This site is an on-line magazine featuring articles and commentary on the latest in outdoor landscape decor ideas including professional advice in landscape architecture, and landscape design trends. Our articles include detailed landscape reviews, landscape pictures and great design ideas for your home landscaping and outdoor patio projects.
All of our articles, including those written by guest authors, are written by either Landscape Architects or landscape designers and gardeners who typically have many years of landscape related experience. Our in-house expert author and editor is a registered Landscape Architect. He is experienced in all aspects of designing for the outdoors. From landscaping and gardening to lighting, furniture, hardscapes, retaining walls and drainage, our experts cover it all here in this forum. We really hope you find this site to be useful and encourage you to leave comments and requests for additional topic coverage.
Landscaping Design – Landscape Designs
The majority of this site is focused on high quality landscape design ideas for both the “do-it-yourself” customer and those working with professional designers. The site is full of landscape design ideas for your yard or home. Our design ideas can help you make a decision about where to place that new plant or what type of outdoor furniture is best suited on your patio or deck. We provide examples of landscape designs for you to download and plant lists suited for your area.
Outdoor Landscape Furniture – Outdoor Furnishings – Patio Furniture
You will find product reviews and suggestions throughout this site. The focus is on outdoor seating, teak furniture, tables, chairs, benches, outdoor cushions, patio sets, patio dining and more. Our articles are filled with great photos showing high-end group seating arrangements and fantastic color combinations for patio furniture covers and patio cushions. We provide detailed ratings on many brands and styles of furniture. You can also shop for furniture right from our site. We have an on-line shop right on this website; just click the shop on the upper right tab.
Fire Amenities – Firepits (Fire Pits) and Outdoor Fireplaces
One of the really hot trends in outdoor living is a fire pit (or firepit). These “in the round” fireplaces allow for groups of friends and families to gather around a fire for warmth or just the ambiance. There aren’t many elements like a warm fire to get people to come together. The warm glow of a firepit that has been well placed into the landscape can be the “it” element that pulls your landscape design together. Fire pits come in all shapes and sizes and can be “off the shelf” or built from custom masonry and stone. Our articles include tips and design ideas for incorporating firepits into your landscape. We also discuss outdoor fireplaces (or fire places) including both store bought, off the shelf kits and custom design ideas. Whatever your interest, we provide a range of fireplace design ideas that include various fire elements and styles.
Landscape Lighting – Solar Lighting – Path Lighting
No landscape is complete without the warm glow of landscape lighting. Weather you just want a path light or to light your entire yard, landscape lighting can really do wonders for your landscape. Our site features articles on up lights, down lights, flood lights, spot lights and architectural area lights. We discuss the latest in LED technology for lighting as well as unique fixtures not seen on the traditional market yet. Also we provide links to some of the best lighting sets on the market. Don’t forget to check our recommendations for lighting kits and grill lights. We also recommend some great contractors in several major metropolitan areas.
Gardening Tips – Landscape Maintenance
Our garden tips section includes suggestions for seasonal maintenance, new plant introductions and general articles about the joy of gardening. Please read our garden tips blog or subscribe to our news feeds to be kept up to date on timing for maintenance in your yard or landscape.
Outdoor Kitchens and Bars – Outdoor Appliances – BBQ Grills
Perhaps the most informative articles on our site are focused on building outdoor rooms which often include kitchens and bars. Our contributors have personally built some of the most beautiful and interesting private outdoor rooms ever constructed. Their work includes bars and kitchens across the United States and in the Caribbean. We have great ideas and tips on how to build long lasting, weather resistant structures to cover your kitchen and bar appliances. Look for great articles on outdoor grills, barbecue’s, and smokers. We also cover the best outdoor appliances on the market including frigerators(refrigerators), kegorators, icemakers (ice makers), wine frig, etc.
Arbors and Trellises – Fences – Decks
Wood is a beautiful natural material that can be used to build major amenities like decks, fences and trellises. We have great pictures and feature articles on designing and building decks for your landscape. In addition, if you are considering installing or rebuilding a fence, please review our articles for really cool ideas for trendy new wood fence and gate designs. Our contributing writers have learned from 20 years of practice and share with you a list of the do’s and don’ts of fence construction.
Outdoor Decor – Landscape Decorations – Sculpture – Yard Art
“Yard art it is not, but it is “GARDEN ART”, and it comes in all shapes, sizes, styles and colors. We have great ideas for landscape sculptures, landscape decor and landscape appointments. Whether you want tiki torches for around your patio, glazed ceramic spheres to float in your pond or a beautiful piece of abstract art, we cover it all no matter what your style.
Swimming Pools – Fountains – Ponds
Some of the most beautiful landscapes include a swimming pool. When our contributing editor designed the Coastal Living Idea House for 2005 it included a simple yet beautiful swimming pool with an elegant set of stairs the entire length of one side that submerged into the pool to become an underwater bench which encircled the entire perimeter. The pool was one of the most popular elements of the house and the unique set of stairs, a major selling point for the buyer. Pools now come with amazing features including vanishing edges, mirror edges, beach entries, under water benches, tanning shelves, gas fire elements, water falls, diving platforms and all sorts of water features. In our articles we will explain these swimming pool features and describe how and when you should incorporate them into your pool designs. Our tips will help you in discussing your own pool design with your pool contractor. On the pool page and in our shop you may find links to some great pool related products and design books.
It can be almost impossible to enjoy a landscape if you are constantly bitten by mosquitoes or if your yard is invaded by critters that eat all your landscape plants. We plainly discuss some of the most effective products and do it yourself ideas available from simple organic compounds you can make in your kitchen sink to sophisticated but effective mosquito control systems made for an entire yard.
Going Green – Rain Barrels – Cisterns – Pervious Pavers
It’s time to join the revolution. If your landscape is not” going green” yet, you have some catching up to do. It’s no longer a fad and there is much more to it now than just saving a little rain water. In our articles we write about the realities of pervious pavers, getting serious about saving water with cisterns, selecting low maintenance plants and how to avoid using unnecessary pesticides and fertilizers through integrated pest management (IPM) plans.
Landscaping Design Books and Texts – eBooks on Landscape Design
Ok, we saved the best landscaping articles for last. If you can’t find what you are looking for on this site, perhaps one of our great landscape book recommendations will solve your problems. We search the best landscape architecture and gardening books for selections that answer the most common landscape problems and show pictures of the incredibly unique and amazing landscapes from around the world. All of these books can be purchased online through one of our partners and can be shipped overnight in many cases. And don’t forget to consider subscriptions to great landscape architecture magazines in addition to our special selection of landscape books.