Zone 1 Pictures & Design Ideas
Outdoor Kitchens: Steel Studs or Concrete Blocks?
Anyone who has ever contemplated constructing their own outdoor kitchen knows there is a long list of ingredients to consider. But while it’s easy to get caught up in the fun decisions like grill size, bun warmers, and beer taps, there’s a fundamental issue that has to be dealt with first: How will...
YardShare to the Rescue: Small Backyard Help
While over a thousand YardShare members have used this site to proudly post photos of their own landscape transformations in the hopes of inspiring others, many folks have come here looking for inspiration of their own. Surf around a while and you’ll run across a few yards like the one shown in thi...
Got a Hobby? Take it Outside!
For most of us, our landscapes say a lot about who we are and what’s important to us. You can spot the yard of an avid gardener from a mile away. That backyard vegetable garden probably belongs to someone who’s concerned about where his family’s food is coming from. Take a look at this personal w...
In Living Color
So you’re making some changes in your yard. What’s on your wish list? If you’re like most, “adding color” is a biggie. And if you’re like most, this is along the lines of what you have in mind......
Killer Looks For Concrete
Concrete. It’s cold, it’s grey, it’s boring. Hold onto those suppositions for just a moment. It’s been calculated that concrete is the second-most-consumed substance on earth, behind only water. Or think about it this way: there is almost one ton of concrete produced for every single human on the ...
Make the Most of Your Small Space
Letting your landscape creativity run wild is easy when you have a sprawling piece of property to work with: a big, blank canvas ready and waiting for whatever your imagination dreams up. But what about when space is at a real premium, as in: you don’t have any? If your “yard” is a high-rise balco...
Are You Water-Wise? A Look at Xeriscapes
There is no commodity more precious to us yard lovers than water. But with many areas around the country experiencing severe drought conditions in recent years, professional landscapers and backyard gardeners alike have had to find ways to make the absolute most out of every drop....
Everything Zen - A Look at Japanese Zen Gardens
Searching for unique ideas on what to do with that small, secluded corner of your yard? Look to the East. Asian-themed gardens are prized for their simplicity, their meditative peacefulness, their effortless flow, and their exquisite balance of traditional elements. While designing a true Japanes...
Just Add Water
In the Biblical story of creation, water shows up on the universe’s very first to-do list on, like, the third day. So why is it that so many backyard landscapers forget to include it entirely?...
How Cool Is Your Pool?
There may not be a landscape feature that allows for more wild creativity, extreme customization, and personal expression than a swimming pool. It used to be that the only pools you saw were either above-ground circles or in-ground rectangles. There might have been a diving board or a big plastic ...
A Thousand (or slightly fewer) Points of Light
Unfortunately, many of us don't think about "lighting" in our landscapes except for the month of December, when we drape a few measly strings of half-twinkling bulbs over our evergreens or, at the other extreme, fire up an animatronic-reindeer display that would put Clark Griswold to shame. But you...
Mow, Blow, and Go
Most of us have an established yardwork routine. This is especially true for mowing. We start in the same spot every week, take the same paths, cut the same rows in the same order, and end in the same spot every time. Then maybe if you're up for it, you break out the trimmer and take down those scra...
Quick Tips for Designing an Eco-Friendly Garden
What Makes a Garden Organic? - An organic garden is one in which you do not use synthetic products on the plants or soil. Synthetic products include things such as pesticides and fertilizers. Essentially, an organic garden is designed to replenish the resources it uses....
Drainage Dilemma
Drainage is a huge consideration when it comes to almost any landscaping project. One professional landscaper I know has told me that drainage is far and away the top item that he fields calls about. Seems like everyone thinks they have some sort of drainage problem… but do they really?...
Outdoor Kitchens: Cooking Up Some Ideas
So you’ve decided to take the plunge and create your own outdoor kitchen? Good for you. Let’s face it, wheeling out that dusty grill every time you want to fire up some dogs and burgers is pretty lame. Permanent, built-in structures dedicated to outdoor cooking are all the rage, and it’s not a fa...
