Garden Landscaping and Design Ideas

Portola Valley no-mow garden tour backyard

Landscaping

Time to Kill Your Lawn—We’re in a Drought

Drought rules are getting stricter. We've got yard solutions.

May 12, 2022

Garden Basics

Need a New Yard Solution? Try These Ground Cover Superstars

Ground cover plants are the unsung superstars of any well-tended garden. Here are nine you need to know about now.

May 4, 2022

May 10, 2022

Landscaping

You Don’t Need a Big Pool. This Perfect Little Garden Proves Why.

A small Los Angeles garden has everything one needs for the perfect spring hang.

March 23, 2022

March 31, 2022

Landscaping

I’m Transforming My Yard into a Native Habitat. Am I a Gardener Now?

For the 2022 Garden Issue, Sunset editor in chief Hugh Garvey reflects on his gardening experience as he takes on a whole new project at home.

March 29, 2022

April 1, 2022

The Latest From Sunset

Garden Basics

This is the $25 Tool That Every Gardener Needs

The most versatile gardening tool is also the most stylish and still affordable.

May 13, 2022

May 12, 2022

Garden Basics

Experts Agree: This Is the Ultimate Gardening Tool

We asked 10 gardeners for their favorite tool, expecting 10 answers. But one tool was the clear favorite.

May 12, 2022

May 17, 2022

Garden Basics

Beat the Heat: Your June-July Garden Checklist

The summer heat is here. What to do in your garden now.

May 11, 2022

May 12, 2022

Lantana ‘Cosmic Firestorm’ with bright red flowers

Flowers & Plants

Feeling the Heat? Try These Drought-Tolerant Plants in Your Garden Now

Gorgeous plants that save water in your yard? Sign us up.

May 3, 2022

May 4, 2022

Give Your Yard an Upgrade

Landscaping

The Best Ways to Light Your Garden at Night

Lighting your backyard can create drama, safe spaces, and even a feeling of romance—just use these tips.

April 25, 2022

May 4, 2022

Landscaping

Ditch the Lawn. Design with Boulders

Boulders can lend gravitas to any garden, but before you head to the stone yard, you may want to read up on some important tips.

February 7, 2022

February 17, 2022

A Cabana that opens out to the hot tub makes full use of a San Francisco Garden

Landscaping

A Family Garden Gets a Three-Sided Cabana and an Inviting Meadow, Too

A backyard meadow with a water-tight cabana that opens up to the hot tub keeps a San Francisco family using their outdoor space all year round.

October 6, 2021

October 7, 2021

Landscaping

How to Plant a Meadow Garden—Even in the City

A meadow can be in a front yard, backyard, on a hillside, even in urban areas. Here are the tips you need to plant one at home.

January 20, 2022

January 24, 2022

brass path lights in mulch by paved path

Landscaping

A Guide to Solar-Powered Garden Path Lights

Add some style to your yard with these path lights.

December 22, 2021

January 14, 2022

above ground pool Sara Simon Leucadia Riad-inspired house

Decorating & Design

A San Diego Beach House Has Moroccan Oasis Energy, and a Surprisingly Cool Pool

Show me you secretly like an above-ground pool without saying you like an above ground pool.

June 21, 2021

January 27, 2022

Landscaping

How to Design a Party-Ready Outdoor Bar—Plus More Tips from Costa Mesa’s Favorite Garden Designer

In the garden with landscape pro Molly Wood, who shares her favorite plants of the moment and where she finds her inspiration.

May 6, 2021

September 9, 2021

Outdoor Living

Ravens, Bobcats, Deer, Oh My! A Suburban Backyard Turns Into a Wildlife Oasis

This Los Angeles backyard wildlife habitat attracted Western screech owls, turkey vultures, bobcats, a large tarantula, and a pregnant squirrel named Ms. Bonita.

November 12, 2021

Landscaping

“Don’t Try to Fight It:” Letting a Landscape’s True Nature Come Through in Marin

A playful garden with uncut grasses and rounded edges softens an angular mid-century home in Marin County.

May 4, 2021

May 12, 2022

Landscaping

A Landscape Designer’s Tips for Creating an All-Seasons Outdoor Living Room

This Seattle entryway by landscaper Scot Eckley shows how you can create a multi-functional patio no matter the size of your outdoor space.

December 14, 2021

May 12, 2022

Pure Inspiration

Landscaping

Inside Andrew Bird and Katherine Tsina’s Low-Maintenance, Mediterranean-Inspired Garden

Past and present converge in the artist’s serene backyard retreat that channels a countryside vacation.

August 13, 2021

May 12, 2022

Landscaping

This Landscape Designer Creates Enduring Gardens Full of Childlike Wonder

Landscape designer Molly Sedlacek draws on Oregon and California influences to create gardens that evoke childlike wonder and a sense of discovery.

September 29, 2021

Landscaping

His Garden Is a Wonderland: Inside John Mayer’s Cactus Collection

Plus, two more gardens designed by Cactus Store in Los Angeles.

April 28, 2021

April 29, 2021

Landscaping

The Latest From Sunset

Give Your Yard an Upgrade

Pure Inspiration

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