Grand Entrance: Transforming a Steep Approach into a Gracious Welcome

From Hidden Decks to a Sweeping Walkway Before its redesign, the entrance to John and Joyce Wilsons Cameron Park, California home was a confusing 11-foot climb up multilevel wood decks that didnt visibly lead to the fron

Elegant Trellis Facade Conceals Woodshed with Climbing Hydrangeas

A Two-Dimensional Solution for a Shaded Corner In a Woodinville, Washington garden, sun-loving arborvitae failed to thrive in a shaded area, leaving an unsightly woodshed visible from the main patio. Landscape designer V

Driveway to Courtyard: A Private Outdoor Room in Phoenix

By relinquishing part of her driveway, Phoenix landscape designer Carrie Nimmer solved two problems: she wanted a private outdoor spot for coffee or wine, and a prettier view from her kitchen window than a concrete strip

Abundant Organic Gardening: Craig Murray's Methods

More than a decade ago, Craig Murray began growing hard-to-find tomatoes and peppers in Los Altos Hills, California. His organic methods yielded so much produce that he expanded to other vegetables, herbs, and flowers fo

Tea Garden Magic for Children

Want a childs undivided attention? Host a tea party, suggests gardener Agatha Youngblood of Rancho Santa Fe, California. The ceremony of brewing and sipping tea soothes even the young and restless. Set aside a special ga

Pool-to-Garden Transformation in Lakewood, Washington

What do you do with a leaky old pool surrounded by unattractive concrete decking that consumes half the backyard? Turn it into a colorful garden. Landscape architect Jeff Glander filled in the fiberglass pool, demolished

Reader Garden Showcase: Bringing Japan Home in San Francisco

David Polifko • San Francisco • 3 years, start to finish Inspiration & Challenges Inspired by five years living in Japan in the 1990s, Polifko tackled budget and time constraints by dividing the makeover into three annu

Candlelight Magic: Low-Voltage and Solar Alternatives for Evening Gardens

No one regrets Edisons electricity, but for seductive atmosphere, candlepower beats kilowatts every time. In his Scottsdale backyard ramada, artist Jeff Zischke houses candles in antique carriage lamps and mason jars, su

Small Garden, Big Impact: Embracing Limitations

Small rooms or dwellings discipline the mind, large ones weaken it. — Leonardo da Vinci If you have a huge backyard, you can afford a few landscaping mistakes. But when your garden is as compact as Christine Moores 590-

Fencing as Garden Architecture: A Rustic Vegetable Garden

Vi Kono of Redmond, Washington, started her garden design by framing the space with fences, then composing the garden within. The fence gives structure to the garden and gives me something to look at during the time of y

Privacy Screening with Well-Behaved Plants

Standard 6-foot fences often fail to block views of neighboring rooflines or multi-story buildings, and building codes rarely allow taller structures. While fast-growing hedges like Pittosporum eugenioides can become mai

Create an Intimate Garden Retreat with a Focal Point

Every captivating garden view needs a focal point—something that draws the eye and brings order to the scene. For Cindy Combss small Seattle garden, an outdoor conversation area became that anchor. She added an architect

Build a Flagstone Raised Bed for Your Vegetable Garden

Inspired by the stone walls at Englands Chelsea Flower Show, Marilyn Herlihy Dronenburg of Fallbrook, California, created beautiful mortarless raised beds using dry-stacked flagstone. She chose patio-cut flagstone—1½-inc

Designing a Serene Urban Oasis: Small Garden Ideas from San Francisco to Santa Fe

Transforming Tiny Yards into Expansive Retreats Creating a peaceful outdoor haven in a compact city lot is a challenge many urban dwellers face. Yet, as three remarkable gardens demonstrate, clever design can make even t

From Lawn to Lush Living: A Malibu Garden Transformation

Garden Renovation: Malibu, California The remarkable transformation of Robert and Ann Hylands Malibu garden from a plain lawn to a haven for outdoor living and gardening caught the judges attention. The old garden was ve

Building a Compact Garden Shed with Barn Doors

Project Overview This 15½-inch-deep shed attaches to the exterior of a house and opens to reveal a spacious 7½-foot by 6-foot storage area. The 72-by-80-inch opening accommodates two barn doors, which can be built from r

Creating a Succulent Sanctuary: A Half-Wreath Garden for Relaxation

Inspired by a Wreath A living wreath of succulents sparked the idea for a unique garden feature in my Escondido, California backyard. I had crafted a wreath using various succulents and was captivated by their fleshy lea

Transforming the Entry of a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian House

Landscape architect Brad Stangeland moved parking far from the front door. A curving basalt steppingstone path with jewel mint leads past a stream with basins, low plants (azaleas, Japanese blood grass, wild strawberries

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