"beach" yards, pictures, and ideas...
Summer Fun for Teens in the Backyard
With summer fast approaching, your teenagers will soon be out of school. This time of year, teens need a place to gather that’s safe and fun. Why not make it your back yard? If you make your yard inviting enough, yours can be the “cool” house where all the neighborhood teens gather. ...
Yards Designed By The World’s Best Parents
Some parents (and grandparents) really go all out in turning their backyard into a super-fantastic playground for their progeny. These projects no doubt cost a pretty penny, but it’s worth it to pry kids loose from their X-Box long enough to actually get some physical activity. ...
The Not-So-Subtle Tropical Plant
Tropical plants are prized for their lush foliage, brilliant flowers and bold, exotic appearance. Typically grown outdoors where winters are mild and humidity is high, their ideal climate and growing conditions can be duplicated almost anywhere by moving them inside near a......
How To Grow Exotic Air Plants
All they need is the air they breathe, bright light—but no direct sun—and a bath two to three times a week. Do not add soil; they’ll just hang out wherever you plop them down and in whatever container you plop them in....
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. ...
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?...
All Decked Out
For easily-accessible outdoor entertainment space, it’s hard to beat a deck. As a rule, decks typically feel more like a part of the house than a part of the garden. But if you have a deck, there’s probably no better vantage point from which to view your garden… and there may be no part of your outdoor space where you spend more time....
Walk This Way
Creating a landscape to be gazed at from afar is all well and good. Presenting that sensational view from the street or from the house is one of the main goals of just about any yard transformation. But gardens are also meant to be enjoyed on a more personal level. Intricate leaf patterns, unusual foliage textures, and the detailed colors of blooms and flowers can only be fully appreciated from up close. ...
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 you build the darn thing???...
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 water park in Granite Bay, CA......
