Envision a piece of artwork that changes each time you see it, expanding and shrinking in different areas upon every viewing. A vertical garden is organic art, ranging from a plant that grows in a frame to an intricate sculpture winding around a courtyard. It grows, buds, bears fruit, dies, and emerges again from the soil >>>...
We've been bringing the wild into the house. First, animal furniture. Now, plants and garden views >>>...
My first impulse: how hard can it be to make a Zen garden? You can't kill rocks.
There's a lot more to rock gardens than a bunch of rocks, though there aren't always a lot more materials in them. Zen gardens are also called Japanese gardens and rock gardens, because they're mainly made of rocks, gravel, and sand >>>...
One of my favorite things about summer is the sudden abundance of good, fresh produce. The sun always brings the best out of the ground - and any chef or home cook can tell you, the closer to your back yard it's grown, the better your food is going to taste. And there's nothing that brings out the flavor of summer like fresh herbs >>>...
Here on the barefoot blog, we've spent plenty of time talking about all the things you can do to make your back yard look great. From something as little as finding the right kind of outdoor storage to doing some really elaborate landscape planning, we've looked at a lot of practical steps you can take toward creating your dream lawn. Sometimes, though, I think the best way to give your garden a little personality is to do something totally impractical, and my favorite impractical thing just happens to be adorable lawn decorations >>>...
The image of the classic English garden is probably pretty familiar to you: well kept hedges, colorful flowers, and whimsical stone paths, dotted with elegant wrought iron Victorian garden tables and chairs. It's a scene that's idyllic, pastoral, and (for better or worse) one that's shaped the American garden. Now, of course some Americans tend more toward decks, grills, and outdoor kitchens with bench seating >>>...
Over the past few years, Chinese garden stools have started to become a common sight in American decor. These petite, decorative ceramic pieces have been used in China for more than a thousand years, and are both beautiful and extremely versatile. With highly detailed designs and vivid, colorful glazes, these stools are eye catching and elegant, and are just the right shape to be used in a variety of different ways, both indoors and out >>>...
Decorating a large outdoor area can be a daunting prospect. The more space you have to work with, the harder it can be to fill it with basics like flowers and shrubbery. If your lawn or garden is feeling a little empty, a well-placed statue or fountain can bring your landscaping to a new level, not only filling up that extra space, but turning it into a focal point and feature >>>...
Having actual flowers isn't for everyone. You may have terrible allergies to pollen, no land to garden, or--like me--absolutely lack a green thumb and destroy even the hardiest cactus. In the spring and summer when everything blooms and flourishes, it can be a real letdown if you can't bring actual nature inside your home and keep it alive >>>...
A lot of talk about outdoor furniture revolves around spaces with hard floors - like a deck, patio, or porch. But chances are that most of your back yard isn't finished with wood, tile, or brick, but with grass, gravel, or mulch - which means you need a very different set of furniture. Having a cute place to sit and relax in the middle of your garden can be wonderful, and the right garden furniture can help add a nice finishing touch to your landscaping, but it does need to be a little hardier than anything you'd typically store under an awning >>>...
