"Design" yards, pictures, and ideas...
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Robert Frost wasn't crazy about fences, but his neighbor was. Maybe Frost was messy and the neighbor wanted everybody to know where Frost's property ended and his began; maybe Frost's neighbor wanted to keep kids out of his yard. Who knows? In any case, fences are a very popular addition to many yards. ...
Is Your Landscaping Pet Approved?
Backyard landscaping isn’t just for the birds (and raccoons and squirrels). Pets need a safe place to frolic and have fun too. It’s good for their mental and physical well being – plus the more hair they shed outside the less ends up on your couch. ...
Divide and Conquer - Gardening With Bulbs, Part Two
When we last saw Our Gardening Hero, he was carefully noting the locations of clumps of crocuses, daffodils, and the like. He mapped them out in a way designed to show his children that this was not a treasure map, and then he went on to live his life....
The Short and Winding Road – Pathway Design Principles
A pathway that “leads right to your door” is a core element of landscaping design. Of course, there’s a big difference between a path leading to your front entryway and one that meanders through the garden behind your house. ...
Peering Into The Void – Landscaping Large Spaces
Questions about how to make the most of a small space are pretty common. But it can be just as hard - and much more expensive - to landscape a large yard. If you are staring out at a great, yawning expanse of lawn, here are some ways to fill in the blanks....
Color Your Garden
Do you remember the “color wheel” you were introduced to back in your school art classes? If so, it will come in handy this spring when you’re designing a new, colorful garden spot or revamping a tired-looking border. If your memory needs a little prodding, here’s a short refresher course......
Making Plans, Designing and Creating a New Garden
Whether considering a small space or a complete yard make-over, you’ll need to assess and analyze the area—or areas—of your landscape that you are wanting to enhance or in which you’re going to create a new garden....
Pool Landscaping with Shapes and Colors
“Oasis”, “tropical resort”, “paradise” - pool owners tend to get a little carried away in describing their backyard. But some folks really do manage to create a poolside Shangri-La. How do they do it?...
Keeping the Kids in Mind
I grew up next door to a vacant lot. On any given weekend, it was a football/kickball/wiffle ball field, home to dawn-to-dusk “capture the flag” marathons, a BMX test track, an obstacle course, hide-and-seek homebase, or the site of our neighborhood Olympics. Maybe vacant lots are just rare these days… or maybe today’s kids demand more than an abandoned field to play in. Whatever the reason, more and more folks are dedicating parts of their yard to the smallest members of the family....
Don't Take Your Countertop for Granite
In many landscapes, the outdoor kitchen is the focal point, the centerpiece, the crowning touch of a painstakingly-designed and highly-anticipated entertainment space. And sometimes, it needs just that little extra something to make it really pop. More and more grilling stations and exterior bars are getting graced with granite as that final detail that puts it over the edge and takes it from so-so to sssssweeet! ...
