is easy. Visitors stop at the kobus magnolias big white blooms to breathe in the scent—but its actually from the Viburnum x burkwoodii behind it. This plant is widely available in the Northwest and eas

Scenic Restoration: Stewardship Over Taming in the Columbia River Gorge

Columbia River Gorge, OR. This panoramic river area, with soaring basalt cliffs and golden hills, attracts vacationers. Most inhabitants try to tame the landscape, but the residents of this 2-acre property near The Dalle