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 garden table beneath a pergola beside an orchard and a swing seat.

The Planning Notebook

Follow the shade before choosing a seat

Choose a comfortable place for the times you actually spend outdoors.

From the notebook

Lounge chairs sit beneath a large umbrella beside the pool, with stepping slabs crossing the adjoining lawn

Project Feature

An L-shaped lot becomes a sequence of outdoor rooms

Pacific Outdoor Living organizes a pool, cooking area, and garden around the constraints of an irregular lot.

Pacific Outdoor LivingGreater Los Angeles, California

Inside the project

The Haven sofa establishes a full-size lounge setting outside.

Material Matters / Product noteNeighbor

Neighbor Haven: the view from behind the sofa

A teak frame and generous cushions ask for a plan that includes the back of the sofa, storage, and ordinary care.

The product note

Stone steps and retaining walls connect different levels of a planted garden.

Before You Build

Let the slope help organize the garden

Different levels can become distinct destinations when the connections are considered early.

From the notebook

A covered terrace fits beneath the house on a planted slope, with stone walls retaining the garden edge

Project Feature

A hillside intervention opens a room beside the house

Gardens of Babylon describes a project where retaining and drainage work made the outdoor living space possible.

Gardens of Babylon LandscapesWest Nashville, Tennessee

Inside the project

The oven opening and adjacent landing area work together during a pizza session.

Material Matters / Product noteGozney

Gozney Arc XL and the pizza-night patio

The oven is one part of a working arrangement. Preparation, launching, serving, and putting away need their own space.

The product note

Pale stone and fabric samples arranged beside a wooden ruler and a leafy stem.

Material Matters

A quieter palette, a stronger garden

Use repetition to connect the house, paving, structure, and planting.

From the notebook

Skylights brighten an enclosed porch with white lounge chairs, a fireplace, and a separate dining table

Project Feature

A porch for a narrow, sloping site

Retractable screens and linked outdoor levels make a constrained yard more useful.

Mom's Design BuildEden Prairie, Minnesota

Inside the project

A group gathers around an X Series fire pit; the people and chairs need their own share of the space.

Material Matters / Product noteBreeo

Breeo X Series: the fire pit and the evening around it

Choose a wood-burning gathering place with its seating, tending routine, finish, and operating conditions in view.

The product note

A swimming pool beside a timber canopy, paved terrace, and open indoor-outdoor room.

The Planning Notebook

Design the garden around the pool, too

The water is one part of the outdoor room. Its edges determine much of the experience.

From the notebook

Stone steps and planted terraces connect a poolside sitting area with the wooded slope beyond

Project Feature

A backyard that belongs to the woodland

A plunge pool and fire gathering place sit within a landscape of stone and native planting.

Southview Design

Inside the project

Overhead heaters sit within a furnished covered lounge. Their position should follow the occupied seating area.

Material Matters / Product noteBromic

Bromic Tungsten: warmth where you sit

Radiant heating belongs in the furniture and electrical plans, with the occupied places guiding the layout.

The product note