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 Backyards Library
A little curiosity. A better backyard.
Gardens to explore, things to grow, and ideas for the way you live outside. Browse the stories or follow a collection below.
Find a story ↓Find your next good idea.
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.
The Garden Notebook
Choose plants for the place you have
A hardiness zone is a starting point. Light, water, soil, exposure, and the care you can give complete the brief.