Sprig or Sprout? A Tiny Fountain in a Santa Fe Courtyard

A Miniature Water Feature for a Small Space Even a tiny garden has room for a compact water feature like the one in the courtyard of Debbie Fleischaker and David Crocker’s Santa Fe home. Though the courtyard is quite sma

Desert Spoon Adds a Native Accent to a Tucson Garden

Symmetrical Form for a Curving Path Landscape architect Stephen Grede chose a native plant with powerful symmetrical shape—desert spoon, or sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri)—to accentuate the gently curving path in Carol Gordo

Polynesian-Inspired Toolshed Becomes Garden Focal Point

220-sq-ft shed inspired by Polynesian dwelling, complements tropical landscape. Bamboo siding, palm thatch, bamboo poles. Skylights, windows, sliding barn doors. Pathways bordered with tropical plants. Designer: John Jen

Three‑in‑One Orchard: Plant Three Stone Fruit Trees in the Space of One

Maximize Your Harvest in Minimal Space If you have room for just one stone fruit tree, you can squeeze in three. With space for two, you can shoehorn in six. How? Plant three trees in a triangular space not much bigger t

Intimate Garden Rooms in a Taos Adobe Estate

Susan Blevins (English-born, lived in Italy) created garden rooms around an 1830 adobe at 7,000 ft. Blue unifying color, adobe walls store heat. Frost-tender Mediterranean plants in containers moved indoors winter. Three

Family Garden: Designed for Play, Pets, and Low Maintenance

A Garden That Works for an Active Family In Stacie Crooks’s garden, mornings are magic. As she and husband Jon breakfast on the patio, they can look through a leafy screen to see son Dylan bouncing on a trampoline. Or th

A Slender Pond: Converting a Planter into a Raised Water Garden

From Spa Plan to Water Feature Already ideal for alfresco dining, the patio behind the Seattle home of Jennifer Chayes and Christian Borgs lacked one element the owners wanted: a spa. To build it, they hired landscape de

Versatile Carex: Graceful Sedges for Every Garden

Grass‑Like Plants with Year‑Round Appeal With clumps of long, wispy leaves, Carex adds instant movement and softness to gardens of any style. A large group of grass‑like plants, Carex, also known as sedge, is grown for

Winding Ways: Creating Usable Space on a Steep Slope

Overcoming the Challenges of Gardening on an Incline Santa Monica Canyon, CA — Gardening on an incline is always a challenge. But finding usable space on tilted ground for growing herbs and vegetables and for dining and

Natural Wonder: A Garden That Merges with the Landscape

Seamless Integration with Nature Geyserville, CA. This garden above Northern California’s Russian River Valley flows seamlessly into its surroundings. As one juror pointed out, “There’s no conflict between garden and nat

Protecting Mature Trees During a Home Remodel

The Risks to Trees During Construction During a remodel, bad things can and often do happen to trees. Among the mishaps observed recently in neighborhoods around the West: a lovely, large Japanese maple dug up during the

Refreshing Summer Containers with White and Lime Foliage

Cool‑Down Your Garden with Crisp Colors If the heat has your garden in the doldrums, refresh a tired corner with a splash of white or lime. In containers, plants with white flowers look clean and cool; those with lime or

Tranquil Enclosure: A Napa Courtyard Garden

Simple Elegance in a Fully Enclosed Space Napa, CA. Quiet and graceful, William Snowden’s elegant garden in the Napa Valley is actually a central courtyard almost entirely enclosed by house walls. Before the remodel, th

Portland’s Perfectly Crafted Forested Hillside Garden

A Calming Woodland Retreat Visiting Joyce and Bill Furman’s forested hillside garden in Portland is a calming experience. As you wander beneath the cool, lush tree canopy, you hear the soothing sound of water running thr

Keeyla Meadows: Turning Gardens into Works of Art

Best of Show at San Francisco Flower & Garden Show When Keeyla Meadows designs display gardens at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show, enchanted visitors hover around them like kids at a carousel, marveling at ele

Blending Desert Natives with a Vegetable Garden in Paradise Valley

Harmonizing Contrasting Landscape Desires The owners of this new home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, wanted their landscape to reflect the surrounding desert while also incorporating a vegetable garden and citrus trees. La

Turning a Barren Slope into a Colorful Garden Oasis

From Moonscape to Lemonade Garden “If you’re given lemons, you make lemonade,” says landscape designer Maile Arnold of the “lemon of a backyard” she transformed into the beautiful garden pictured here. Steep slopes and h

Tropical Tapestry: A Hawaiian Garden Paradise on Mauna Hualalai

A Garden Carved from Volcanic Slopes High above the Pacific Ocean on the slopes of Mauna Hualalai lies Fern and Larry Kanes’ Hawaiian paradise, created by designer Julie Ellison. The 165‑by‑60‑foot garden was carefully c

Designing a Coordinated Spring Flower Show for a Cheery Entryway

Creating an Easter Basket Effect with Spring Blooms Ellen and Don Scott wanted a bright, welcoming Easter basket effect at the entrance to their Denver home. Landscape designer Rebecca Serratoni brought their vision to l

Garden Details: Maximizing Space on a Small Lot

Front Yard: Tall Plants for Presence Tall house, short setback—common in tract housing. Instead of diminutive plants, designer Theresa Clark uses tall plants to compensate for lack of foreground. At the Hogans’, a pair o