Outside
Outside is the backyard, the porch, the patio and the balcony, and it starts after dark. String lights over a small patio, a fire ring on a gravel pad, a lantern by the step: small changes that get you more evenings out of the yard you already have.
Next come the pieces that make a yard fun to look at. A shallow bird bath the birds will use, a little moving water, a path that bends out of sight. Further down are flower beds and shade corners, pots and window boxes, porches, patios and balconies.
The plant pages name real plants, sizes and zones, so check your zone before you buy. If you have a balcony instead of a yard, look for the balcony and small patio notes. Plenty here fits a railing and a few feet of floor.
Start with these
Backyard Fire Pit Ideas: Landscaping on a Budget
The low-cost fire pit corner: a level gravel pad about 12 feet across (about 1 cubic yard of gravel at 3 inches deep) and a steel ring.
String Light Patio Ideas That Work Without a Pergola
String lights with no pergola: hang them 8 to 12 feet up where you can, never under 6, with a guide wire on runs over about 10 feet.
Bird Bath Ideas: Shallow Water, Placement and Care
What birds look for in a bath: shallow clean water, a gentle slope, steady footing and open ground around it.
Moon Garden Ideas: White Flowers and Silver Foliage
A moon garden of white flowers and silver leaves, planted where you sit at dusk. The petals only reflect what light is left, so keep a path light too.
The backyard after dark
Light the steps, the door and the chairs first. Then add the pretty layer: string lights, lanterns and a lit path.
How to Light Up a Backyard at Night: 11 Ideas
Eleven ways to light a yard, starting with the steps and the seating, with solar and plug-in options side by side.
Small Patio Lighting Ideas for a Tiny Backyard
For a tiny patio: ten lights, most with no wiring. A patio 10 feet across needs one strand of 8 to 10 bistro bulbs.
Small-space friendlyThe Solar Lights I'd Use for a Softer Garden Path
Five solar light styles for a garden path or patio edge, from flower lights to a post light by the gate.
5 Front Porch Lighting Ideas for a Warm, Welcoming Entry
Front porch lighting in layers: path lights, a motion-sensor wall lantern, a flameless candle and a small spotlight.
Fire pits and the seats around them
Plan the circle, the ground and the chairs before you buy the pit.
Fire Pit Seating Area Size: 12 to 25 Feet by Group
How big the circle should be: about 12 to 14 feet across for four people, 15 to 20 feet for six to eight.
Fire Pit Seating Area Gravel: Stability, Depth and Quantity
Pea gravel, crushed stone or decomposed granite under the chairs, and how to work out how many cubic yards to order.
Budget Fire Pits: The Cheap Bowl May Cost More
Wood bowl, double-wall pit or propane table. Count the base, screen, cover and seating in the cost, not only the pit.
Fire Pit Seating Ideas for Every Season
Chairs and benches that still get used when the fire is out, compared by weather and how much care they need.
A little whimsy: bird baths, water and hidden corners
One bird bath, a little moving water, a path that bends out of sight. A few pieces added one at a time.
7 Bird Bath Ideas for Shallow, Clean Water
Seven bird bath changes to try one at a time: measure the water depth, give birds a steady place to stand, try a dish on the ground.
Bird Baths for a Backyard Corner: 5 Styles
Five bird bath styles for a backyard corner, from a metal stake bath in a border to a pedestal on firm ground.
Whimsical Garden Ideas for a Backyard That Feels a Little Magical
Whimsy in a normal yard: one path, one seat, some glow at dusk, and fairy-garden touches kept small.
Secret Garden Ideas for a Backyard That Feels Hidden Away
Make a small backyard corner feel hidden: a clear entrance, a path that curves out of sight, and one seat at the end.
Small-space friendlyNo-Dig Backyard Water Feature Ideas for a Weekend Corner
The sound of water with no pond to dig: an above-ground bowl and a small pump, put together over a weekend.
DIY Garden Decor Ideas That Look Gathered, Not Crafty
Garden decor that looks gathered over time: weathered pots, a thrifted chair holding a plant, one lantern, a small mirror on the fence.
Flower beds and shade corners
Real plant names, sizes and zones. Check your zone before you buy anything that has to come back next year.
Best Flowers Around a Mailbox for Full Sun and Road Heat
Sixteen tough plants for a hot mailbox bed, like salvia, catmint, coreopsis and sedum, with sizes and zones.
Privacy Vines for a Fence: 9 Plants to Compare
Nine fence vines compared by support and climate, and how much cover to expect in the first summer.
A Shady Backyard Corner With Moss, Ferns, and Stone
A shady corner of ferns, moss and stone. Find out whether the soil stays dry or damp before you plant.
Zone 7 Butterfly Garden Plants: 12 Candidates by Season
Twelve zone 7 butterfly plants from spring to fall, with host plants for caterpillars as well as nectar flowers.
Rain Garden Ideas: Check the Site Before Planting
A rain garden only works where the soil drains within 48 hours. Here is how to test a soggy spot first.
12 Perennials That Bloom All Summer Long
Twelve perennials that flower June through September, like coneflower, catmint and Russian sage, plus astilbe for shade.
Cottage Garden Front Yard Layout: 5 Easy Plans
Five front yard cottage garden plans with plant counts and spacing, for beds of 80 to 200 square feet.
Pots, baskets and window boxes
For a porch step, a patio or a balcony rail: containers that look planned and plants that last the season.
Cheap Porch Pots: 5 Ways to Make a Matching Group
Make cheap porch pots look like a set: two or three sizes, one repeated finish, and a plain nursery pot hidden inside.
Perennials for Window Boxes That Actually Come Back
Perennials that come back in a shallow window box, for sun or for shade, and what not to plant in one.
8 Hanging Baskets That Bloom All Summer in Hot Sun
Eight hanging basket plants for hot sun, like Supertunia petunias, calibrachoa, lantana and bidens.
9 Succulent Container Combos That Survive Real Summer Heat
Nine succulent pot combinations for summer heat: six hours of sun, well-drained soil and deep, infrequent watering.
Container Soil Drying Out Too Fast? Fix This Before Buying More Plants
Pots dry by afternoon? Check the pot size, crowded roots, mulch and how fast you pour, in that order.
Porches
A seat that stays dry, a rug that pulls the porch together, and enough light to read by.
Rainy Day Porch Ideas: Keep Furniture and One Seat Dry
Keep one porch chair behind the dry line, lift any rug that holds water, and give wet shoes a place to land.
Outdoor Rug Ideas That Make a Porch Look Finished for Less
An outdoor rug sized to the front chair legs and the door swing makes a porch look finished.
Cozy Porch Reading Nook: A Practical $200 Budget Plan
A porch reading nook planned under a $200 ceiling, starting with one good seat and a light that reaches the page.
Star Jasmine by the Door: Zones, Support and Care
Star jasmine on a trellis by the door for zones 8 to 10, pruned after it flowers.
Patios and balconies
Small outdoor rooms at their real size. Most of these work for renters.
Small Backyard Patio Ideas on a Budget That Still Feel Finished
A small patio on a budget: give it one job, buy one good seat instead of a set, then add light where you sit.
Small-space friendlyBalcony Privacy Ideas That Do Not Look Cheap
For a balcony: block the one view that bothers you with a screen, tall planters or a curtain on a no-drill rod.
Small-space friendlySmall Balcony Bar Ideas With Stools and a Rail Shelf
A balcony too narrow for a table can take a rail-height bar and two stools. Check the guardrail height first.
Small-space friendlyBalcony Flooring Ideas That Renters Can Undo
Balcony floors a renter can lift back up: interlocking tiles and rain-safe rugs, with the drainage gap and weight limits explained.
Small-space friendlySmall Water Features for an Apartment Balcony
Water sound for a balcony: a tabletop bowl or a small solar fountain, light enough to move and quiet for the neighbor below.
Small-space friendlyBest Outdoor Landscape and Wired Patio Speakers
Outdoor speakers by where you sit: a wired pair under the eave, rock speakers in the beds, or a battery speaker for renters.
