The Planning Notebook
Use the off-season to make better backyard decisions
Turn a quieter period into a useful design notebook.
Gardens & living
Good ideas take root.
Gardens through the seasons, places to gather, and practical ideas for making yourself at home outside.
The Considered Detail
Plan the cushion routine before buying the sofa
Comfort includes what happens when the weather changes or the evening ends.
The Garden Notebook
Leave a garden handoff that someone can actually use
A short, specific note is better than a general request to look after everything.
The Garden Notebook
The first year is part of the garden design
Give a new planting an establishment plan and room to develop.
The Garden Notebook
An annual edit for the garden you already love
Make a few useful changes without treating every season as a redesign.
The Backyards Edit
Give existing outdoor furniture a better role
A rearrangement or a new pairing can be more useful than replacing the whole set.
The Planning Notebook
Photograph the garden as a design tool
A consistent record reveals relationships that memory tends to smooth over.
Before You Build
Read the yard after rain
Trace the source, route, and destination of water before choosing a drainage solution.
The Garden Notebook
What a soil test can tell you
Choose the right test, keep distinct beds separate, and turn a laboratory report into a considered planting decision.
Before You Build
A garden route that works for you
Follow the complete journey from the door to the table, including gates, turns, surfaces, and room to rest.
Material Matters
Permeable paving starts below the surface
Compare the complete pavement system, its drainage assumptions, and the maintenance it will require.
Before You Build
Before the digging begins
Put approvals, utility locating, responsibilities, and the current drawing in order before work starts.