Gardening & Landscaping

I remember the summer I decided my backyard needed to look like a villa in Tuscany. I bought three overpriced olive trees, a truckload of gravel, and enough terracotta to bankrupt a small nation. Two weeks later, my “Mediterranean paradise” looked more like a dusty construction site, and my olive … Read more

If your backyard looks like the set of a low-budget horror movie—all dark shadows, damp moss, and a vibe that says “nothing lives here but spiders”—don’t throw in the towel just yet. I spent my first three years as a gardener trying to force sun-loving marigolds and zinnias to grow … Read more

I still remember the first raised bed I ever built back in 2011. I was young, broke, and had just read a magazine article about “intensive gardening.” I marched myself down to the big-box hardware store, loaded up a rickety cart with those heavy, greenish-tinted 4x4s, and spent a whole … Read more

I used to think that November marked the “death” of my garden. I’d look out the window at a sea of brown stalks and gray mulch, sighing as I waited for the first tulip of spring. But then I realized I was looking at gardening all wrong. Winter isn’t a … Read more

Winter in the garden can feel like a standoff between your hope for fresh greens and the reality of a biting frost. I’ve spent many mornings scraping ice off glass panes, wondering if my seedlings would survive the night without me caving in and running an expensive extension cord out … Read more

I’ll be honest: I used to spend my Saturday mornings in a state of mild resentment toward my lawnmower. It was loud, it smelled like gasoline, and it felt like I was pouring money and water into a green rectangle that didn’t give much back. That frustration eventually led me … Read more

I remember the frustrating days of traditional gardening—spending entire Saturdays battling aggressive, deep-rooted weeds only to end up with a sparse harvest scattered across a huge, disorganized plot. It felt like I was working for the garden, not the other way around. If you’ve ever looked at your existing garden … Read more

For years, I believed that a peaceful, rushing stream or a cascading waterfall was a luxury reserved only for people with sprawling estates. My own small backyard felt perpetually dry and quiet, a constant reminder that I couldn’t host a grand aquatic environment. Yet, what I truly craved wasn’t the … Read more

I’ve always felt that a garden is an extension of the home, and the best ones have character—little unexpected touches that reveal the personality of the person who tends them. For years, I struggled to find the perfect stones for my path, the ones that felt artisanal and unique, not … Read more

I’m going to let you in on a secret: you don’t need a sprawling backyard or even a generously sized deck to enjoy the incredible taste and aroma of fresh, homegrown herbs. For years, I struggled with my small balcony, trying to squeeze pots onto every precious inch of floor … Read more