Gardens & living

Good ideas take root.

Gardens through the seasons, places to gather, and practical ideas for making yourself at home outside.

Woven chairs surround a table on a porch with a timber ceiling and broad views of leafy trees.

Life Outside

The porch between house and garden

Give the doorway, the view, and the everyday visit a place in the room.

From the notebook

A paved path leads toward a white house, with lawn beside the path and tree branches overhead.

Before You Build

The first five feet in wildfire country

Review the area where garden and house meet, with a practical work list grounded in fire-research guidance.

From the notebook

An open paper planner and pencil on a tabletop.

The Planning Notebook

The handoff notebook every finished yard needs

An installed-material register, demonstrated controls, and clear open items make a finished yard easier to own.

From the notebook

A white timber pergola with lattice sides over a brick garden path.

Before You Build

Plan the room before the pergola

Put the chairs, table, and walking routes on the drawing before the posts.

From the notebook

A garden table beneath a pergola beside an orchard and a swing seat.

The Planning Notebook

Follow the shade before choosing a seat

Choose a comfortable place for the times you actually spend outdoors.

From the notebook

Glowing string lights beneath a timber canopy with trailing green leaves.

The Considered Detail

Design for the evening you want

Begin with the places and moments that need light, then choose the fixtures.

From the notebook

A weekly paper planner beside a phone and stationery.

The Planning Notebook

Make a decision calendar before the work begins

A calm way to handle samples, fixtures, and approvals without choosing everything at once.

From the notebook

A laptop, notebook, and papers on a round outdoor table beside green planting.

Small Space Studies

A place to work outside for an hour

Plan a useful outdoor work perch without turning the garden into an office.

From the notebook

Two folded towels resting in a woven basket outdoors.

The Considered Detail

The poolside storage plan

Towels, toys, and everyday supplies need a place before they reach the chairs.

From the notebook

A solid tiled roof above a timber bench and hanging planters.

Before You Build

Pergola or solid roof: decide what should happen overhead

Compare light, enclosure, and the view from inside the house.

From the notebook

Repeated overhead timber slats forming a pergola and striped shadows.

Material Matters

Wood or metal for the pergola frame?

Compare the visual weight and care of the complete structure.

From the notebook

A freestanding white garden chair with a gray cushion on paving beside plants.

The Backyards Edit

Let the outdoor room shift for summer

Furniture can follow the season even when the terrace stays the same.

From the notebook