Thinking Like an Artist: Gather Ideas, Lose Fear, Enjoy the Process

California artist Marie del Carmen Calvo shares three mindset shifts for garden creativity. Gather Ideas “Visit museums, walk through gardens, take a hike. Beauty is everywhere.” Collect books, clippings, and photos of

Reinvent Your Driveway: Plant It, Patio It, or Path It

Three homeowners turned dead‑space driveways into living assets. 1. PLANT IT – Palo Alto Landscape architect Jeni Webber replaced a solid driveway with twin concrete ribbons, planting the median with low‑growers (echeve

Living with the New Wave of Wildfire: Risks, Science, and Home Hardening

By the Numbers 4.5 million acres burned in the West last year 30 seconds for a house fire to double in size 900°F – wildfire temperature 94% of California wildfires caused by people More than half of California’s 20 l

An Alpine Plunge in the Backyard: Transforming a Cookie‑Cutter Pool

BEFORE: A plain oval pool on a flat concrete slab with overgrown landscaping blocking views. AFTER: A rugged, romantic mountain‑landscape pool. Designer Gary Sewell Jr. covered the shell with gray plaster (darkening the

Urn as Patio Table or Mini‑Greenhouse: Two Creative Uses

Patio Table Greenhouse: Sunset test garden coordinator Bud Stuckey roots succulents in an 18‑inch urn filled with potting soil, topped with a 24‑inch tempered glass round (sold as a tabletop). The mini‑greenhouse doubles

Rooftop Zen Garden: Turning a Garage Roof into a Meditative Space

When Mimi Jensen noticed a depression in the gravel of her garage roof, she envisioned a large‑scale Zen garden. Designer John McRae covered the roof with fresh gravel and used lightweight urethane and polyurethane rock

Tucson Cottage Color: A Javelina‑Proof Garden Renovation

After repeated attacks by javelinas (peccaries), Cliff and Edna Osborne of Tucson hired designer Lisa Balcer to protect their front yard. What began as a pest solution became a full renovation: a colorful cottage garden

One‑Day Wonder: Forcing Flowering Branches into Early Bloom

Large vases filled with blooming branches announce spring like nothing else. Trim branches from deciduous flowering trees or shrubs, arrange them in a vase, and watch buds unfurl—pruning now also thins the canopy for hea

Pond in Glass: A Tiny Water Feature for Any Space

A single water hyacinth floating in a glass vase reveals its delicate roots—a miniature pond for a tabletop. No access to floating water plants? Gently set a fluffy‑petaled bloom like a camellia or rose atop the water fo

Seaside Gallery: Salt‑Tolerant Succulents and South African Natives

Beachfront gardening means salty breezes and reflected heat. At Abbott and Marsha Krieger’s Pacific Palisades home, designer Stephanie Wilson Blanc embraced the challenge with plants that thrive in those conditions—succu

Port Orchard, WA: Raised Beds That Step Down a Slope

To keep a lawn for their kids while adding a productive vegetable garden, Kirk and Teri Doughty worked with landscaper David Tubberville to create a series of raised beds that terrace down the slope. All beds are built f

Big Splash on a Small Budget: DIY Creek and Pond in San Mateo

Barbara Carey and Mike Phinney built a natural-looking creek and pond in San Mateo for about $500 and three days of labor. Except for rocks (selected for best lichen growth), all supplies came from a home improvement cen

Mixing Plants in Borders: Contrast, Repetition, and Nature’s Palette

A border doesn’t need a complex plan—just a few guiding principles. Keep taller perennials at the back, shorter ones up front. Separate clashing colors by several yards or buffer them with masses of blue, white, or gray‑

Make Your Garden Glow: Autumn Color Strategies from the Northwest and Southwest

Autumn’s golds, reds, and plums can turn a garden into a luminous retreat. Two design teams—one in Gig Harbor, Washington, the other in Santa Fe, New Mexico—show how to orchestrate foliage, bark, and late blooms for maxi

Sunny Border for Three Seasons: A Mediterranean Perennial Recipe

Want a flower border that blooms nearly continuously with minimal water and effort? Landscape architecture student Sharon Finkle proved it’s possible with a Mediterranean perennial mix in Sunset’s test garden. Her 11‑by‑

How to Add Interest to Your Garden Beds: Angle, Shape, Height, and More

Creating a garden bed that draws the eye and feels inviting is about more than plant selection—it’s about geometry, elevation, and framing. Here are six design levers to transform a flat planting area into a dynamic foca

Ask the Water-Saving Experts: Gray Water, Rainwater Harvesting, and Tiered Pricing

Landscape architect and water-systems expert Josiah Cain has shaped some of California’s most iconic sustainable landscapes, including the 2½-acre living roof atop San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences. Beyond l

Denver Potager: Edible and Ornamental Garden Blend

Judy and Ken Robins’ potager (from French potage, soup) mingles edibles and ornamentals. Nasturtiums with peppery flowers back zucchini and cabbage. They also grow arugula, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, onions,

Redwood City Plant Lover's Paradise: Exuberant Borders

Pamela Ryan’s garden, designed by Bernard Trainor, features exuberant borders around an easy-care chamomile lawn. Blowsy grasses—bronze Carex testacea and variegated Miscanthus sinensis—contrast with bold foliage of ange

Croquet Court Backyard in Encinitas, California

Norm and Lynn Ginsburg’s Encinitas backyard features a 1,200-square-foot ‘Tifgreen’ hybrid Bermuda grass lawn flanking the patio—perfect for croquet, a game anyone can play regardless of age or skill. Norm cuts the lawn