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.

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Find your next good idea.

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

Porch columns frame a view across the lawn toward the house, with planting beds on either side

Project Feature

A pool house that looks both ways

A pool, pavilion, and sport court share a carefully organized landscape.

McHale Landscape Design

Inside the project

Rachio 3 irrigation controller shown with its phone app

Material Matters / Product noteRachio

Rachio 3: what smart watering can—and cannot—do

The controller is most useful when the planting and irrigation plan are understood.

The product note

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

The curved path runs between clipped planting toward a garden structure. The surface is stamped concrete.

Project Feature

A garden walk that earns its place

A curved stamped-concrete path brings a deck, clipped planting, and a small courtyard into one sequence.

Pacific Outdoor LivingShell Beach, California

Inside the project

Wooden Yardistry gazebo sheltering outdoor lounge furniture

Material Matters / Product noteYardistry

Inside a Yardistry wood gazebo

A ready-to-assemble structure still needs a site-specific place in the garden.

The product note

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

Stairs and planted terraces organize the narrow passage, with a timber screen near the upper landing.

Project Feature

A narrow passage becomes a considered arrival

Terraced planting, broad landings, and a timber screen give a confined route between buildings a clear rhythm.

Gardens of Babylon LandscapesFranklin, Tennessee

Inside the project

WAC accent lighting illuminating a mature tree and garden at night

Material Matters / Product noteWAC Lighting

WAC Grand Accent: a tree, a beam, an evening view

An adjustable accent light is a reminder to review the effect from the seat and the boundary.

The product note

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

Woven lounge chairs face a tall stone fireplace on the lower terrace beneath a furnished upper deck

Project Feature

A lakeside garden designed for a crowd

Catered gatherings, a serving kitchen, and routes from the driveway shape a lakeshore retreat.

Mom's Design BuildEdina, Minnesota

Inside the project

Barlow Tyrie Adirondack teak furniture in a garden setting

Material Matters / Product noteBarlow Tyrie

Barlow Tyrie teak, new and weathered

The material palette should include the care routine and the appearance you want over time.

The product note