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.

Curved stone steps descend between a retaining wall and a wooded lawn.

The Considered Detail

Follow the route you already take

A garden path should support daily movement as well as the view.

From the notebook

An overhead view shows a rectangular pool and spa set into a pale paved terrace beside the lawn

Project Feature

Water, fire, and a sheltered outdoor room

A glass spa and sunken lounge give an enclosed outdoor environment its focal points.

Ryan Hughes Design Build

Inside the project

Path lights sit beside timber steps, where the walking surface needs to remain readable.

Material Matters / Product noteKichler

Kichler’s brass dome light after dark

Kichler’s domed fixture makes a small architectural gesture. The light on the ground matters more than a row of matching posts.

The product note

A narrow brick passage with climbing plants opens toward pots in a courtyard.

Small Space Studies

The overlooked side of the house

A narrow passage can become a useful and pleasant part of the property.

From the notebook

A gabled porch overlooks the pool, with a curved deck edge and steps connecting the outdoor levels

Project Feature

Opening a deck toward the pool

A previously divided deck becomes a more connected outdoor platform.

Keystone Outdoor LivingMalvern, Pennsylvania

Inside the project

Drip tubing follows a planted bed beneath the flowers.

Material Matters / Product noteRain Bird

Rain Bird XFD: watering beneath the leaves

A dripline layout should follow roots, planting groups, and the way the bed will be maintained.

The product note

Glowing string lights beneath a timber canopy with trailing green leaves.

The Considered Detail

Design for the evening you want

Begin with the places and moments that need light, then choose the fixtures.

From the notebook

A pool and spa occupy the center of a courtyard enclosed by the house, with a sculptural fire feature at one end

Project Feature

The house gathers around the pool

A central courtyard brings water into the home's everyday outlook.

Platinum Pools

Inside the project

Rotating streams water a lawn beside a house; the whole zone must work together.

Material Matters / Product noteHunter

Hunter MP Rotator and the dry patch in the lawn

Rotating streams can change how water is applied. Nozzle families, pressure, spacing, and scheduling still need to agree.

The product note

A built-in grill and outdoor kitchen on paving beside a lawn and garden rocks.

Before You Build

Write the menu before designing the kitchen

The meals you actually make are a better guide than the longest appliance list.

From the notebook

Curved planting beds and low clipped shrubs meet the lawn in front of a white house

Project Feature

A contemporary house, carried into the garden

Travertine terraces, water, and edible planting accompany a modern renovation.

McHale Landscape Design

Inside the project

Several modular beds create a working garden, with paths between the growing areas.

Material Matters / Product noteVego Garden

Vego raised beds: a kitchen garden in panels

Modular sides let a kitchen garden take several shapes. Reach, working space, and watering determine the useful one.

The product note