Grand Entrance

Problem solving: Cameron Park, CaliforniaEven royalty would feel welcome ascending the vast new walkway to John and Joyce Wilsons Cameron Park home. The steps seem to sweep visitors right up to the front door, remar

Trellis facade

Rows of sun-loving arborvitae can be invaluable for hiding unattractive garden structures. But in a shaded section of a garden in Woodinville, Washington, they werent vigorous enough to obscure a woodshed that front

From driveway to cozy courtyard

By relinquishing part of her driveway, Carrie Nimmer solved two problems. The Phoenix landscape designer wanted a private outdoor place to enjoy a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. And she wanted a prettier view fro

Abundant gardening

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 beautiful produce that he planted other vegetables, herbs, and

Tea in the garden

If you want a childs undivided attention, host a tea party, suggests Agatha Youngblood, a gardener in Rancho Santa Fe, California.Theres something about the ceremony of brewing and sipping tea that soothes and settl

Lakewood, Washington: New life for an old pool

What do you do with a leaky old pool surrounded by unattractive concrete decking that takes up half the backyard? Turn it into a colorful garden, of course.In a clever redesign, landscape architect Jeff Glander fill

3 great gardens from our readers

BRINGING JAPAN HOMEDavid Polifko • San Francisco • 3 years, start to finishMy Inspiration: The architecture of Japan, where I lived for five years in the 1990s.Challenges: Budget and time. Solution: I divided the ma

Night lights

No one is sorry that Thomas Edison figured out how to harness electricity. But if a seductive atmosphere is what youre after, candlepower beats kilowatts every time.In his backyard ramada in Scottsdale, Arizona, art

Thinking small

Small rooms or dwellings discipline the mind, large ones weaken it. - Leonardo da Vinci, NotebooksIf you have a huge backyard, da Vinci might argue, its possible to approach landscaping casually-you have the latitud

Fences frame the garden

Vi Kono of Redmond, Washington, started by framing a space with fences, then composing a garden within it. I can see the vegetable plot from my kitchen, she explains. The fence gives structure to the garden and give

Privacy, with plants

Fences are fine between neighboring properties, as far as they go. But often--especially in communities where lots are small--standard 6-foot-tall fences dont block views of unsightly roof lines or a looming multist

Retreat for two

Any view worth framing needs a focal point ― something that draws your attention and brings order to the overall picture. An outdoor conversation area was the perfect solution for Cindy Combss small-space garden in

Stack a bed

 Directions: Stack a bed  Inspired by stone walls she saw at Englands famous Chelsea Flower Show, Marilyn Herlihy Dronenburg of Fallbrook, California, dry-stacked flagstones to frame raised beds in her vegetable gar

Create your own pondside retreat

TINY URBAN GEMSimple techniques make a city garden look and feel largerFinding room for outdoor living is not always easy in a compact backyard. And the task is even more challenging when youre also trying to mainta

Lawnless in Malibu

Garden Renovation: Malibu, CaliforniaThe impressive transformation of Robert and Ann Hylands Malibu garden from lawn to a haven for outdoor living and gardening caught the eye of the judges. The old garden was very

Attached to the outside of the house, this 15 ½-inch deep structure opens to reveal a spacious (7 ½ feet by 6 feet) storage area. The 72- by 80-inch opening accommodates two barn doors, which we built from rough-saw

Succulent sitting area

A wreath inspired this bank planting, which curves behind my semicircular sitting area in Escondido, California. Id made a wreath using various kinds of succulents, and I admired the beauty of their fleshy leaves, s

A dramatic entry to a Wright house

Six years ago, Rob Steiner bought a Frank Lloyd Wright house in the hills of Eugene, Oregon. Built in 1958, it was a Usonian-style house, Wrights term for his designs that were affordable for the average American. S

Sprig or sprout ?

Even a tiny garden has room for a compact water feature like the one in the courtyard of Debbie Fleischaker and David Crockers Santa Fe home. Though the courtyard is quite small ― only 15 by 25 feet ― the couple wan

Desert spoon adds a native accent

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 Gordons Tucson garden. This evergr