Author: Sarah Mitchell

Introduction I thought buying nicer pieces would fix it. That summer I kept dragging things into the backyard one by one. A rattan set from one shop. Lights from another….

Introduction My neighbor spent $8,000 on a backyard renovation last spring. I spent $340 over three weekends and people at my summer barbecue kept asking who did my landscaping. Cheap…

Introduction I once spent an entire weekend staring at my backyard convinced the problem was that I needed more stuff in it. More furniture, more plants, more lights. What I…

Introduction Three summers ago I planted a row of arborvitae along my back fence and stood back feeling like I had solved everything. My neighbor was still fully visible through…

Introduction The first backyard I ever tried to “design” ended up with a plastic table shoved against a fence, a patch of dead grass in the middle, and absolutely nowhere…

Introduction Thirty-two square feet. That was my first backyard. Not a typo. Thirty-two square feet of cracked concrete behind a terraced rental with a fence so close I could touch…

Introduction I drew up my backyard design on a napkin, handed it to a landscaper, and spent six thousand dollars turning it into reality. Three months later I hated it….

Introduction Four hundred dollars on patio furniture before I had a flat surface to put it on. The chairs wobbled. Every time someone set a drink on the table it…

Introduction Three summers ago I ripped out every plant in my backyard and started from scratch. Bad decision. Turns out pulling everything before you have an actual plan just leaves…

Introduction Nobody tells you that a backyard garden can make you feel like a complete failure in under three weeks. Mine did. I planted twelve tomato seedlings in May, watered…