Here's a look at what's on our radar this week:

• Above: A San Francisco-based baker, Cake Bloom, dyes desert fillings and buttercream with plants from the garden. 
• The Brooklyn Botanical Garden announces the winners of the Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest. 

• Above: We're taking notes from Poppytalk's guide to DIY plant ideas for fall. Photograph by Erin Boyle. 
• Fixes for cracked concrete.
• Our favorite interpretation of spiked lemonade.  

• Above: A little homemade ricotta to go with a fresh batch of tomato pasta.   
• Four low-maintenance flower beds, echinacea and yarrow included. 

• Above: Sarah Raven says: it's time to sow lettuce. Photograph by Jamie Beck.
• Before you start planting, here are three steps to prepare your garden. 

• Above: Actress Lake Bell is gardening in Brooklyn. Photograph courtesy of Lonny. 
• A striking roundup of homes that blur the lines between indoor and outdoor. 

To see more from this week on Gardenista, take a look at our Minimalist Glamour issue. Head over to Remodelista to see their week of Minimalist Glamour.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Current Obsessions: Fall Prep
• Current Obsessions: Last Light of Summer
• Current Obsessions: Valley Visits and Beyond

Stylish comfort: is that so much to expect? This week we offer our favorite low-budget tips and tricks for kitting out your outdoor space.

We'll be making our own DIY concrete planters, recycling bedsprings to create modernist garden sculptures, and revealing our favorite sources for simple, unfinished wood furniture for outdoor spaces.

Above: Photograph by Christine Chitnis from Garden Visit: At Home in Rhode Island with Painter Georgia Marsh.

Monday

Above: Jeanne visits Cape Town and learns how a simple color palette can play up textures and shapes in a graphic garden, in this week's Garden Designer Visit.

Above: Dalilah discovers how easy it is to make small concrete planters (big one are another story...) in this week's DIY.

Tuesday

Above: Bedsprings as modern art. Meredith tracks down the inexpensive wall sculpture (and those blue stools) in this week's Steal This Look.

Above: Simple, inexpensive pieces of unfinished wood furniture are perfect for a patio—but not always easy to find. Michelle rounds up her favorite dining, seating, and storage options for outdoors in this week's 10 Easy Pieces.

Wednesday

Above: Sometimes the least expensive solutions are also the most stylish. Michelle discovers 10 surprising garden hacks with concrete blocks in this week's Garden Ideas to Steal.

Thursday

Above: Jeanne investigates window boxes—with tips on how to design, install, and plant an entire tiny garden in yours—in this week's Hardscaping 101. Photograph by Meredith Swinehart.

Friday

Above: Laura makes the most of her end-of-summer basil harvest in this week's Garden-to-Table Recipe. Photograph by Laura Silverman for Gardenista.

Looking for low-budget ideas for interior spaces, as well? All week Remodelista's editors will be sharing their favorite Style on a Budget solutions.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Trending on Remodelista: Minimalist Glamour
• Table of Contents: Minimalist Glamour
• Trending on Remodelista: Everything in Its Place

It's one thing to create a garden that looks beautiful when you see it at ground level, but Franchesca Watson, a landscape designer in South Africa, has taken things further.  She has designed a garden that looks distinctive both from the ground and also from above.

Her Graphic Garden in the Cape Town suburb of Constantia uses a sophisticated selection of plants to create strong patterns that are especially striking from a bird's eye view.  The client, whose taste had matured from the "prettier" garden Watson had previously designed for her, wanted a style that would complement her modern home without being stark or minimal. 

Above: The Graphic Garden lives up to its name, especially when seen from above. Photograph by Heidi Bertish.

The two-story stone and wood contemporary home is in what Watson describes as "a leafy suburb south of Cape Town on the slopes of Table Mountain on the lands of the old wine farms." Watson designed around old oak trees dating from the pre-development time when the property was part of a vineyard. 

Above: Huge stands of Miscanthus gracillimus soften and highlight the stonework of the house. Photograph by Mike Hall.

Above: A hedge pruned into a whimsical shape adds charm. Photograph by Heidi Bertish.

Very controlled elements such as a group of boxwoods clipped into balls, an imposing hedge capped with undulating scallops, and a number of shrubs severely pruned into rectangles and tall boxes sit side by side with totally natural free-form grasses such as Carex evergold and Miscanthus gracillimus. As Watson says, "This garden was all about textures and subtle color tones."  

Above: Carex evergold lines the rectangular stepping stone path. Photograph by Heidi Bertish.

According to her website, Watson is known for her "cool sophisticated design and stylish planting schemes." She is comfortable working in a variety of garden types because, as she says, "In South Africa, a garden designer has to be able to embrace a number of styles and approaches to suit a fairly small market. But I definitely enjoy more modern or natural gardens, unless I am designing around a period buidling." 

Above: The patio in the Graphic Garden is surrounded by plantings that make it a private spot for relaxation. Photograph by Mike Hall.

Above: The dark palette of the house sets off the subtle colors in the garden. Photograph by Mike Hall.

The Graphic Garden is not really a flower garden, but Watson did add some local flowering plants such as Knowltonia versicatoria and Hypoxis rooperii (which are South African natives and add color and detail). Watson says Knowltonia versicatoria, with its dark green leaves, is one of her favorite local plants. She compares it to helleborus and likes to use it massed as a ground cover.

Above: Knowltonia versicatoria blooming in the Graphic Garden. Photograph by Mike Hall.

Above: Linear pathways are an important design element in the Graphic Garden. Photograph by Heidi Bertish.

According to Watson, the Graphic Garden design succeeds because of the unexpected contrasts between carefully controlled formal plantings and those that are left alone to be natural and wild.  She also points out that the pathways which alternate bands of gravel, grass, and long paving strips also add a strong graphic element. 

Above: Clipped boxwoods give way to free form grasses. Photograph by Heidi Bertish.

For more about the use of patterns in garden design, take a look at list of Gardenista's Patterns and Prints posts. For another of our favorite gardens in South Africa, see Garden Visit: Beautiful Bones at Cape Town's Vergelegen Winery.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Gray Gardens: A Visit to San Francisco's Foggiest Backyard
• Garden Visit: At Home with Judy Green in London's Leafiest Suburb
• Garden Visit: Beautiful Bones at Cape Town's Vergelegen Winery

File this one under trial and error: I started the project with high hopes of making a 2-gallon cement planter that I could stock with a variety of succulents. But while struggling to free the large planter from its mold, I dropped it on the ground, rendering it into...concrete chunks. The good news is I still ended up with two adorable mini concrete pots.

I was surprised when my large planter broke. Shouldn't concrete withstand a measly 2-foot fall from a table onto a wooden deck? I consulted a carpenter friend of mine who informed me that "concrete doesn't reach its strength threshold until three or four weeks after it's dried," and "it will get stronger over time." I'm taking note of that for my next attempt at working with concrete. 

Read on for the full story (and step-by-step instructions to make your own):

Photography by Dalilah Arja. 

Above: The materials for this project set me back $30. Sourcing molds is the easiest part; you can use old food packaging, bottles, or cans. I collected takeout containers to use as molds for the mini planters.  

Ingredients

• Concrete mix (I used a 10-pound bag of Quickrete Mix)
• Water

Materials

• Mixing bucket
• Mason's or garden trowel
• Planter molds
• Dust mask
• Utility knife
• Drill and masonry bit (if you want to make drainage holes)

Step 1: Mix the concrete according to the instructions on the package. If you use Quickrete, you'll need to add from 1.5 to 2 cups of water to every 10 pounds of mix. Be sure to wear a dust mask, as particles go flying when the dry mix is dumped into a bucket. 

Step 2: To start setting the molds, shovel a generous amount of mix into a container. With a little elbow grease, shimmy a smaller container into the concrete, leaving at least a half-inch of mix in place beneath the smaller container to form a base. 

Step 3: Leave the molds to dry in a sunny spot for form 24 to 48 hours; the longer the better. After the planters have set, use a utility knife to cut and remove them from the molds. 

Step 4: Use a drill and masonry bit to make small drainage holes in the bottom. 

Step 5: Add potting soil to the containers—and plants of your choice. I like the contrast of fat, pillowy succulents against the texture of the concrete planters.

Above: Finished planters. Originally, I purchased sand paper to soften the edges, but I decided I like their imperfect roughness. 

Above: Mini concrete planters next to a pot of kitty grass.  

Want to know how Michelle transformed a fiberglass urn? See DIY: Envy-Inducing Planters (Spray Paint Is Involved) and have a look at 12 Tables Made with Cinder Blocks, Economy Edition on Remodelista. 

More Stories from Gardenista

• Steal This Look: Mattress Springs as DIY Wall Art
• Garden-to-Table Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes from a Cook's Garden
• Small Space DIY: Black Wire Hanging Vase

Kale (Brassica oleracea): "Faddy for a Reason"

While it's easy to roll your eyes at the fad of kale—the foodie darling, nutritionist's dream, hipster-approved fad—I have a feeling that kale will become the little black dress of food. It's a kitchen classic. Like black in fashion, kale has been around for a long time. Two thousand years ago, Greeks and Romans were probably not baking kale chips and wearing kale panties, but they planted gardens full of the dark, leafy green.

Of course they did. Kale has a long harvesting period, lasts well off the vine, can be grown and even thrives in cool climates, withstands frost, and packs a nutritional punch unrivaled, calorie for calorie, in the vegetable world.

Above: Purple kale in the French Laundry's kitchen garden in Yountville, CA.

Kale boasts a laundry list of health benefits, from fiber to iron to tiny phytonutrients of goodness, but all you need for proof is to notice the glow of smugness that envelops you after consumption.

Above: Kale with nuts: yes. Here's our easy (and very delicious) recipe for Raw Kale Salad with Apples and Almonds. Photograph by Erin Boyle.

For something so virtuous, it tastes wonderful: complex, sweet, nutty, and earthy all at once. Try it blanched, steamed, sautéed, melted in soups, chopped raw (and massaged) into salads, or layered into lasagna. 

Above: Ornamental kale in a window box. Photograph by Erin Boyle.

Cheat Sheet

• Mix a few different varieties of kale for texture and color in  the garden and in your meals
• Excellent companion crop adaptable to many climates; curly and flat-leaved varieties are available in a range of subtle blues, grays, greens, and purples
• Like most brassicas, kale enhances the growth of most alliums including garlic, onions, and shallots 

Keep It Alive

• Plant kale in full sun and keep soil moist, but not soggy
• Kales thrives in containers or in the ground
• Plant throughout the growing season to keep the harvest coming (in warm climates, plant in early spring and harvest; plant a second crop in late summer)

Above: Kale and calendula are happy companions in British gardener Sarah Raven's garden. For more, see Ask the Expert: Sarah Raven's 10 Tips for Growing a Kitchen Garden. Photograph by Jonathan Buckley.

Different cultivars are distinguished by the size and length of stems and leaves, as well as relative frost resistance. Curly, plain-leaved, rape, and lacinato are the standard varieties. Red Russian is a great pick for winter kale; it has reddish purple veins in a green leaf and turns purple in the cold. 

Above: Another of our favorite recipes is Winter Kale Salad. Photograph via Babes in Boyland.

If you're planting in your home garden, aim for three to four plants per person in your household. To prolong your harvest, snip the outer leaves when they are from 4 to 6 inches long, and you'll have plenty of tender, new growth in the center. Amend your soil well before planting, and as each plant grows, trim droopy or yellowing leaves. 

Read More:

Above: See more ideas for using kale in ornamental arrangements in our Gardenista Gallery of photos.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Trend Alert: The Unexpected Elegance of Ginkgo
• Field Guide: Queen Anne's Lace
• 5 Favorites: Mini Houseplants for Apartment Living

In the years since the General Store SF opened near a surfer's beach in San Francisco's foggy Outer Sunset neighborhood, it has been notable for its ability to lure shoppers to a remote outpost of hipdom on the strength of its eclectic merchandise: Japanese ceramics; delicately wrought turquoise pendants; stacks of Kinfolk magazine, and used flannel shirts ($65 apiece). But what really sets the place apart? Its backyard.

Built simply and on the cheap, the garden has a gray-on-gray palette that's a surprise even in a city known for eccentricities. Its centerpiece is a tiny and perfectly proportioned greenhouse fitted from reclaimed windows and bits of scrap (assembled for owners Serena Mitnik-Miller and Mason St. Peter by local artist Jesse Schlesinger).  The garden's charm is enhanced by raised beds made of reclaimed wood planks, peeling paint as a design element, and the sort of old concrete patio that would have sent a lot of garden designers scurrying for a jackhammer.

A door that connects the store to the garden says "Welcome" on the glass. Here's what's on the other side:

Photography by Tom Kubik for Gardenista.

Above: The miniature greenhouse has a steeply pitched roof; its glass windows can be propped open for ventilation. It is wide enough (barely) for a visitor to turn around in. The plants—a mix of succulents and cacti that thrive in bright light and each other's company—are very happy there.
 

Above: Owners Mitnik-Miller and St. Peter (she's a painter, he's an architect) have managed to make the artfully designed garden feel spontaneous. A gray-on-gray color scheme unifies the space. Many different shades—the grays of the sea-bleached wood tabletop, the gravel, and the patio—blend to create a serene backdrop. Against it, green plants look vivid and otherworldly.

Above: A view through a hole in the wood tabletop.

Above: Against the fence a planter made of reclaimed wood planks is home to a tangle of perennial grass that stands up to living in a seaside neighborhood where wind, salt, and drought are the prevailing conditions.

Above: Paint is peeling dramatically on the back wall of the General Store. (It reminded me of the way skin flakes off after a sunburn.) In the raised bed at the base of the wall is a collection of hardy survivors, succulents mostly.

 Above: A Cleistocactus strausii (commonly known as a woolly torch  or silver torch cactus) is a native of the South American mountains. It can grow as tall as 10 feet. Don't be deceived by how soft and fuzzy it looks; the needles are sharp.

Above: On shelves along the fence are tiny tableaux of seashells and miniature objects: offerings to surfer gods?

Above: A spiny euphorbia is a succulent masquerading as a cactus. This is a variety of Euphorbia ingens (commonly known as a candalabra tree).

Above: For easy storage, an expandable garden hose shrinks to fit inside a metal pail.

Above: Still life with skateboard.

Above: Herbs and plant teepees (tied together with baker's twine) are in a sheltered back corner, protected from wind.

Above: The back "wall" of the greenhouse flips open to allow air to circulate.

Above: Rusty corrugated cans hold houseplants. 

Above: The view from the store. Walk past the "Welcome" sign and onto the concrete patio to visit the General Store's garden.

View Larger Map

Above: The General Store SF garden is at 4035 Judah St. For hours and information, see General Store.

 See more in Shopper's Diary: The General Store in San Francisco on Remodelista. And for another inventive Outer Sunset garden, see Steal This Look: A Potting Shed Made of Scraps.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Garden Designer Visit: A Study in Green by Franchesca Watson
• Garden Visit: At Home with Judy Green in London's Leafiest Suburb
• Garden Visit: Beautiful Bones at Cape Town's Vergelegen Winery

We immediately decided to recycle in style after we spotted a unique garden feature—rusted bedsprings attached to a brick wall—in the suburban Melbourne garden of designer Andrew Plymin. 

As Plymin explained on the public-access program Gardening Australia: 
"This garden's very much a personal space, and I just fill it with things that I like. I don't really care if they're fashionable or if they actually all go together.” 

As for his sourcing secrets, he said: "There's lots of rusty things...I just find them on the junk piles and stick them in the back of the car when I'm driving past and drag them home and they all start to work together as a group."

Above: Our inspiration, from the garden portfolio of Australian photographer Simon Griffiths. 

Above: After some sleuthing, we realized that vintage box springs and mattresses are surprisingly hard to find. Our recommendation would be to call your local salvage yard and say you're on the lookout for a rusted box spring. An online option: This Antique Metal Bed Box Spring is available for a $175 on eBay (if you click "Buy It Now"), or up for auction starting at $125. 

Above: This Vintage Lincoln Bed Spring Box is available for $225 on eBay.

Above: We like the mix of wood and metal textures in Plymin's garden. For a luxe version of his table, a 94.5-inch-long Preserved Teak Dining Table is $2,998 from Terrain. A budget-friendly option is Ikea's Sunderö outdoor table, made of wood and finished in a gray stain; $219 for an 86-inch-long table.

Above: Tolix Short Stackable Tabouret Stools are available in several shades of blue. Contact Antiquaire for pricing. (In the UK, Cult Furniture sells a Tolix copy called the Xavier Pauchard Stool in powder coated blue for £49.)

Above: This terra cotta Italian Low Bowl is available in six sizes starting at $7 from Arizona Pottery. To recreate the look above, we'd recommend an 18-inch-wide bowl; $37. 

Above: To create a rusted wire crown atop the bowl of succulents, Mais Jamais on Etsy sells a set of 10 Large Antique Coil Bed Springs for $24. 

Above: As an alternative, Etsy seller Streetcar Junction offers two coils of 14-Gauge Rusty Wire for $7.89. 

Above: Fill with any mix of succulents; haworthia is shown here. Photograph by Erin Boyle from DIY: How to Stop Killing Your Indoor Succulents. A six-plant selection of Haworthia Succulents is $9 from Succulent Source via Etsy. Need more plants? A 16-plant Sedum Collection (in 2.5-inch pots) is $49.95 from Mountain Crest Gardens.

Steal more looks: try Water Troughs as Raised Garden Beds, A Mod LA Patio with Twinkly String Lights, and An Open-Air Concrete Bath.  

More Stories from Gardenista

• DIY on a Budget: $30 Mini Concrete Planters
• Garden-to-Table Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes from a Cook's Garden
• Small Space DIY: Black Wire Hanging Vase

There is no way to sugarcoat this: When you buy outdoor furniture, you are spending money on something that will sooner or later be destroyed by wind, rain, soot, dust, bird droppings, pollen, dried leaves, spider webs, termites, and a multitude of other plagues.

How do you justify buying something that is going to rust, rot, develop a patina of mold, or eventually fall apart? (One can of course forestall the inevitable ruin by buying weather resistant items. Redwood and teak and ipe pieces can last for many years. But still. In the end, hardly anyone inherits a great grandmother's outdoor dining table and chairs.)

Sometimes simpler and cheaper pieces are better. For an outdoor living space, unfinished wood furniture has many benefits. For one, even the most well made pieces tend to cost less because you're not paying for a finish. Also, unfinished wood is a material that blends well with many styles and materials; you can slip it into the mix seamlessly. And finally, if DIY is your thing, you can paint, shellac, stain, varnish, or oil it yourself—every year, if you want to extend its life expectancy—to suit your style. 

Here's a roundup of 10 of our favorite pieces of unfinished wood furniture—dining tables, chairs, and storage—for outdoor spaces:

Dining Tables

Above: Made in Brooklyn, an unfinished maple Parsons Rectangular Table seats four comfortably; it is 48 inches long by 30 inches wide and 30 inches high. IT is $399 from Urban Green Furniture.

Above: For dining on a small deck, a solid pine Ingo Table will seat four. It measures 47 inches long by 29.5 inches wide and is $69 from Ikea.

Above: An Unfinished Wood Picnic Table made of pressure-treated pine boards has rust resistant hardware. It measures 72 inches long by 59 inches wide by 28 inches high and is $159 from Uline. 

Seating

Above: Made of unfinished maple, a compact Contemporary Chair measures measures 19 inches wide by 19 inches deep and is 32 inches high. It's $299 from Urban Green Furniture.

Above: Made of unfinished solid pine, an Ivar Chair from Ikea is $25.

Above: Made of rubber wood, an unfinished Round Top Stool is 18 inches high; $34.13 from Wayfair.

Above: Made of pine, an unfinished Wood Outdoor Patio Chair can be folded for storage. It measures 26.5 inches high by 19.5 inches wide by 27 inches deep and is $89.99 from Overstock.

Storage

Above: Made of solid pine, an unfinished three-shelf cubby Sanford Hold-All measures 55 inches wide by 35 inches high. It is 11.5 inches deep. It is $149.88 from Mill Stores.

Above: An unfinished Outdoor Storage Unit made of spruce has a galvanized metal lid and measures 57 centimeters high by 77 centimeters wide by 42 centimeters deep. It is £170 from Cox & Cox.

Above: The Gorm System from Ikea offers simple shelving solution for the budget-minded. The Gorm 3-Section Shelving unit is made from pine and spruce; $81.96 from Ikea. 

More Stories from Gardenista

• Outbuilding of the Week: Glassy Greenhouse in Sweden
• Hardscaping 101: Landscape Uplighting
• Ultimate Luxury: 10 Favorite Fountains and Garden Water Features

In the biographical notes about Emma Reuss in her new book, Gardens in Detail, her achievements are listed: diploma from the Royal Horticulture Society, Best Trade Journalist in the Garden Media Guild Awards, BBC contributor, etc., all quite notable.  However, I was particularly struck by the mention of her own gardening efforts which take place in her "compact" London garden.  Aha! Another gardener with a tiny city plot who dreams of estates with vast meadows, endless perennial borders, koi ponds the size of Lake Champlain, and miles of hedges. 

Photographs courtesy of the Monacelli Press.

Above:Gardens in Detail by Emma Reuss is available from Amazon for $28.46.

It's no wonder she has written this book.  It is the perfect volume to pick up after a day spent digging in your little backyard and wishing you had the budget and room to think expansively.  Reuss has selected 100 outstanding gardens from all over the world.  They include every kind of style you can think of from a 15th century Japanese dry sand garden to a walled prairie by Piet Oudolf to an acid green Martha Schwartz creation made of plastic trees and shrubs. She dazzles you with gorgeous photos and then turns practical with detailed deconstructions of the features of each garden... how they were created and why they work.  It's informative and fascinating.

Above: An unusual English country garden designed by Acres Wild in Hampshire UK. The designers were faced with 2.5 acres of empty grassland which they turned into a natural looking but controlled space with sweeps of meadow grass and curving hedges and borders.

Above: An urban garden in São Paulo, Brazil is an uncluttered space designed by Renata Tilli to merge the house with the outside and show off the clients' prized art collection.

Above: Artist Robert Irwin collaborated with plantsman Jim Duggan to create a spectacular living sculpture on the campus of the Getty Center in Los Angeles, CA.

Above: This alternate view of Irwin and Duggan's landscape design for the Getty Center shows how varied the design is.  The bougainvillea  "trees" in the background are actually steel supports for the flowering vines which cascade out of them and form an umbrella of brightly colored blooms.

Above: The client of this tri-level penthouse wanted a low-maintenance outdoor environment with plenty of room to relax and entertain.  Secret Gardens of Sydney, Australia gave him all that and more. Using durable blackbutt eucalyptus as the striking decking, the designers created an inviting complex with a pond surrounded by drought tolerant plants that can withstand the hot sun and strong winds encountered 29 stories up in the air.  

Above: Secret Gardens also created a dramatic circular lawn on a terrace overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The low-maintenance artificial turf is surrounded by classic formal accents such as topiary, Japanese boxwood hedges, and a pair of huge lavender bushes that flank the entrance to an area of raised seating.

Above: Landscape architect Raymond Jungles transformed a 1940s house in Key West, FL by surrounding it with lush plantings and inventive water features.  To enter the house, visitors must make their way over a shallow pond by navigating an asymmetrical arrangement of stepping stones reminiscent of a traditional Japanese style zigzag bridge. 

Above: Composed of unusual elements: red sandstone arranged as though it has exploded out of the earth; a dead tree; and drifts of succulents, a small garden in Sydney, Australia is the inspired work of landscape architect Vladimar Sitta. 

Above: An urban London garden echoes the bold color scheme of the client's home and extends the living space out of doors. Landscape designer Charlotte Rowe has softened the black and gray hardscape elements with silver leaved olive trees and the loose chartreuse foliage of Hakonechloa macra "Alboaurea".

When you're tired of your uninspiring allotment, put down your pruners and pick up Gardens in Detail.  It is a liberating armchair travel book as well as a trove of great ideas. 

For a look behind the gates of the private gardens designers make for themselves, take a look at Contemporary Designers' Own Gardens.

Check out other recommended gardening books: Plans for Small Gardens and Private Oasis.

More Stories from Gardenista

• 10 Easy Pieces: Little Black Accessories, Outdoor Edition
• 10 Easy Pieces: Garden Clogs and Ankle Boots
• 10 Easy Pieces: Summer Sun Hats

Providence is a city teeming with urban farmers, but for a long time there was no locally owned nursery or feed store. I had to drive at least 20 minutes just to find chicken feed (and in a state as small as Rhode Island, that is literally half a state away). Then Cluck! Urban Farm Supply opened last year. Problem solved.

Photography by Christine Chitnis for Gardenista.

Above: Not only is the store beautifully curated, it also has become an integral part of the gardening community here in the city, offering a place to buy everything from soil and seeds to gardening accessories and how-to books.  

Above: Besides stopping by for a beautifully crafted watering can, or a chicken waterer made from a Mason jar, I often visit just to chat with owner Drake Patten. She is always on hand to answer questions—when to plant spring crops, what breed of chicken will work for a small yard. No matter the subject, she's willing to help.

Above: Cluck! faced a long, exhaustive battle to overcome outdated city zoning ordinances to open its doors in 2013. Neighbors feared the addition of chickens and bees to the neighborhood and put up quite a battle. It was amazing to watch the community come together to support Drake in her battle, with petitions and attendance at city hall zoning meetings. 

Above: Drake has filled the store's calendar with classes on raising chickens and bees in the city, organic gardening, and cooking demonstrations.

Above: Drake has made the shop grounds into a bustling hive of activity (pun intended!) with beehives, a chicken coop, apple trees and various raised beds so that customers can see her products "in the field" and learn about various methods and growing practices.

Above: If there is something vaguely familiar about the body of the shop, just picture your local gas station or auto body repair shop.  Drake completely overhauled this abandoned, unsightly former gas station, but kept the building itself, updating its look with a fresh coat of bright paint.  On warm days, you can enter through the garage door, which rolls up and allows a feeling of permeability between the outdoor gardens and the shop.

Above: City chickens. 

Above: Cluck! is at 399 Broadway in Providence, Rhode Island. For hours and more information, see Cluck!

Urban farmers, unite. See more tips for raising city chickens at Garden Visit: A Family-Friendly Vegetable Garden and DIY: Free-Range Chicken Gardens.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Required Reading: Bitter
• Required Reading: Gardens in Detail
• 10 Easy Pieces: Little Black Accessories, Outdoor Edition

One of life’s chief pleasures is the simple act of plucking one’s own herbs from a kitchen garden. For city folk without outdoor space, it can be easy to feel left out. But here’s good news for urbanites not graced with an abundance of space: herbs—like New Yorkers—are happy to cram themselves into small spaces.  

Read on for step-by-step instructions for making a DIY countertop herb garden:

Photography by Erin Boyle for Gardenista.

Above: All you need is one pot, five herbs, a bit of soil, plenty of sunshine and—presto—you have an herb garden.

Above: As a rule of thumb, it’s nice to keep similar herbs with similar herbs. For this garden, I chose five with relatively woody stems: rosemary, sage, marjoram, oregano, and parsley. All of these herbs prefer relatively dry soil and lots of sunshine. Another good combination might be herbs that all prefer slightly wetter soil; tarragon, chives, basil, and cilantro are examples.

Above: Start with small plant starts (or start your own) and remember that because you're hoping to grow multiple herbs in just one pot, you’ll need to trim plants frequently to keep the garden healthy. (If you have a cooking habit, this bit shouldn’t be a problem). N.B. If you're hoping to grow lots of a particular herb—enough basil for pesto, for instance—consider potting it separately to give it room to grow in abundance.

Above: Tiny Marjoram leaves belie the robust, sweet flavor; $3.65 for a packet of seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Above: Common Sage is one of the most versatile culinary herbs, but it's a great choice for your herbalist endeavors, too; $3.65 for a packet of seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Above: Paravert Curly Parsley retains a compact shape, making it ideal for containers; $3.65 for a packet of seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Above: Pungent and delicious, Rosemary is delightful in edible recipes but I have a soft spot for adding the spiny stems to flower arrangements too (see my wire vase from last week); $3.65 for a packet of seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Above: Practically a requirement for homemade pizzas and tomato sauces, Oregano is also practically a requirement for kitchen herb gardens; $3.65 for a packet of seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Above: Herbs can thrive in containers, but you’ll want to be sure that your container has good drainage and is large enough to accommodate five plants. I used an oval pot that’s roughly 12 inches long by 10 inches wide. I filled the container with organic potting soil from the local hardware store. A similar Oval Terra Cotta Planter is $50 from Botanik.

Above: I arranged the herbs with plenty of space between each one, making sure to loosen the roots before planting.

Above: I placed herbs that have a tendency to drape—such as the rosemary and marjoram—along the edges of the pot.

A pot of herbs like this one can live happily on a sunny kitchen counter or tabletop. When it’s time to water it, place the entire pot in the kitchen sink; allow it to drain completely after soaking. It’s not recommended to use a saucer or tray underneath the pot as herbs can rot relatively easily and won’t want to sit in standing water.

Above: Being able to snip herbs for an evening meal or cocktail is well worth the investment of pot and plants. 

See our archive of Herb posts for more culinary inpiration. Dreaming of a full-size garden? See our Kitchen Garden posts. 

More Stories from Gardenista

• Steal This Look: Mattress Springs as DIY Wall Art
• DIY on a Budget: $30 Mini Concrete Planters
• Garden-to-Table Recipe: Fried Green Tomatoes from a Cook's Garden

I picked up Bitter after spotting its dark, eerie cover. I scanned the subhead—"A taste of the world's most dangerous flavor"—and knew I couldn't ignore a book like that.

Australian-born, Toronto-based author Jennifer McLagan specializes in cookbooks that dive deeply into one topic: her three previous titles include Bones (2005), Fat (2008), and Odd Bits (2011). I admit I'm skeptical of that style of cookbook. They can feel like gimmicky, light collections of standard-fare recipes, each with an unsurprising thematic twist. But as I read through Bitter page-by-page I found just the opposite: a generous trove of thought-provoking recipes that I instantly wanted to try: like Toast Soup, Celery and Olive Salad, and Tobacco Panna Cotta.

And stay tuned: This past weekend, I went on a cooking spree and reached for this book not once but four times. Next week, I'll share with you two of the recipes I made: Radicchio and Gorgonzola Pasta Sauce, and Walnut Sauce for Pasta.

Book photographs by Meredith Swinehart; recipe photographs by Aya Brackett courtesy of Ten Speed Press.

Above: The eery, compelling cover of Bitter. (That's a cardoon, by the way.)

Above: Bitter Greens Ravioli is on my to-make list. In addition to a mix of greens such as arugula, chard, or methi, the ravioli features chives, escarole, and parsley. 

McLagan divides her book by type of bitter taste—the bitter of arugula is not the same as the bitter of burnt toast, after all—and the organization works well for exploring the flavors.

Above: McLagan writes that due to our North American preference for sweetness, we've bred the bitterness out of plants over time. She notes that eggplant, grapefruit, cucumber, and cabbage have all become less bitter via cultivation. "Lettuces were all once bitter weeds," she notes, "and while their bitterness has disappeared over time, you'll get hints of their original bitterness if you eat the leaves from a plant that has gone to seed in your garden."

Above: Caramelized Oranges, a recipe in the chapter entitled "Dark, Forbidden, and Very Bitter."

In addition to musings on the smells, sounds, and appearance of bitter food, McLagan devotes some space to its presentation. Among things she hates: rectangular, triangular, or any non-round shape of plate. Whether you agree with her on that point or not, as McLagan points out, "The materials and design of the cutlery, bowls, cups, and glasses we use for our food and drink affect how it tastes."

Above: The chapter entitled "Subtly Bitter" offers somewhat mildly bitter fare, such as an Apricot Tarte Tatin and Walnut Sauce for Pasta. 

For those who are new to cooking with bitter flavors, McLagan suggests experimenting with adding bitter liquids such as beer, coffee, tea, or gin to dishes.

Above: McLagan describes how bitter is one of nature's ways of warning us about potentially toxic foods, and that children are especially sensitive to bitter tastes. But bitter foods can also be especially healthful, too. Think brussels sprouts, bitter lettuces, and olive oil.

Above: I could spend a lot of time in the "Dark, Forbidden, and Very Bitter" chapter. In fact, I already made the Caramel Ice Cream—by far the darkest, most adult caramel flavor I've ever tasted.

Above: To a non-Australian reader, Radicchio and Pumpkin Risotto requires a small explanation: the recipe calls not for pumpkin, but for squash, such as Hubbard or kabocha. Writes McLagan, "I know that using the word 'pumpkin' reveals my birthplace, but I just can't get my head around 'squash.'"

Published by Ten Speed Press, Bitter is available on Amazon for $21.77.

In the mood to cook? Try Tea Cake with Meyer Lemons and Rose Geraniums, Quinoa Fruit and Nut Bars, and DIY: Pears Roasted in Red Wine in Gardenista's archive of Garden-to-Table Recipes. 

More Stories from Gardenista

• Shopper's Diary: Cluck! Urban Farm Supply in Rhode Island
• Required Reading: Gardens in Detail
• 10 Easy Pieces: Little Black Accessories, Outdoor Edition

Is there a more versatile hardscaping material than the humble concrete block? In the garden, you can use it to make: a wall, a privacy screen, a breeze block window, a planter for succulents, a raised bed for your tomatoes, a carport, a front stoop, a path, a fence, a potting bench, shelves, a bench, or a wine rack. Plus about a million other things.

We admit that concrete is not always a good idea. Some concrete block structures look like Lego gone wrong. But when you get it right? Nothing looks better than concrete against a garden-green backdrop. The secret to success is proportion and context. To show you what we mean, we've rounded up 10 genius hacks with concrete—from humble DIY projects to architects' designs—that can improve any outdoor space: 

Above: A concrete block wall in the garden of a beach house in Australia by Kennedy Nolan Architects. Photograph by Derek Swalwell via This is Paper. 

Above: A cinder block stoop at a Danish summerhouse. For more, see Steal This Look: Summerhouse With Outdoor Shower.

Above: Breeze blocks create an impromptu window to allow air to circulate on a brick-walled patio created by Toronto-based Earth Inc. See more at Steal This Look: Cinderblock Chic on a Toronto Patio.

Above: Concrete blocks frame a garage on a house by San Francisco-based TD Architecture, a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.

Above: A concrete block wall provides poolside privacy without blocking a panoramic views from a house by Sydney-based MCK Architects.

Above: Large blocks of concrete mixed with basalt stone frame a courtyard in Khopoli, India. The concrete house, designed by Spasm Design Architects, is perched on the side of a cliff. For more, see The Sheltering Sky: A Vacation House in Khopoli.

Above: DIY concrete block planters fill a corner of a patio at Allison Bloom's house in Mill Valley. See more in DIY: Concrete Block Planters.

Above: A concrete block garden pavilion by San Francisco-based TD Architecture.

Above: Concrete blocks hold redwood planks in place to create shelving in my next-door neighbor's garden. For more, see Garden Visit: The Hobbit Land Next Door. Photograph by Tom Kubik for Gardenista.

Above: Spotted via Urban Gardens Web, a cinderblock planter wall made by photographer Zac Posen.

For more, see DIY on a Budget: $30 Mini Concrete Planters and Steal This Look: An Open-Air Concrete Bath.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Gray Gardens: A Visit to San Francisco's Foggiest Backyard
• Garden Designer Visit: A Study in Green by Franchesca Watson
• Garden Visit: At Home with Judy Green in London's Leafiest Suburb

As I arrived at Polly and Mike Hutchison's flower farm in Saunderstown, Rhode Island the other day, I was met with a flurry of activity. Buckets of dahlias and sunflowers were being loaded into the van, bouquets were being bundled for market, and special orders were being filled for various events and florists across the state.

An early fall breeze quickly gave way to a sweltering late-summer sun.  The turn of the seasons is a tossup here in New England.  You might start the morning wearing layers, and end the day in shorts and a tee shirt.  But one thing was clear that morning—the oranges, crimsons, golds, and maroons of the flowers clearly indicated that fall was underway on the farm.

Photography by Christine Chitnis for Gardenista.

Above: Mike and Polly run Robin Hollow Farm, the only farm in Rhode Island dedicated to growing flowers for market, weddings and events.

After years of growing organic produce in California to sell to restaurants such as the venerable Chez Panisse, Polly and Mike came to Rhode Island and began growing flowers.  "Many of our good friends were already growing vegetables and selling at market," explains Polly, "and we felt that competing with them just wasn't what we wanted to do."

Above: Dahlias in the field.

When Polly and Mike moved to Rhode Island, no one else was growing and selling flowers in the state. They turned their green-thumb wisdom to flowers, with great success.

Above: Harvest time.

"We took the approach of throwing all the spaghetti at the wall to see what would stick," Polly remembers. "We thought we'd sell at farmers' markets, and do special events, weddings and sell to florists."

Above: Tool storage.

Everything stuck—so It is no wonder the farm is such a hub of activity—with the planting, tending, weeding, and prepping, there is always much to be done.

Above: Lucky for me, Polly took time out of her busy morning to put together a few bouquets, illustrating how early fall flowers can come together with such elegance and simplicity.

Above: Robin Hollow Farm consists on two acres of flower fields on Polly and Mike's property, as well as a larger swath of land rented from the Aquidneck Land Trust.  

Above: Although Robin Hollow Farm is a working farm that is not open to the public, they do throw out the welcome mat once a year for their amazing plant sale and open house, which usually takes place on Mothers Day Weekend in early May.

Above: Polly Hutchison arranges all of the bouquets for market and special events.  Although never having trained as a florist, she brings an artist's eye and a grower's sensibility to her bouquets.  The results are organic, simple arrangements that allow the flowers' colors and shapes to shine.

Above: Crops in the field.

Above: Fall favorites include a wide variety of dahlias, sunflowers, and zinnias. 

Above: The greenhouse at Robin Hollow Farm.

Above: Cut flowers and bouquets are brought to farmers markets across Rhode Island, including the Hope Street Farmers Market in Providence, and the Coastal Growers Market in Saunderstown.

Cheering on the local flowers movement? Us too. See our recent posts on Red Damsel Farm in British Columbia and Love 'n Fresh in Philadelphia.

More Stories from Gardenista

• 10 Genius Garden Hacks with Concrete Blocks
• Gray Gardens: A Visit to San Francisco's Foggiest Backyard
• Garden Designer Visit: A Study in Green by Franchesca Watson

There is much to recommend the humble window box.  As a low-tech home beautifier, it is unparalleled. Fill it with a few bright flowering plants and maybe a vine or two from the local nursery and, voilà, you look like a gardening genius and your house is transformed into a bower of delight.  Of course there are a few details to consider.  It's not simply a matter of getting any old box and nailing it to the window sill. As with all home improvements, decisions must be made and certain materials and techniques are better than others. 

For instance, in addition to traditional wall-mounted window boxes, there are freestanding window boxes and indoor window boxes. Read on to find out which window box is right for you:

What is the history of window boxes?

If you decide to add window boxes to your home, you will be following in the footsteps of the ancient Romans. There's evidence they actually invented the terra cotta window box way back in the first century B.C.  They probably filled their boxes with utilitarian plants that were useful for food, remedies, and religious purposes.

Window boxes for adornment came later. As the Roman empire spread, so did their invention.  There is a long tradition of window boxes decorating buildings all over Europe. In the British Isles, homeowners were known to convert wire hay baskets into window plant containers. Window boxes came early to the United States where they were used by colonists. 

Above: Culinary herbs in a window box. Photograph by Erin Boyle.

Why use a window box?

Nowadays (as well as throughout their long history) window boxes are primarily used to beautify homes.  They turn up in lists of simple, inexpensive things you can do to add to your home's curb appeal. For the landless city dweller, they also provide a way to be a gardener. Attached to a window near a kitchen, they can be a convenient source of herbs and vegetables. 

Above: Meredith's DIY Window Boxes are the backyard of her urban apartment in San Francisco. The black offers attractive contrast to light colored building and white trim. Photograph by Liesa Johannssen for Gardenista.

Above: A simple, yet glamorous wooden window box made from recycled materials by East London Furniture. Consider a DIY: Elegant Black Stained Window Box. 

What are the different styles of window boxes?

Before you get totally stymied by the array of choices, it's a good idea to start with the style of your home.  To look appropriate, a window box must harmonize.  Obviously an iron filigree box will look out of place on a clapboard farmhouse.  A hayrack planter is not going to work on a formal French villa. You get the idea.  

Above: You can even hang window boxes indoors. Here's an ad hoc window box is an Ikea hack (using components of the Grundtal kitchen system).

Above: For more, see Design Sleuth: Terra Cotta Window Boxes in Italy. Photograph by Meredith Swinehart.

Above: Terra cotta window boxes at Caramoor Music Center in Katonah, NY complement a Mediterranean style building.  Photograph by Jeanne Rostaing for Gardenista.

What size window box do I need? 

A window box that is too short will look out of balance and dinky on your window, while one that is too long can overwhelm your house and make the exterior look crowded and overly busy. Choosing a length that spans the full inside width of your window should give you a window box that looks right.

Above: Photograph courtesy of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

As far as height is concerned, you can follow a rule of thumb: the window box should be about 25 percent of the height of the window or 20 percent if the windows are very tall, such as the ones frequently found on the parlor floor of a brownstone.  It's a good idea to measure your windows and consult with your vendor before you purchase window boxes.

Beware of buying boxes that are too shallow or narrow.  A minimum of 8 inches in depth and 8 inches from front to back is required to have enough room for a selection of plants.  Larger—say a foot in depth and width—is even better, particularly if you want to include a lot of plants and want them to fill out enough to overflow the box.  It's absolutely necessary that a window box have drainage holes so plants do not sit in soggy soil.  If your box does not come with holes, you will need to drill holes in the bottom before installation.

Above: An extra-long Corten steel window box sits on the ground beneath a window; for more, see Design Sleuth: Extra Long Corten Planter. Photograph via Portland Contained.

How do I install a window box? 

Unless it is freestanding, a window box must be securely attached to your house.  It should be able to withstand high winds and other extreme weather. Hardware must be able to carry the weight of the box and wet soil. Installation methods and hardware will vary based on your facade's material.  The simplest kind of hardware are L-shaped brackets made of galvanized or stainless steel. A box can also rest on decorative wood or metal knee brackets attached to the wall below the box.  

Installing window boxes can be done as a DIY project, but be sure to check on the type of hardware and techniques advised for your particular home exterior material.  Expandable anchors can't be used on brick because they can cause the brick to break apart.  For stucco or plywood, use large anchors for wood. Again, we recommend consulting with your vendor for the installation recommendations.

Above: British gardening writer Isabelle Palmer has zinc window boxes mounted on her balcony railing. Photograph by Jonathan Gooch for Gardenista.

Have a balcony? Lucky you. Consider hanging window boxes from your railing. See 10 Easy Pieces: Hanging Window Boxes with Brackets.

Above: Window box brackets can be demure or decorative. They are available in different materials to complement your box. We like the sturdy Iron Window Box Brackets (above, L; $26.97 a pair at Windowbox.com) and the Teak Windowbox Brackets (above, R; $14.95 to $19.95 per pair from Gardeners).

What window box materials are available?

Name a construction material...no doubt someone somewhere makes a window box out of it.  Wood, plastic, zinc, copper, iron, tin, ceramic, terra cotta, wire, fiberglass—you name it, they are all available. I once saw beautiful window boxes made of rubber tote bags. After you've selected the style you want, take a look at the materials available.  If your windows get bright sun all day, it's a good idea to avoid dark-colored or solid metal boxes, which could heat up and become ovens to bake your plants.

(Stay tuned for our next installment, looking at the pros and cons of different window box materials. In the meantime see 10 Easy Pieces: Metal Window Boxes and 10 Easy Pieces: Wooden Window Boxes, and Design Sleuth: Terra Cotta Window Boxes for sources.)

Above: Wooden window box in Brooklyn. Cypress, cedar, redwood and teak are less prone to rot than other woods. Photograph by Erin Boyle.

What are the best plants for a window box?   

A window box is just another type of container, so it can be planted as you would any container. Plants with relatively small roots and limited space needs are best. Don't forget about plant height. You want to enhance, not block, your view. Select a mixture of trailers, uprights, filler plants, and even bulbs. The best part of window boxes is how quickly they can change their look; you can replant your garden seasonally (or when the mood strikes). Here are some ideas: 

Above: Michelle believes the best window boxes are those you can't see due to the cascading effect of plantings. Get her tips for the perfect plants in our earlier post Magic Trick: The Invisible Window Box. Photograph via Stately.

Above: Erin Boyle shares her Tiny Fall WIndow Box Garden Ingredients. Photograph by Erin Boyle.

Above: Meredith dresses up her window boxes for the holidays. See her DIY: Holiday Window Boxes.

Perplexed about the cold winter months? See Tiny Trees: Window Boxes to Last All Winter.

Looking for more window box inspiration? Explore all of our Window Box posts. Want to green your fire escape? See DIY: A Fire Escape-Style Garden. 

More Stories from Gardenista

• 10 Easy Pieces: Budget-Friendly Unfinished Wood Furniture
• Outbuilding of the Week: Glassy Greenhouse in Sweden
• Hardscaping 101: Landscape Uplighting

I've killed every succulent I've ever attempted to grow. Things start off well enough, but a few weeks after I bring succulents into my home, they start to look spindly and sad before they give up and die. Despite hearing time and again about how foolproof succulents can be, I've never had luck. I have a hunch that I'm not the only one. Fellow succulents killers, are you out there?

Distraught about my inability to nurture a succulent in my tiny New York apartment, I took advantage of a recent trip to San Francisco to head to that city's succulent mecca, Flora Grubb Gardens, to ask for advice: Why are my succulents dying, and how can I stop killing them?

Photography by Erin Boyle.

1. Let's talk climate. Succulents like dry air. That's why succulents in San Francisco grow like weeds. Wedged between crack in the sidewalks, spilling out of containers in the middle of the street, twisting out of hanging planters suspended from lamp posts, the succulents in the City by the Bay are so healthy and abundant that if I didn't know better, I might actually believe they were mocking me. 

If you live in a humid climate, let succulents dry out thoroughly between waterings (those pillowy leaves hold moisture for them to use when they're growing in the desert).

2. Give succulents as much sun as possible. Succulents are desert plants. They thrive in hot places with plenty of sunshine. It's no surprise that a sun-loving plant doesn't enjoy life in my dimly lit New York apartment.

3. Experiment with different kinds of succulents. They're not all alike. Some will thrive in indoor conditions that others might not like. Read on...

4. Start with the green ones. The greener the succulents that you choose, the greater the chances that they'll survive inside. Pass up the gray ones, the blue ones, and the purple ones, and head straight for succulents with bright green leaves.

5. Green succulents in the Crassula genus are a dependable option. A Crassula "Gollum" Jade like the one above is available from Mountain Crest Gardens for $4.50.

6. If you prefer the cactus look, agave and aloe plants can also do surprisingly well indoors if placed in a bright window. The thread-leaf agave (above) has my eye in particular. 

Part of the appeal of succulents is their variety of colors and shapes. But succulents in the purple and orange color family are really better suited for outdoor spaces. 

7. Instead of focusing on having a variety of color, look for green succulents in a variety of shapes.

8. Give succulents room to breathe indoors. In outdoor settings, succulents can do well in crowded compositions, but if you're hoping for succulents to survive in lower indoor light, it's best to space them apart so that a maximum amount of sunlight can reach them.

9. Planting succulents in unglazed plants can help them to drain completely in between waterings and will prevent them from becoming water-logged.

What else? Any other tips for the succulent killers among us? 

Looking for a sexy succulent planter? We found one.

For more on Flora Grubb Gardens, see our Shopper's Diary.

View Larger Map

Browse our Succulents posts for more ideas. And follow Justine's DIY tips to Propagate Aloe, the Plant of Immortality.

N.B.: This is an update of a post originally published on June 24, 2013 as part of our Dry Gardens week.

More Stories from Gardenista

• A Balcony-Style Planter for Indoors from MAKR
• Brass Tacks: Luxury Flower Pots from Sweden
• The Novice Gardener: Help, Can This Olive Tree Be Saved?

I've had my eye on this plant ring from MAKR for what feels like years. It's simple and classic but still a little bit unusual. I'm not sure what the policy is on drilling into the wall, but I'm thinking that one of these would be right at home in my new office.

Above: Made to fit your own standard 4-inch planter, the modern ring dresses up even an inexpensive terra cotta pot. A MAKR Plant Ring is 48€ from Amsterdam-based Miscellaneous. In the US, an Avocado Powder Coated Steel Plant Ring is $48 from MAKR Studio Goods.

Above: The powder-coated steel ring and leather base plate riser are made in the USA.

Above: Available in black from Miscellaneous, and in pewter and avocado from MAKR Studio Goods. Plant and planter not included.

For more wall-mounted plant rings, see Design Sleuth: Wire Pot Hangers and A Wall-Mounted Planter, Made in California.

N.B.: This is an update of a post originally published on June 4, 2013.

More Stories from Gardenista

• 9 Secrets to Growing Succulents Indoors
• Brass Tacks: Luxury Flower Pots from Sweden
• The Novice Gardener: Help, Can This Olive Tree Be Saved?

Los Angeles-based designer Alexandra Angle worked in event design and wrote an entertaining guide with her husband, Eliot, called Cocktail Parties with a Twist, before setting up her interior design practice. For this Los Feliz guesthouse, she combined midcentury Scandinavian pieces with a Southern California palette. To see more of the firm's work, go to Alexandra Angle Interior Design.

Photography via Alexandra Angle.

Above: The cottage's bedroom opens directly to the lush green lawn; a Hans Wegner PP24 Rocking Chair made of solid ash with plaited halyard props open one of the doors.

Above: The porcelain sconces are Hector Medium Wall Lights; $210 apiece from Horne.

Above: The cottage is tucked into a corner of the yard.

Above: A path leads to the outdoor bath.

Above: A galvanized metal trough serves as a plein-air tub.

Above: A tiny outdoor dining table for two.

Above: Next to the dining area is a hammock.

Above: The tiny kitchen features dashes of red. Note the red bulb in the Moooi Cluster lamp ($361 from Ylighting) above the range.

Above: A high-backed Windsor bench is painted an unexpected shade of pale blue.

Above: For another outdoor bath designed by Alexandra Angle, see Bathing en Plein Air: 29 Outdoor Summer Showers on Remodelista.

for more ideas about how to use black as a garden accents, see A Glamorous Black and White Cottage Garden.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Hardscaping 101: Window Boxes
• 10 Easy Pieces: Budget-Friendly Unfinished Wood Furniture
• Outbuilding of the Week: Glassy Greenhouse in Sweden

My yard is filled with the rich scent of plants making their last stand. Lettuces allowed to go to seed are leafy columns waving small flowers like flags of surrender. The last of the summer sun fuels robust displays in my herb garden, especially from my basils, good soldiers to the end.

For a frozen cocktail recipe (made with the last of the summer's basil), read on:

Photography by Laura Silverman for Gardenista.

Above: Sometimes called “the king of herbs,” basil actually can be a royal pain. With enough hot weather, it generally behaves like a hardy annual, but it wilts almost instantly in the refrigerator. This applies to all varieties, though the bushy, tiny-leaved pistou basil is a bit sturdier.

Above: Genovese basil, with its broad, crinkled green leaves, is perhaps the most familiar variety of Ocimum basilicum (Ocimum is from the Greek for “to smell”) but there are many others, including opal basil, Thai basil, holy basil, lemon basil…in all there are more than 40 cultivars and almost as many subtly distinct flavors. 

Above: All basils belong to the Lamiaceae family of mints, so most have at least faint hints of that, but notes of anise, cinnamon, and clove are also common. This pungent herb is used extensively in Mediterranean cooking, but also in India, the country of its origin, and throughout Southeast Asia.

Above: There is no basil preparation more classic than pesto, the famous sauce from Genoa that contains just basil, garlic, and pine nuts pounded together, then mixed with olive oil and grated Parmesan. It’s traditionally made with a mortar and pestle, but a food processor makes a perfectly acceptable version.

Above: In addition to eating it fresh, I like to spread my pesto in a thin sheet and dry it thoroughly in my dehydrator (a low oven also works). Crumbled up, this newfangled garnish is delicious sprinkled on everything from rice and pasta to soup and salads, where it adds an irresistible crunch.

Above: The purple stems, flowers, and narrow deep green leaves of Thai basil all have a lovely sweet licorice undertone that perfectly complements the floral taste of fresh peaches. Gently poach them together in a bath of rosé sweetened with a little honey. The herb-infused syrup covers the fruit in a luxurious satin cloak. 

Above: Chef Alex Raij taught me to make a Basil Pomada, the herbaceous, bright green frozen cocktail served at El Quinto Pino, one of four restaurants she co-owns in New York City. It comes together in just a few simple steps, starting with grinding together equal parts basil and sugar.

Above: This vivid paste is combined with lemon juice, water, and gin, then frozen in an ice cream maker until it achieves the perfect slushy consistency. (This kind of herb-flavored sugar is also wonderful in other cooking applications. Try using mint-sugar to bake chocolate biscuits.)

Above: No ice cream maker? No worries. Just place the mixture in a shallow glass bowl in your freezer and rake with a fork every 20 minutes or so until you achieve the right texture.

This divine concoction hails from the Spanish island of Menorca, where the living is, clearly, very easy. It’s the best way to send off summer.

Basil Pomada, Menorca Style

Adapted from chef Alex Raij

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 cups water
• 12 ounces gin (preferably an herbaceous one, such as Plymouth) 

Instructions:

Combine sugar and basil in a food processor and process until very finely ground.

Scrape basil-sugar into a small bowl and pour the lemon juice over. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until sugar melts, about 15 minutes. Then combine with water and gin in your ice cream maker, and run the machine until the pomada is slushy, similar to a frozen margarita. Pour into a rocks, highball, or margarita glass and garnish with a sprig of basil.

For more recipes from my garden, visit Glutton for Life. And for more on our favorite basil varieties, see our Field Guide posts on Tulsi Basil and Sweet Basil.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Small Space DIY: Countertop Herb Garden
• Steal This Look: Mattress Springs as DIY Wall Art
• DIY on a Budget: $30 Mini Concrete Planters

Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our pocketbooks. It's easy to remodel if you have a million dollars to spend. But when you don't? This week Remodelista's editors came up with 101 ways to create style on a budget. Here were our favorite ideas:

Above: Margot discovers the next hot NY neighborhood, and guess what? It's not in Brooklyn. And you don't need to throw a lot of money at the problem to create a beautiful home there. See more in House Call: Living with Vintage Finds in Queens.

Above: We're dying to update our rooms, but the year-end budget will not stretch to include construction. So we were thrilled to read about these 11 Zero-Cost Room-Changing Ideas. (We'll be doing No. 3 and No. 7 this weekend.)

Above: We can't get enough of Remodelista's inventive weekly DIYs. Justine has cleverly found bits of twine washed ashore—and repurposed them into pot holders, trivets, and more. True.

Above: Notice how even linoleum looks warm and friendly when there's a houseplant in the room? Janet explores more ways to use low-cost flooring in Remodeling 101: Budget-Friendly Linoleum.

Above: We know what we're getting Julie for her birthday: Classic Wooden Clothespins Made in the USA. Oh, and a clothesline for her backyard. Because we know 7 Life-Changing Reasons to Dry Laundry Outdoors.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Table of Contents: Style on a Budget
• Trending on Remodelista: Minimalist Glamour
• Table of Contents: Minimalist Glamour