The British countryside can be a noisy place, especially in summer. Over the loud complaints of sheep being sheared in the next field, as well as a swarm of bees in the orchard, the warblings of baritones and mezzo-sopranos drift over the garden at Glyndebourne, home of the original country house opera.

We take a tour and find that during opera season there is something here for all the senses:

Photography by Howard Sooley.

Above: The Glyndebourne experience begins in the afternoon and can last until midnight. The lawns and gardens around the house provide a site for picnicking during the long interval. The atmosphere is a "curiously comfortable" combination of formality and informality; in other words, classic English country house style.

Although the original house dates back to the early 15th century, it has been tinkered with by Elizabethans and Victorians and, more recently, by the founders of the opera and succeeding generations. The latter have worked their way through three sets of opera spaces: the most recent auditorium was opened in 1994.

Above: Clary sage Salvia sclarea 'Turkestanica' and the yellow foxglove Digitalis lutea. Head gardener Kevin Martin and garden consultant John Hoyland have been adding their own newer layers to areas of the garden which were once overseen by Christopher Lloyd. 

The most recent addition to Glyndebourne is a traditional rose garden (which Lloyd may have struggled with, having bulldozed his own). Overlooked by the croquet lawn, which is intended for the recreation of opera artistes, the mainly pink rose garden is a homage to the mother of Gus Christie, current incumbent of Glyndebourne and third generation of the family to run the opera. Although this part of the garden is very young it leans more toward formality and is punctuated by chess-piece topiary; a wonderful backdrop to the formal attire of opera-goers. 

Above: The exuberance of the Terrace Border which runs along the front of the house toward the theater. On the day of my visit the wife of Gus Christie, Glyndebourne's owner, had just given birth to their first child (he already has four sons). She is the soprano Danielle de Niese, who will be starring in a Ravel double bill at Glyndebourne in August.

Above: The Figaro Garden, designed by Kim Wilkie, is a cool crossroads, enclosed by yew and planted simply with robinia trees. No flowers.

The creator of the opera festival, John Christie, was also married to a soprano and the family has long been involved in the arts. London's White Cube gallery has a pop-up exhibition space at Glyndebourne for 2015. Temporary sculpture, like the dog in the boat above, or a life-size Diana running through the field over the ha-ha, are a part of the opera's landscape. 

Above: An orchard surrounds the kitchen garden. Food is grown for the house, which is home to principle artistes, directors and conductors during the season, as well as the Christie family. The spirit of common enterprise is strong; the theatrical atmosphere is appreciated by all, including the gardeners.

Above: Field Scabious grows in the meadows which form part of the orchard and continue down towards the lake.

Above: An English orchid by the lake; a quieter place to picnic during the ninety-minute interval. Although there are further lakes ("Glyndebourne" means valley and river), this one has three springs feeding into it. Closer to the house, the opera's setting is suitably exuberant, with views beyond the ha-ha of the South Downs.

Above: The new theater is nestled in jungle planting including Acanthus mollis (Bear's Britches). This sheltered part of the garden was originally devised by Mary Keen. 

For more on opera-loving gardener Christopher Lloyd, see Required Reading: The Best of Christopher Lloyd.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Before and After: A Modern Brooklyn Backyard on a Budget
• Studio Visit: Artist Andrea Zittel's Compound in the California Desert
• Landscape Design: 10 Gardens Transformed by Raised Beds

Who doesn't love a Cinderella story? This week, we visit landscapes transformed: a lawn begone in California, a before-and-after Brooklyn backyard, and 10 gardens where a pergola made all the difference. Join us.

Monday

Above: In Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood, a backyard goes from sad to special; see the step-by-step transformation in this week's Rehab Diaries post.

Above: Florist Sarah Winward gives us a tour of her workspace in this week's Studio Visit.

Tuesday

Above: Alexa finds shelter from the storm—and the summer sun—and finds 11 ways to improve your garden with a Pergola in this week's Roundup post.

Above: Michelle rounds up her favorite outdoor lanterns for summer parties in this week's 10 Easy Pieces.

Wednesday

Above: Megan's sleuthing leads to some shocking revelations about the history of the hammock—and five to buy—in this week's Outdoor Furniture post. (And if you missed her latest column, catch up at Patio Furniture 101: The Adirondack Chair.)

Thursday

Above: This week's Hardscaping 101 post is a primer on wood decks: from designing one (how big should it be? does it need a railing?) to materials (from ipe to cedar?) we'll arm you with everything you need to know.

Friday

Above: This week's Before & After post tells the Cinderella story of a southern California front yard—transformed from a weedy, scruffy patch of turf to a drought-tolerant landscape of sun-loving succulents.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Current Obsessions: Dining Al Fresco
• Trending on Remodelista: New Americana
• Table of Contents: Country House

One of the first landscape projects that designers Anishka Clarke and Niya Bascom took on five years ago when they were launching their business was a backyard garden in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood that had suffered a typical city fate. A single big tree cast dense shade over a scruffy patch of grass, hemmed in by a poured-concrete walkway. The 484-square-foot space looked like a small, sad rectangle of land that no one loved very much.

But Clarke and Bascom, partners in Brooklyn-based Ishka Designs, saw possibilities. "This client had a young child and also entertained a lot in the backyard," says Clarke. "So we decided to keep it very minimal as well as give the space the flexibility to transform."

Less than a month later, the change was remarkable:

Photography by Niya Bascom.

Above: The designers decided to work with instead of against the big Japanese maple tree. "We liked the idea of creating contrast, with the very organic shape of this off-center tree and a uniform paver and stone patio," says Clarke.

After coming up with a design, Clarke and Bascom also "did the installation," as they say in the business. In other words, over the course of a couple of weeks, "we did all the laborious tasks ourselves including bag sand, lift sand, dig trenches, break bricks, displace dirt, haul pavers, lay pavers, dodge mosquitos, kill mosquitos," Clarke says.

Before

Above: "The shell of the hardscaping was there—the concrete walkway—but the garden was very overrun and it was just a hodgepodge of things," says Clarke.

Above: The plan was to use the poured-concrete path, which ran in a U-shape around the perimeter of the garden, as a frame for a new patio. To create the patio, Clarke and Bascom tore out the turf and leveled the dirt to make a flat surface for the new pavers.

Above: The designers covered the leveled dirt with a layer of landscape fabric to create a weed barrier.

Above: For the new patio, Clarke (L) and Bascom set concrete pavers in sand. They varied the width of the grout lines to create blocks of pavers for a checkerboard effect.

Above: "We used white stones between the pavers because the color created a nice pop," says Clarke. In the dappled shade beneath the Japanese maple tree, "black or a natural color stone wouldn't have the same effect."

After

Above: Vintage metal garden furniture painted white visually reinforces the brightness of the white stones in the patio. "The furniture is super lightweight and easily moved," says Clarke. "It also looks airy because it's wire."

The designers installed a rolled bamboo fence. "Bamboo is a very affordable option and very organic. It allows air and light to travel through, so it keeps the garden light and cool," says Clarke.

Above: When Clarke and Bascom first saw the garden, clumps of hostas were thriving beneath the tree. They added more hostas with different shapes and colors of leaves along the fence line. "We liked the idea of using more hostas to make the space more minimal and uniform," says Clarke.

Above: In the foreground is a smoke tree shrub that Bascom and Clarke planted in an old pickle barrel.

Above: "The barrel will limit the smoke tree's growth, but it's been doing really well," says Clarke. "We put the smoke tree there because we wanted something full in the corner and we didn't want to add more trees to the small space."

Above: The old poured-concrete path frames the new patio.

Above: An aerial view of the garden, from the fire escape.

• Brooklyn Oasis: A City Roof Garden, Before and After.
• Designer Visit: A Low Maintenance Brooklyn Backyard by New Eco Landscapes.
• Brooklyn on a Budget: A Modern Townhouse Garden.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Garden Visit: The Unique Charm of Glyndebourne in Sussex
• Studio Visit: Artist Andrea Zittel's Compound in the California Desert
• Landscape Design: 10 Gardens Transformed by Raised Beds

Many of this country's most celebrated entrepreneurs begin their journey within the humble four walls of the family garage. Rock bands, media companies, and tech companies have channeled creativity among dirty work benches and half-empty oil cans. 

Not all garage studios look like that. Salt Lake City-based floral designer Sarah Winward moved her floral design studio, Honey of a Thousand Flowers, to a garage in downtown Salt Lake City recently. No abandoned cardboard boxes or rusty paint cans here, though. Let's visit:

Photography by Britt Chudleigh.

Above: The open studio door.

Before becoming a floral designer, Sarah was a student studying the Middle East who answered phones and swept floors in flower shops. Then, after helping some friends design their wedding flowers, Sarah was hooked. She began arranging flowers from her yard and wherever she could find them. Sarah explains, "Soon friends of friends were asking for me to do flowers for their weddings, so I made a blog where I posted photos, and then I made a website. And suddenly I started taking clients. It all felt so fast and fluid." 

 Above: Inside her studio, a table and chairs on a rug create a multi-purpose space for client meetings and evening dinners.

Above: Sarah's cutting garden, where she grows zinnia, Lamb's-ear, and heuchera to use in arrangements.

Above: Indoors, the studio has shelves of props.

Props are an essential part of the business. Some come from wholesale floral suppliers, but many are vintage and were collected one piece at a time. "I am a hoarder by nature, so I feel that my job is the best and the worst thing for me," she says. "I get my fix by buying new vases and displaying them on my shelves."

Above: More props, organized by material.

Some of Sarah's vintage pieces came from thrift stores or eBay; others were collected on travels in the US, Morocco, and India.

Above: Sarah at work, designing.

Sarah is inspired by the natural world when she designs an arrangement: "I love the way flowers look out in the gardens and on the mountainside, and I like to try and let the flowers feel natural when arranged." 

Above: An arrangement of pear tree foliage, maidenhair fern, Pee Gee hydrangea, echinacea or (white coneflower), and bunny grass.

Color is an integral part of the design process for Sarah: "I usually start with one flower and build a palette around it." Sarah's not a fan of too much contrast in her arrangements, so she works to blend colors together by finding the right shades to create color bridges.

Above: Sarah at work in the studio.

The overall floral aesthetic for each wedding that Sarah works on is created by thinking about the couple, the season, and the location for their wedding.

Above: Sarah opens the studio to the street.

The studio sits on the edge of Salt Lake City's downtown across from Pioneer Park, which holds the biggest Salt Lake City farmers' market. During the summer when there are concerts in the park, Sarah opens the front garage door and hosts barbecues with friends. 

Above: What does Sarah love most about the studio? "It’s a great space that can transform from a workspace to a nice space where I can host a dinner or a workshop," she says.

Sarah even has hosted an actual wedding in the space: "I love that is a space where my friends, family, and associates can come and we all feel welcome and comfortable."

For more of Sarah's floral designs or to set up a consultation, see Honey of a Thousand Flowers.

• Shopper's Diary: Marble & Milkweed's New York City Studio.
• Studio Visit: At Home with Berlin's Star Florist, Annett Kuhlmann.
• By Appointment Only: In the Studio with Brooklyn Florist Saipua.

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• The Cult of Cécile: A Parisian Ceramicist's Perfect Flower Vases
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• Trend Alert: 10 Sources for White Enamel Flatware

The pergola is understated by nature, an empty frame to accent or support. It doesn't look like much on its own, but a garden without a pergola is like a room without a rug: something is missing but you can't quite put your finger on what.

Almost every garden I love has a pergola, but it wasn't until I started to look up at the wooden slats that frame the sky that I came to understand the transformative potential of the simple outdoor structure. Here are 10 ways to improve your garden with a pergola, straight from a pergola convert. 

Create Architectural Interest in a Flat Landscape

Above: Photograph by Annette O'Brien for The Design Files.

A square outdoor area or extensive acreage over a flat plane calls for some vertical interest, an architectural element to break up the landscape and inspire new planting patterns around it. Take a backyard (Above) designed by Grounded Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, where a thin iron pergola frames an outdoor dining area of pale slate. For more of this garden, see our recent post, Designer Visit: A Modern Courtyard to Covet in Melbourne.

Add Shade Coverage During Summer Months

Above: A modern steel and wood pergola in a garden by Ishka Designs on South Oxford Street in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood. Photograph by Niya Bascom Photography.

Summer weather calls for entertaining outdoors. But without a pergola, one can only expect to do so in the early morning or the evening. A pergola designed with cloth laths provides shade for mid-day sun, allowing for more time spent in the garden.

Train Fragrant Vines to Grow Overhead

Above: Wisteria traces the edge of a white painted pergola at the Long Island home of Vogue's editor, Anna Wintour, whose garden was designed by Miranda Brooks.

Wild roses and wisteria, or any other floral vine blooming above pathways and outdoor seating, will transport a simple garden to a different time and place. 

Grow Productive Fruit or Vegetables

Above: Photograph by Henry Bourne for T Magazine.

Climbing vegetables such as squash, runner beans, cucumbers, and grapes can be grown up and over a backyard pergola. Take the London patio of designer Faye Toogood with a slender burnt wood pergola to support a few climbing grapevines.

Weave Fabric Through a Pergola

Above: Woven fabric takes on a similar function when rectangular strips of canvas drop cloth are threaded through the laths of a wooden pergola in DIY: Instant Painter's Drop Cloth Pergola.

Hang Outdoor Lights on an Open Pergola

Above: A Scandinavian lighting trend, looped string lights on a black cord, hang from the center of a pergola in the backyard of Swedish blogger Sofia of Failins Stil. Other options include a chandelier, lantern, or long strands of string lights to create ambient lighting in the evening.

String up a Hammock

Above: A woven hammock between the columns of a bamboo-covered pergola at San Giorgio Mykonos, a design element that promotes naps and afternoon reading.

Blur the Boundary Between Indoors and Out

Above: A cantilevered pergola functions as an extension of the house on a rooftop in Chelsea, New York City, designed by Brook Landscape.

Add Shade to a Balcony or Rooftop Garden

Above: A pitched pergola on a prefab house in Paris by Djuric Tardio has slats to create an open air lounge area on the rooftop.

A balcony or rooftop is likely to be more exposed than an average backyard. To limit sun exposure, add a small pergola on a balcony, or a large structure over a rooftop garden.

Create Filtered Lightscapes in the Garden

Watch the sun move across the sky throughout the day and enjoy the wells of light and shadow created by the slats of the pergola. Lightscapes are even more apparent—dappled—when vines are trained overhead. Above is the the home of Melissa and Damian Bombardier in Australia; see the Before and After in A Sydney Ranch House Transformed on Remodelista.

For more garden tips and pergola inspiration see our recent posts:

• An Instant Garden Walkway, Courtesy of a Swedish Pergola.
• Landscape on a Budget: 10 Quick Fixes to Add Personality to the Average Garden.
• 10 Tips for a Simplified Garden, to Grow More with Less.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Before and After: A Modern Brooklyn Backyard on a Budget
• Garden Visit: The Unique Charm of Glyndebourne in Sussex
• Studio Visit: Artist Andrea Zittel's Compound in the California Desert

Fireflies-in-a-jar is the level of lighting I want when I dine outdoors at night. Without actually putting fireflies into a jar of course, because fireflies are people too.

To get the same golden glow they emit from their little beetle bellies, here are 10 of our favorite tabletop candle lanterns:

Above: A Smokey Grey Glass Lantern from Danish designer Eva Solo hangs from a sturdy metal wire and holds a tea light. It comes in two heights—20 and 25 centimeters—and is available at prices ranging from €49.90 to €59.90 depending on size.

Above: A Marstrand Candle Lantern from Skaargarden has a leather frame and handle in case you want to hang it from a branch. It is $180 from the Dwell Store.

Above: A tabletop Lanterna Candleholder made of plated stainless steel has a decorative leather handle; 325 SEK from Garden Home.

Above: A Copper And Glass Votive Lantern has an open top and padded surface protectors on its base; £12 from Oliver Bonas.

Above: From Roost, Nickel Carriage Lanterns are available in three sizes; at 24.5 inches high, the smallest size is $145 from Modish Store.

Above: A Round Rhode Lantern is 14 inches high and has a metal handle; $90 from Tuvalu Home.

Above: From Danish designers Norm, a  black Carrie Lantern has a powder coated steel frame and a glass bowl that also can be used as a vase. It is €94.95 from Finnish Design Shop.

Above: The German-made Lumbra Lantern from Blomus is $161.99 at Lumens.

Above: Design House Stockholm's Lotus Hurricane Lantern has a steel handle, stands 17.5 inches tall, and is available in black, silver, and white; $74 at Scandinavian Design Center.

Above: A tall, battery-powered LED Washi Paper Lantern from Japan-based designer Hayashi Kougei is $80 from Nalata Nalata.

For more romantic outdoor lighting, see:

• Tiny Tin Tabletop Lanterns from Portugal.
• 10 Easy Pieces: Cafe Style Outdoor String Lights.
• 5 Quick Fixes: Outdoor Lanterns.

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Find respite from the summer heat in a neutral shaded patio, featuring a mix of modern and Moroccan elements.

Designed by Pierre Emmanuel Martin and Stephanie Garotin of Maison Hand, the patio in question is located in Tassin-la-Demi Lune in the Rhône region of France. A large fig tree grows near French lavender; butterfly chairs mix with silver tea service tables, and Belgian linen pillows meet woven Turkish blankets.

Above: An outdoor living room features a mix of seating and central Moroccan tray table.

Above: A mix of lighting options (string lights, candle holders, and lanterns) carry entertaining from day to night.

Above: Mother-in-law's tongues grow in a grouping of terra cotta planters.

Above: The teak Messina Umbrella (84 inches in diameter), made in Denmark by Skagerak, is $425.37 from The Furniture Store.

Above: Designed by Danish engineer Ole Gjerlov Knudsen in 1962 as a camping cot for his son, the reissued Beechwood Folding Bed with linen flax and sisal rope is €439 at Manufactum.

Above: Our favorite source for butterfly chairs is Circa 50 in Vermont; the stainless Butterfly Chair Frame With Cover (available in a range of colors) is $350.

Above: An eggshell Sunbrella Porch Pillow available in three sizes is from $24.99 to $39.99 depending on size from  Outdoor Pillows Only.

Above: Pehuen Chocolate Stripe Throw; $665 from Fabrics & Linens: Ochre's Spring Collection.

Above: The Hammered Drum Stool made of recycled aluminum is 16 inches high and 16 inches deep at Viva Terra; $249.

Above: Pottery Barn's Moroccan Tray Table features a lightweight aluminum etched top and a cast iron base 34 inches in diameter and 19.5 inches high; $399.

Above: Nickel Candle Lanterns by Roost, made of polished nickel-plated stainless steel, are available in three sizes; prices range from $145 to $390 at Modish.

Looking for more white or neutral furnishings to cool down a patio? See:

• 10 Easy Pieces: White Outdoor Dining Tables.
• 11 Ideas to Steal for a Moonlight Garden.
• 10 Easy Pieces: Concrete Outdoor Furniture.

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"Modern armoire" sounds like an oxymoron. Until it's not. A stylish shingled shed makes the leap from garden storage to luxurious cedar closet.

From Manhattan-based designer Harry Allen for Matter, a one-of-a-kind shed "conceptualizes the traditional American vernacular and brings the storage shed indoors, creating a beautiful and functional addition to any home."

Above: Each one-of-a-kind cedar Shed measures 84.6 inches high, 55 inches wide, and 26 inches deep; $20,000 from Matter.

Above: Harry Allen, founder of an eponymous design firm, is known for his furniture, lighting, and interior design projects. The Shed, introduced in 2011, capitalizes on the fact that "the pattern, texture, and aroma of cedar are laden with pleasant associations," says Allen. "It also contains insect-repelling qualities that make it great for clothing storage."

Above: Like a garden shed, the Shed has a peaked roof. Cedar materials include solid planks, shingles, and plywood.

For more on clothing storage, see:

• DIY: Portable Closet, Planter Included.
• Closet Clean-out: The Only 10 Pieces of Clothing You Need.
• 11 Favorites: Display-Worthy Clothes Hangers.

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• Steal This Look: Modern White Patio
• 10 Easy Pieces: Tabletop Candle Lanterns
• Wired: Nak Nak House Numbers with a Retro Design

Thirty-five years ago, journalists Sally Quinn and Ben Bradlee bought Grey Gardens, a wreck of an East Hampton estate made famous by a 1975 documentary film about the strange and sad decline of its previous residents (an aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who spent their last years living in filth, with dozens of cats). The garden, it goes without saying, was in ruins.

This is a famous story, of course, partly because Bradlee, who died in October at the age of 93, was at the time executive editor of The Washington Post and a celebrity in his own right. After editing the Watergate coverage that brought down a US president, he'd seen himself played onscreen in All the President's Men by Jason Robards. (The main differences between the actor and the real-life editor, people said, was that Bradlee was better looking and had a bigger personality.) When his wife told him she wanted to buy the crumbling, flea-infested Grey Gardens for $220,000, Bradlee replied, "You're out of your mind."

We should all be so insane.

What does Grey Gardens look like today? Let's take a stroll around the grounds:

Circa 2013:

Above: Grey Gardens in full bloom last year, under the care of Sally Quinn and Ben Bradlee. Photograph by Kelli Delaney Kot of KDHamptons.

With the help of Amagansett-based garden designer Victoria Fensterer, Quinn and Bradlee spent years renovating the house and creating a new walled garden within the shell of the old turn-of-the-century flower garden. Says Fensterer, "I brought in large trees and evergreens, creating a natural structure to soften the old wall, which was the only thing that remained after years of neglect and decay." 

Circa 1972:

Above: The house and garden in 1972, seven years before Quinn and Bradlee bought it. Photograph via Cote de Texas. 

By 1979, it looked even worse. "I wasn't sure I wanted to buy the house," Bradlee later told The New York Times. "There were 52 dead cats in it, and funeral arrangements had to be made for each one."

The story of how the grand house, built in 1897, fell into a decline that mirrored its owners' descent, is a haunting one. Here's how it happened: 

Circa 1920:

Above: Grey Gardens was built in 1897, but the gardens didn't go in until years later. Here, the ivy-covered home in the 1920s. Photograph via Houses of the Hamptons.

Above: A view of the original garden from the house, published in the 1924 book Beautiful Gardens in America.  

In 1913, Grey Gardens was purchased by coal magnate Robert Hill and his wife Anna Gilman Hill. Anna hired landscape designer Ruth Bramley Dean, and the pair collaborated on the design of the original walled garden and surrounding landscape. 

Above: The Grey Gardens walled garden, pictured in Anna Gilman Hill's 1938 book, Forty Years of Gardening.

In her memoir, Hill writes of the estate: "It was truly a gray garden. The soft gray of the dunes, cement walls and sea mists gave us our color scheme as well as our name....nepeta, stachys, and pinks....clipped bunches of santolina, lavender, and rosemary made gray mounds here and there. Only flowers in pale colors were allowed inside the walls, yet the effect was far from insipid....I close my eyes and sense again the scent of those wild roses, the caress of the hot sun on our backs as we sauntered to and fro from our bath and lazy mornings on the beach." (Excerpt via garden writer Stephen Orr's blog, What Were the Skies Like.)

Above: Photograph via Cote de Texas.

Big Edie Beale (Jackie Onassis' relative) and her husband, Phelan, acquired the house in 1924 and divorced in 1946. Edie stayed in the house and Phelan sent monthly checks of $300 to his ex-wife. But not for long. Little is known about Grey Gardens between then and the early 1970s.

By 1971, the house was run down and Big Edie (shown above) and her daughter were living in rooms filled with garbage, home to scores of raccoons and cats, and infested with fleas. The house lacked running water and plumbing.

In 1972, when the Suffolk County health department ordered Big Edie and her daughter evicted unless they cleaned up the property, the story garnered media attention. Cousins Jackie Onassis and her sister, Lee Radziwill, gave $30,000 to the Beales to use on repairs.

Above: After minimal restorations, the county said the Beales could stay. Here, the house in 1975 after the cleanup, during filming of the documentary. Photograph via New York Daily News.

Big Edie died two years later, in 1977, and Little Edie continued to live in the house, alone, for another two years. She moved out of the room she had shared with her mother into a small room with only a mattress on the floor. Penniless, she put the estate up for sale. 

Above: The garden in 1979 after it had been cleared by new owners Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn. 

Above: Quinn and Bradlee decided to recreate the garden as they thought it might once have looked. While cutting through a thicket of tangled vines, Bradlee discovered the stucco walls of the original garden. The project required cranes to lift bulldozers inside the garden walls to clear the decay. Said Quinn, "The garden, of course, was the whole point of the house, the reason for its name, even though we have to take the previous owner’s word for it that it even existed."

Above: The garden in 2007, finally looking filled in. Back in 1984, Quinn wrote: "We knew it would take years to get that lush overgrown feeling that makes it look as if it had always been there." In this image, the garden had been growing for more than two decades. Photograph by AmericasRoof via Flickr. 

Above: Two white Adirondack chairs are perched in a patch of grass encircled by flowers. Hinoki cypress trees flank the entrance to a small thatched-roof hut, circa 2009. Photogragh by Robert J. Eckholm via The New York Times.

Landscape designer Victoria Fensterer created a series of outdoor rooms that guests could discover as they wandered through the garden. 

The new garden, says Fensterer, is a romantic one, where flowers and trees grow "with wildness and abandon."

Above: The house and garden in 2010. Photograph by Drew Frist via Flickr.

Quinn and Bradlee entertained frequently, hosting summer parties and fundraisers. Bradlee liked to tell tales of the ghosts of Grey Gardens—its previous owners—and of the restoration process and architectural details that the couple retained.

All these years later, Sally Quinn recently told CNBC, the house still smells like cat urine when it rains, in one corner by the front door. "Ben always takes people over to the corner and makes them get down on their knees and smell the floor," she said. 

Read more stories about rescued gardens:

• Before and After: A Music Studio Rises from Its Victorian Ruins
• Before and After: 5 Favorite Garden Rehabs
• Before and After: A Grande Dame in LA's Hancock Park

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• 10 Ways to Improve Your Garden with a Pergola
• Before and After: A Modern Brooklyn Backyard on a Budget
• Garden Visit: The Unique Charm of Glyndebourne in Sussex

When Christopher Columbus set out to find Japan in 1492, he might have discovered futons, but instead he found the Bahamas and hammocks. The name came from a word meaning "fish net," and the West Indians made their hammocks out of sisal, suspending them between trees to avoid being bitten by snakes and pests. Columbus brought several examples back to Europe, and eventually the Royal Navy did away with traditional berths in favor of this new kind of bed. The naval hammock was made of canvas with enough fabric to wrap the sailor in a cocoon as he slept, preventing him from falling out. The hammock rocked with the movement of the ship, and was easily stowed during the day. 

From here, the story takes a Huckleberry Finn turn: Cap'n Josh was a riverboat captain in 19th century South Carolina. He found the canvas hammock too hot for the sultry Southern nights, and the rope hammock too scratchy, so he set about improving the details. Using a smooth cotton rope, he devised a double lattice, and then he plucked some slats from an oak barrel and created a spreader bar. This changed the shape of the hammock entirely and gave us the Pawleys Island Hammock, a classic American design still woven on Pawleys Island. These days, it's one of many notable options. Here are five favorites:

Above: The classic American Cotton Rope Hammock, created by Cap' Josh and available from the company he founded, Pawleys Island Hammocks, for $159.99.

Above: The Maritime Brazil Cotton Hammock resembles the unstructured hammock adopted by the Royal Navy. It's available at Novica for $67.49.

Above: Made in Denmark, Skagerak's Sambito Cotton Hammock is 11.5 feet long and 4.5 feet wide; $240 at Fjorn. 

Above: A striped Cotton Hammock with Spreader Bar made in Austria; €206 ($226.76) at Manufactum.

Above: A Le Beanock Hammock, $570, in a Swedish country house. To make a facsimile from a drop cloth, see DIY: Instant Summer Hammock.

For more hammock dreams, see:

• 10 Easy Pieces: Nap Worthy Hammocks.
• DIY: Instant Summer Hammock.
• For more of Megan Wilson's columns, see Object Lessons.

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• Steal This Look: Modern White Patio
• 10 Easy Pieces: Tabletop Candle Lanterns

Whenever I catch a whiff of citronella, I’m taken back to family camping trips. We had an oily bug repellent in a sticky brown bottle that we’d pass around—usually well after we’d suffered our first bites—and we'd slather it on until our skin shone. While the citronella oil in the bottle did keep the mosquitoes away, it was repellent to us humans as well. 

As an adult, I’m still interested in keeping mosquitoes away (see my post-bite efforts in Stop the Itch: Natural Mosquito Bite Remedies) but less keen on slathering my skin with something that smelly. Instead, I like to take a tip from Michelle and surround myself with candles, which sets a mood and keeps the bugs away.

Most insect-repellent candles on the market are filled with DEET or other toxins and reek of citronella. So I decided to make my own scented tea lights that would keep pests at bay without also sending dinner guests running. I settled on a woodsy combination of rosemary, geranium, and lavender oils—three scents known for repelling mosquitoes and other insects. 

Read on for a materials list and step-by-step instructions:

Photography by Erin Boyle for Gardenista.

Materials

• ½ pound beeswax (1 lb Raw Settled Beeswax is $6 from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm)
• Rosemary Essential Oil; $8.29 for .25 fluid ounces from Aura Cacia
• Geranium Essential Oil; $20.79 for .25 fluid ounces from Aura Cacia
• Lavender Essential Oil; $14.65 for .25 fluid ounces from Aura Cacia
• Double boiler (or use a pan and a metal bowl)
• 6 Fluted Dessert Cups; $1.99 each at N.Y. Cake 
• Pre-Assembled Tea Light Wicks; 100 for $5.95 from Dadant

Above: Use an old knife to break half a pound of beeswax into small pieces that will melt evenly. Fill the bottom pan of your double boiler with water and place the wax into the top pan. Heat until the wax melts. If you’re a stickler for details, use a thermometer; the wax is ready when it reaches about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. A 12-inch Wax and Honey Thermometer is $14.50 from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm.

Above: Add several drops of each essential oil to the melted wax. I used a wooden chopstick to stir in rosemary, geranium, and lavender oils. Beeswax has a distinctive smell, so add an extra drop or two more than you think you need, to make sure your candles are scented enough to repel insects. (If you prefer citronella or other essential oils known for repelling insects, swap in any of these to suit your taste.) 

Above: Pour the scented wax into the tart tins. (If the pan you’re using doesn't have a pour spout, consider putting the hot wax into a glass measuring cup or other spouted vessel to help with pouring.) I filled each tin until almost full. N.B.: If you don’t have aluminum molds, you can use glass instead. To avoid shattering the glass, start with a small amount of wax and let it cool a bit before pouring in the rest. 

Above: Let the wax cool slightly until a skin starts to form. Then place a pre-assembled tea-light wick (see below) in the center of each mold. The wax will smooth out around the wick as it hardens.

Above: Pre-assembled wicks come already primed, i.e. coated in wax. If yours aren't coated, you'll need to prime them yourself by dipping them in wax. This ensures a longer burn time.

Above: Let the wax harden, then trim the wick to a height of 1/4 inch. Use your tea lights during your next outdoor cocktail hour or dinner party under the stars.

Above: Each tea light will burn for four to six hours.

Speaking of dinner parties sous les étoiles, see Steal This Look: The Last Outdoor Dinner of the Season and A Starlit Greenhouse Dinner. Then get on with hosting one of your own.

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What I've noticed more and more lately (and admired) are hog wire panels: used for fences, gates, and trellises. A mainstay on ranches for decades, hog wire panels been discovered by homeowners and landscape designers as an affordable, low-profile solution for maintaining a wide-open view while keeping animals out. They even possess a certain elegance. 

Above: A see-through hog wire gate welcomes guests to a Michigan summer house by Kettelkamp & Kettelkamp.

What are hog wire panels?

Also called cattle or livestock panels, hog wire panels are made of steel rods welded at every intersection and galvanized with a zinc coating. Feed- and livestock-supply companies sell different styles with different rod gauges. You'll want a heavy gauge for a longer-lasting fence that won't sag. 

Above: Photograph by Michelle Slatalla. 

How do you construct a hog wire fence?

Four-foot-high hog wire panels, a common size, come in 16-foot lengths, which are usually cut in half to make 8-foot sections. For posts, my local landscape contractor recommends using 4-by-4-inch pressure-treated Douglas fir, set in concrete. The stringers (or rails) at the top and bottom of the fence could be 2-by-4-inch pressure-treated fir or redwood. You can either staple the hog panels to the posts, or sandwich the panels between 1-by-1-inch pieces of redwood to hide the ends of the wire.

Most homeowners in my Northern California town are concerned about keeping deer out of gardens, so they often add a 2-by-12-inch kickboard at the bottom to make the overall fence 6 feet high. You need at least that to keep deer out.

Above:  Hog wire fence and a see-through gate creates an sense of open space. Straight wire strung above the hog panels adds height to the fence. Photograph by Ellen Jenkins.

Above: Close-up shows 1-by-1-inch redwood strips hiding the sharp edges of the wire. Photograph by Nicole Franzen for Gardenista.

Which plants grow well on a hog wire fence?

One of the nice things about a hog wire fence is that it acts as a trellis. Almost any vining plant will grow on hog wire: jasmine, clematis, potato vine, hardenbergia, and many more. Climbing roses can be tied against the wire. You'll have a living fence in no time, if that's what you want. The one vine that doesn't do well on metal wire is ivy, because it uses suckers to climb.

Above: A tall hog wire fence protects an edible garden from deer. Photograph via Deborah Silver.

How much does a hog wire fence cost?

If you're using wooden posts and rails, a hog wire fence is a little more expensive than chain-link, but costs less than a solid cedar fence. The panels come in 16-foot lengths and in heights ranging from 3 to 8 feet. For example, a 16-foot-long fence of 4-foot-high panels costs about $50 per linear foot in my area. If you're doing the labor yourself, the fence can be quite inexpensive.

If you hire a landscaper or fencing contractor, installing a 6-foot-high wood-and-wire fence costs from $35 to $50 per running foot, depending on labor costs in your area. If you omit the 1-foot stringer at the bottom and install a 5-foot fence, the cost per running foot is about $10 less: from $25 to $40.

Above: Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.

Hog Wire Fence Recap

Pros:

• Inexpensive—less than a wood fence
• Durable and strong
• Preserves the view
• Flexible—can bend
• Easy to install
• Keeps out larger animals such as dogs and deer

 Cons:

• Edges can be sharp, and must be covered with trim
• Does not provide privacy
• Does not deter smaller pests

Looking for a fence to repel deer? For more ideas, see A Deer-Proof Edible Garden, East Coast Edition and Elegant Deer Fencing in the Hamptons. And browse our Hardscaping 101 archives for Picket Fences.

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Congratulations to the 60 finalists in our third annual Gardenista + Remodelista Considered Design Awards contest! In June, you sent us more than 800 projects, ranging from drought-resistant landscapes to small family vineyards to portable greenhouses. Our editors reviewed more than 4,500 photos, and in partnership with our guest judges we picked finalists—our five favorite projects—in each category. Without further ado, visit the Gardenista Finalists and Remodelista Finalists to see who's made it to our final round.

Now you decide who wins: Vote once per day in each of six Gardenista and six Remodelista categories now through August 15. You can set a daily reminder to vote once a day in all 12 categories. 

Spread the word to help your favorites. Use the social sharing tools embedded during voting, or share the link to the entire voting page to get out the vote. 

Note: We'll govern fair play to the best of our ability using IP addresses, but please be honest in your voting. One vote per person per category each day. 

Congratulations to our finalists. Now go make your vote count!

Above: Set your alarm for a daily voting reminder. Photograph from DIY: Get Your Paperwhites Drunk for Better Blooms. 

Learn more about the 2015 Gardenista + Remodelista judges: 

• David Stark, Event Designer and 2015 Design Awards Judge.
• Carolyn Mullet, Garden Designer and 2015 Awards Judge.
• Estee Stanley, LA Designer and Remodelista Judge.
• John Derian, Designer, King of Decoupage, and Remodelista Judge.
• Will Taylor, Bright Bazaar Founder and Remodelista Judge.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Shopper's Diary: Natural Flower Dyes and Silk Scarves, from Cara Marie Piazza
• 10 for 10: Best Garden Picks on Etsy's Tenth Anniversary
• Awards Submissions Due Monday! (Plus, an Insider Tip)

Christine Albertsson, partner at Albertsson Hansen Architecture, faced a challenge: to create a storage solution for a client's tractor and its many attachments. (Maintaining an enormous plot of land in the backwoods of Minnesota requires a different piece of equipment for each season: winter calls for snow blowers, and tractor canopies are used in summer.)

The client asked for one big building. But the design team recognized that dividing the buildings would be a better way to organize equipment that sees seasonal use. The outcome is three hardworking barns that are designed beautifully. Let's take a look:

Photography by Peter Bastianelli-Kerze.

Above: The three barns surround a courtyard; each structure serves a different purpose. One barn holds tractor attachments and snowmobiles, another houses tractors and an attic, and the third is used as a garage and workshop.

Above: To equip the barns for Minnesota winters, Albertsson armed the standing seam steel roofs with snow guards. The design team searched for months to find the perfect gray paint for the cedar siding. 

Above: Granite pavers were laid on the ground to prevent weeds from growing up against the building. 

Above: Each foundation is local Minnesota limestone and the chimney stacks are clad and galvanized steel. 

Above: Polished concrete and cedar make up the interior. 

Above: A work bench and sink in the garage.

Above: The design team measured every piece of machinery to "ensure that the barns were completely functional."

Above: The three barns sit in the middle of a vast meadow. 

For more of our favorite barns and outbuildings, see: 

• Bringing Up Baby: A Bavarian Barn for Pygmy Goats.
• Landscape Architect Visit: A Hudson Valley Farm, Pond Included.
• Outbuilding of the Week: Designer Tim Lloyd's Timber Work Studio in Hampshire.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Hardscaping 101: Hog Wire Fences
• Object Lessons: The Classic Hammock
• Out of the Closet: A Luxe Shed as Cedar Closet

I grew up under the Southern California sun in Orange County, 20 minutes from Huntington Beach, and I spent almost every day of summer ankle-deep in sand. Consequently, I've had my share of sunburns. But however painful the burn was, I could never bring myself to use that bright green aloe vera gel you find in the pharmacy. Why was it so green? What was in it, anyway? 

Because of my gel phobia, my mom planted a medicinal aloe vera outside our house. I've been using it to make my own sunburn cure ever since. Recently, a heavenly addition has made its way into my homemade burn remedy: coconut oil, for extra moisture. If you follow the simple steps below, you can easily make your own and ditch the store-bought gel. With my sunburn days long gone, I use this mixture as a hair treatment and a body lotion.

Photography by Dalilah Arja.

Ingredients:

• Fresh aloe vera leaves (I use five 4- to 6-inch-long leaves to make 1/4 cup of gel)
• 2 tablespoons cold-pressed extra virgin coconut oil (available at health food stores)
• Grapefruit essential oil (or other organic essential oil; optional)

Materials:

• Spoon
• Jar or container
• Food processor (optional)

Instructions:

Step 1: Wash off any dirt that's on the aloe leaves and dry them. If you don't have access to an aloe vera plant, you can find fresh leaves in the produce section of most health food stores. 

Step 2: If you wish, you can cut off the thorns with a knife. I don't mind them, so I usually leave them. Then peel the skin off one side of each leaf. The smell can be unpleasant (it reminds me of canned chicken noodle soup), but the result is worth it. 

Above: The gel inside.

Step 3: Use a spoon to scoop the gel from the leaves into a container. 

Above: Fresh aloe vera gel is ready to be mixed with coconut oil (or used alone, if you prefer). 

Step 4: Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and a few drops of essential oil, if wanted, for aromatherapy (and to mask the smell of the aloe vera). I use grapefruit essential oil—a 1/4-ounce bottle of Organic Grapefruit Essential Oil is $8.34 from Aura Cacia. Blend the ingredients in a food processor or beat with a fork. 

Step 5: Store the aloe vera gel in a container and refrigerate. Coconut oil hardens when refrigerated, so you may need to mix the gel before applying. A batch will keep for about a month in the refrigerator.

Taking a chemical-free approach to skin care? Have a look at DIY: A Beauty Mask Made from Flowers. Looking for protection from the sun? See Design Sleuth: Shade Sails on Remodelista.

More Stories from Gardenista

• DIY: Scented Candles to Repel Insects, Not Humans
• DIY Summer: 9 Ideas for Rope Decor with a Castaway Vibe
• DIY: 7 Best Natural Mosquito Bite Remedies

The Remodelista team headed to France this week—they call this a job?—to scout new design trends and to cook in Paris' best Ikea kitchen:

Above: Izabella has found the Best Ikea Kitchen in Paris.

Above: Tales from the scullery: Margot rounds up 10 Favorite French Kitchen Tools.

Above: A Paris-based design couple fall in love with a chateau in ruins and move to the countryside with their children. Read more about the remarkable remodel in La Vie en Vert: Chateau du Dirac in France.

Above: The French Market Tote, Reinvented: Julie finds 10 variations on a favorite theme.

Above: A Paris Pied-à-Terre by Ishka Designs of Brooklyn ($377 a night, via Airbnb).

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• Table of Contents: Before and After
• Current Obsessions: Dining Al Fresco
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Our judges have selected the finalists, now you choose the winners. Vote for the finalists in each of 12 Considered Design Awards categories, on both Gardenista and Remodelista. You can vote once a day in each category, now through August 15.

In the Best Amateur Garden category, our five finalists are Caitlin and Tessa McLaughlin, Bettina Mueller, Harriet and Scott Kaufman, Nenita Franck, and Sherry Smith. 

Project 1 

Caitlin and Tessa McLaughlin | Northamptonshire, UK | Urban Contemporary Garden

Design Statement: "An effective and realistic design for a small urban space. Sleek polished concrete tiles and multi-stemmed hazel tree create a focus amongst the naturalistic style planting. The garden is a grid system, replicated through paving, ponds, block charred oak seating, and cuboidal wildflower turf structures to create theatre."

Chosen by: guest judge and garden designer Carolyn Mullet, who said, "A lot is packed into a small space! Choosing diagonal paving was smart, and the charred seating is especially nice."

Above: "Spring flowers and herbs complement each other in the same borders."

Above: "Polished concrete paving leading to charred oak seating and multi-stemmed hazel tree. Naturalistic planting with Festuca amethystina, Angelica 'Ebony', Anthriscus sylvestris, and Polemonium ‘Lambrooks mauve’."

Above: "Reflective 'L' shaped ponds mirror the planting above and create tranquility."

Above: "Wildflower turf structures create height and theater to the garden." 

Project 2

Harriet and Scott Kaufman | Cutchogue, NY | Garden by the Sea

Design Statement: "Ten years ago we fell in love with a cottage on 7.5 acres overlooking the sound on the North Fork of Long Island. It didn't have much of a garden but was covered in wild cherry trees with a view to die for."

Chosen by: Carolyn Mullet, who called it a "classic East Coast garden that respects well-defined open spaces. Detailing is especially appropriate."   

Above: "We've planted dozens of trees and cleared dense bush to create shapes and open space."

Above: "A two-acre field is planted each year with wildflowers or rye grass."

Above: "We planted close to 200 hydrangeas around the garden, mostly macrophylla and paniculta."

Above: "We created separate gardens for the pool and tennis court and vegetables and an orchard."

Project 3

Bettina Mueller | Tivoli, NY | A Tea Garden in Tivoli

Design Statement: "Drawing from her decades-long study of the Japanese Tea Tradition where great—even legendary—gardens are small by necessity, Bettina Mueller sets out to turn her 1/8 backyard in the small Hudson Valley village of Tivoli, New York into a private world of beauty and tranquility."

Chosen by: Gardenista editor in chief Michelle Slatalla, who said: "The use of simple, rustic materials reinforces the beauty of the natural surroundings."

Above: "My backyard garden inspired by the Japanese Way of Tea."

Above: "The entry arbor to the tea garden. A straight path goes to the middle gate."

Above: "Once through the middle gate the stone path changes to scattered stepping stones."

Above: "Bamboo fences, paths and this water basin contribute to the feeling of a tea garden."

Project 4

Nenita Franck | Gleneden Beach, OR | Nenita's Salishan Hills Garden

Design Statement: "First thought was to have a woodland garden to blend in with the surrounding forest. Had to consider the nearby ocean, too. I needed a more dramatic garden and filled 1/3-acre property with flowering plants and colorful trees. Native plants are nurtured. Birds, bees, butterflies, deer, coyote, racoons, squirrels."

Chosen by: Carolyn Mullet, who said: "This is a garden that's all about the joy of growing plants in a naturalistic style. Color and texture have been used in an expressive, personal way."

Above: "Primula, rose, calla lily, azalea, and rhododendron add drama to Japanese maples."

Above: "Hillside back garden features hydrangeas, spirea, hebe among vine maples, pine, ash, and empress."

Above: "Stone pillars balance among Ca. Orchid, bamboo, weigela, coastal pine, Himalayan honeysuckle, barberry."

Above: "Find asters, daisies, agapanthus, iris, crocosmia, hydrangea, among natives as the serviceberry, huckleberry, ferns, raspberries."

Project 5

Sherry Smith | Austin, TX | Ca Colina

Design Statement: "Rocky slopes, minimal soil on limestone bedrock, high summer heat, frequent droughts, hungry deer—these are the environmental challenges my garden endures. My home lies on the threshold to the Texas Hill Country, so I've built a garden with native and adapted plants and naturalistic hardscape using local stone."

Chosen by: Michelle Slatalla, who remarked: "Working with (rather than against) a challenging climate, gardener Sherry Smith created the surprise of a green oasis in a dry, hot setting."

Above: "Agave americana marginata surrounded."

Above: "Studio entry—native limestone, native plants."

Above: "Reve d'Or antique rose on back deck."

Above: "Mountain laurel in bloom standing over blue agaves."

Found your favorite? Vote once per day in each of 12 categories across both sites, now through August 15:

More Stories from Gardenista

• Grey Gardens: The Resurrection of Ben Bradlee's Grand Estate
• 10 Ways to Improve Your Garden with a Pergola
• Before and After: A Modern Brooklyn Backyard on a Budget

Here are a few things we loved this week.

• Above: Tiny Poolhouse, Big Views in Sonoma.
• Take a dip in seven modern pools. 
• This is the last weekend to enjoy twelve pianos spread around the San Francisco Botanical Gardens. 

• Above: Currently coveting a porcelain air plant hanger. 
• Fenway Park's rooftop garden is providing healthier options at the concession stands. 

• Above: A genius fix to cover a not-so-pretty electric meter.
• Six cost-conscious ideas for updating the front porch.  

Instagram and Pinterest Pick of the Week

• Above: We're keeping up with founder of Lonny Magazine Michelle Adams (@michelle_adams). 

• Above: Our latest Pinterest discovery is the Herbal Academy of New England. 

Take a look at garden transformations in our Before and After issue, then,head to Remodelista to see a week dedicated to Bastille Day.  

More Stories from Gardenista

• Trending on Remodelista: The Best Ikea Kitchen in Paris
• Table of Contents: Before and After
• Current Obsessions: Dining Al Fresco

Is it a simple matter to live a peaceful life? We strip things down to the basics in the garden this week. Pull up a lounge chair: 

Above: Is Bleuet Coquelicot the sort of tiny, unstudied shop that could only exist in Paris? We sent photographer Mimi Giboin to find the answer to that question.

Monday

Above: Lawn, begone. In this week's Curb Appeal post, we visit a front yard transformed into a welcoming garden of succulents. (In the meantime, if you're looking for a quick fix to wow the neighbors, see 11 Ways to Add Curb Appeal for Under $100.)

Tuesday

Above: Of course you love hydrangeas; you're not Madonna. But which is the one, true hydrangea for your garden? Betsy answers the question and reveals the 10 best hydrangeas to plant in any garden in this week's Expert Advice post. But...blue or pink? Have you weighed in?

Wednesday 

Above: Witness the Miracle of the Bean Tunnel as it transforms this unsuspecting Vegetable Garden into an earthly paradise in this week's Before & After post.

Thursday

Above: What's the difference between a Pergola and a Canopy? Alexa answers the question—and reveals the 10 best ways to shade your garden with a canopy in this week's Roundup post.

Friday

Above: Dalilah visits a 520-square-foot fishing shack built a hundred years ago on Long Island's East End (and transformed into a tiny, perfect weekend cottage) in this week's Architect Visit.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Current Obsessions: Summer Story
• Trending on Remodelista: The Best Ikea Kitchen in Paris
• Table of Contents: Before and After

Some of us toy with the idea of getting rid of our lawns. In Southern California, it's no joke. Living smack in the middle of drought country, blogger Morgan Satterfield of The Brick House recently tore out the turf and replaced it with a water-saving garden of succulents.

Satterfield, who subsidized the landscape project with a grant from her local water district (which offers gardeners up to $6,000 to go grass-free), says,  "After years of procrastination, a few false starts and multiple plans, we finally got it together enough to rip out the grass (aka weeds) and put in something low maintenance and much more drought friendly."

Ready for the big reveal?

Photography by Morgan Satterfield via The Brick House.

Above: Through a drought-relief program called SoCal Watersmart (operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California), Morgan got a $2-per-square-foot rebate to help cover the project's costs. Through the program, residential customers are eligible for up to $6,000 if they replace turf with other plants to create a permeable landscape.

Before

Above: The front yard circa 2011; scruffy turf grass with patches of weeds has the effect of making the house look lonely in an empty landscape.

Above: "It took us about four months to rip out the grass, level the yard, and plant the first few tiny plants," says Satterfield.

Above: "Since we were doing this DIY-style and only a few sections at a time, for many, many months it looked like the crazy random cactus dirt yard and neighbors gave us the stink eye or would bring by a random pity cactus or two," says Satterfield.

After

Above: "We ended up doing everything ourselves and as low cost as possible, like hand shoveling 15 tons of DG that we would buy and transport in our truck one half load at a time or grabbing any sizable rock that we saw on the side of the road in a dirt field," says Satterfield. "Rocks are crazy heavy and those nice big landscape boulders are crazy expensive to buy and get delivered—so the size of the rocks throughout the landscape represent the maximum amount we could physically lift."

Above: The top layer of decomposed granite is Palm Springs Gold, available in two pebble sizes from KRC Rock.

Above: Agaves "do really well in our terrible soil and horrible climate," says Satterfield. "They hurt to plant and will give you a poke once in awhile, but they are super low maintenance and now survive on rainwater."

Above: "Artichoke agave; it combines my two favorite things—artichokes and indestructible plants," Satterfield says. "It grows soooooo slow, but we randomly found a few at Lowes in the houseplant section for $17."

Above: Mexican feather grass planted alongside the driveway helps "soften things up and disguises the ugly fence," says Satterfield. See more ideas for Perennial Grasses in our archives.

Above: In an earlier DIY project, Satterfield created a slatted enclosure and privacy zone for her front entryway. Read more about it at DIY: Slat Railing Projects on Remodelista.

For more garden makeovers, see:

• Low-Cost Luxe: 9 Pea Gravel Patio Ideas to Steal.
• Lawn Begone: 7 New Ideas for Front Yard Landscaping.
• Steal This Look: Modern Brooklyn Backyard on a Budget. 
• 11 Best Backyard Landscaping Ideas of 2015.
• Hardscaping 101: Design Guide for Patios.

More Stories from Gardenista

• Vote for the Best Amateur-Designed Garden in the Gardenista Considered Design Awards
• Grey Gardens: The Resurrection of Ben Bradlee's Grand Estate
• 10 Ways to Improve Your Garden with a Pergola