Garden Designers Roundtable – What’s lawn doing in Hell?

by Rebecca Sweet 22 August 2011

Let me state up front that I’m not a hater when it comes to lawns.  There, I’ve said it. If you have a lawn and you or your kids actually use it, then it’s okay in my book.  Especially if you don’t have unrealistic expectations that you need to saturate your garden with chemicals to keep [...]

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Last day of summer in our veggie patch

by Rebecca Sweet 16 August 2011

Today is the last day of summer for my daughter and one that’s always a little sad for me.  While part of me relishes the fact that she’ll be going back to school leaving me plenty of time to write and design, part of me will really miss her company.  The older Emily gets, the [...]

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Think vertically when designing side yards

by Rebecca Sweet 4 August 2011

In one of the chapters of our book Garden Up! Susan and I write about maximizing your garden’s side yard.  These spaces are often neglected, and turn into dumping grounds for junky items collected over the years.  While it’s true we all need a place to store that broken BBQ that we can’t quite throw away [...]

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Lake Tahoe’s Glorious Wildflowers

by Rebecca Sweet 2 August 2011

I think the official number of tourists who visit Lake Tahoe every summer is something like a zillion, give or take a few.  Getting from one place to another on the lake means you’ll be driving along beautiful highway 89, most likely looking at (you guessed it) the lake.    However, sometimes if you turn your [...]

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Recycling in the Garden

by Rebecca Sweet 23 July 2011

  I absolutely love re-purposed items in the garden. Things that may be broken or have lost their usefulness are all too often headed to the dump.  But hold up!  Sometimes all that’s needed is a coat of paint, a little sprucing up and a healthy dose of creativity to use that item in a [...]

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Almost Wordless Wednesday – Snapping Turtle

by Rebecca Sweet 20 July 2011

As usual, this is ‘almost’ a Wordless Wednesday post. A few weeks ago, while vacationing in Connecticut, we drove past this giant snapping turtle bravely crossing the road. Being from California, and never seeing one in person, we pulled over so I could play tourist and take a photo.

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Cutest tool shed ever!

by Rebecca Sweet 16 July 2011

My friends, Michelle and Rob, have the cutest tool shed ever! Just this year, Rob built this for Michelle out of materials he salvaged either on their property or elsewhere around town – truly a labor of love. I  love how it tucks in so nicely within the beautiful perennial bed instead of relegated to [...]

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Book Review- 50 Beautiful Deer Resistant Plants

by Rebecca Sweet 11 July 2011

50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants  The Prettiest Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Shrubs that Deer Don’t Eat Written by Ruth Rogers Clausen Photography by Alan L. Detrick (Timberpress) I usually don’t review many books, but when a title comes up that I deal with on a daily basis I’ll make an exception!  Deer are one of the [...]

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Dutchman’s Pipevine

by Rebecca Sweet 7 July 2011

While visiting my friends in Connecticut last week I couldn’t help but fall in love with the massive Dutchman’s Pipevine that seductively draped over their arbor. It’s giant heart-shaped leaves seemed to glow from within when backlit by the setting sun. The tendrils gently coiled downwards, adding an almost ethereal appearance to this cozy space.

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