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.

Potted plants and a small seating area in a sheltered brick and stone courtyard.

Small Space Studies

A small yard needs a clear idea

Fewer destinations, better proportions, and a view that has somewhere to go.

From the notebook

A rectangular pool and raised spa meet a narrow lawn and planted boundary beside the house

Project Feature

A compact courtyard keeps its geometry simple

Pale stone and a restrained water feature make a concise pool composition.

Platinum Pools

Inside the project

At the Bulent Residence, the deck turns around the pool and a sequence of steps.

Material Matters / Product noteKebony

Kebony decking and the beauty of weathering wood

Modified timber brings grain and change to a deck. Choose the finish you want to live with, then resolve the edges.

The product note

Woven chairs and a glass table in front of a white privacy screen and potted evergreens.

The Considered Detail

Privacy begins where you sit

The right screen solves a particular sightline rather than enclosing everything.

From the notebook

An open pergola and roofed patio frame a lounge area, with lighting set into the low stone boundary wall

Project Feature

Keeping the slab, changing the whole experience

A retained concrete patio gains shelter, lighting, and a more legible arrangement.

SelectDecksMorgantown, West Virginia

Inside the project

Dark railing outlines the deck while keeping the view between its vertical members.

Material Matters / Product noteTrex

Trex Signature: design the view through the railing

Posts, infill, stairs, and the seated outlook deserve as much attention as the decking underfoot.

The product note

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 deck wraps around a hot tub beside a screened porch, with the garden path continuing below

Project Feature

A deck designed around the hot tub

A retained porch frame and a new deck arrangement give a backyard more everyday uses.

Fence & Deck ConnectionCrofton, Maryland

Inside the project

Luxembourg dining chairs sit beside a lower lounge group on this sheltered terrace.

Material Matters / Product noteFermob

Fermob Luxembourg: a family of seats with room to mix

Dining and lounge forms share a familiar slatted language. Start with posture, then compose the color.

The product note

Wooden dining chairs around a rectangular table on a terrace bordered by stonework and planting.

The Considered Detail

Give dinner a little more room

A dining space works when serving, sitting, and moving all fit into the plan.

From the notebook

An aerial view shows the arrival drive, planted boundaries, house, and pool arranged across the property

Project Feature

A garden designed from the arrival onward

Stone terraces and planting connect the front approach with a substantial backyard.

McHale Landscape DesignMcLean, Virginia

Inside the project

White lounge chairs form a small sitting place beside a planted courtyard edge.

Material Matters / Product noteLoll Designs

A low seat in the garden: Loll Lollygagger

A low, relaxed seat changes the reach to a table, the view of the garden, and the way a pair of chairs belongs together.

The product note