Gardens & living

Good ideas take root.

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

A hand reaches toward dried flower heads on upright stems, with leafy shrubs and orange fruit behind.

The Garden Notebook

The garden after the flowers

Faded flowers, upright stems, and the shapes that carry a garden into its next season.

From the notebook

A small round wooden table with flowers and a serving tray sits beside a raised herb bed on a deck.

Life Outside

Sunday lunch, with the doors open

A simpler menu, a generous table, and enough preparation for the host to sit down too.

From the notebook

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

Small terracotta pots of yellow daffodils stand among moss and birch logs in an indoor display.

The Garden Notebook

Plant a small spring in a pot

Choose the flowers, settle their winter care, and leave room for what happens after bloom.

From the notebook

A dark vase of pink and peach flowers stands on a wooden garden table with planting behind it.

Life Outside

A few flowers from the garden

Choose a vessel, gather with care, and let the stems keep something of their garden character.

From the notebook

Potted plants of different heights grouped on a gravel surface.

The Garden Notebook

Let a few containers do more

Compose a useful group of pots, then resolve root space, drainage, watering, and seasonal care.

From the notebook

A small lawn surrounded by flowering borders, shrubs, and a cottage.

The Garden Notebook

Keep the lawn you use

Choose a complete first area to change, preserve the lawn that serves a purpose, and revise its watering plan.

From the notebook

An American robin sits in the water of a round garden birdbath, with green foliage behind it.

The Garden Notebook

Mosquito prevention starts with the water

Find the overlooked water-holding places, give useful water a care routine, and know when to seek local help.

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

Wood, stone, fabric, and paint samples arranged together on a light surface.

Material Matters

Take the samples into the backyard

Turn a visual preference into a documented choice, including installed edges, care, and substitutions.

From the notebook

A compact garden with a lawn, paved seating area, and gray timber fencing.

The Backyards Edit

A backyard for the life you lead

Begin with the ordinary moments you want to spend outdoors, then give them a place.

From the notebook