From Stockholm-based Nordfjell Collection: a simple steel archway that is all you need to create a freestanding room in the garden. Let vines climb and encase a single Summer Snow Pergola or use multiple structures to create a covered walkway.

Above: Available in two sizes and made of laser cut Swedish steel; for more information and prices, see Nordfjell Collection.

Above: Heights range from approximately 8 feet (250 centimeters) to 9 feet (280 centimeters).

Above: The pergola is available in two colors, gray and black (Shown).

Need a structure on which train vines? See more of our favorite Trellises.

Put your garden's best features into focus with landscape up-lighting. We've rounded up a collection of pole and surface mount up-lights perfect for illuminating trees, garden walls, and other garden elements that deserve attention or need nighttime navigation.

The lights we feature require an electric power source and wiring (we recommend consulting an electrician when embarking on your path-lighting plan). For surviving outdoor elements, lights with durable copper or brass housings are recommended. Most lights are available in low-voltage options which are safer, easier, and less costly to install. For a thorough landscape lighting primer, we recommend the All About Landscape Lighting feature from This Old House.

Directional Pole Lights 

With their multi-directional head and lens, these versatile lights can be used as an up-light, down-light, or wall wash providing optimal lighting for practically any outdoor situation.

Above: Made of heavy-duty copper, the Infinity Light has a 6-inch multi-directional head and lens. Made by Laguna Lightcraft and available for $123.90 at Boxhill.

Above: With a fully adjustable head that allows for 360-degree rotation, the versatile Hunza Pole Spot PS can be aimed in any direction to light up a tree, stairway (or down for pathway lighting). A good choice for gardens with variable lighting needs. Offered in solid copper (as shown), modern stainless steel, or powder-coated aluminum; $180.62 at Louie Lighting.

Above: The low-voltage LED Volt Innovator Top Dog Pathway Light features heavy duty brass construction with a bronze (as shown) or copper finish. It combines the durability of a sealed spotlight with the features of an adjustable path light; $54.97 through Volt.

Above: The Hinkley Nexus line of landscape lights offers swivel light heads that come in different sizes. They can be paired with various stem lengths to accomplish a variety of lighting applications. The Nexus LED Accent Light (L) measures 17.8 inches in length (just the head), and the Nexus LED Mini Accent Light measures 11.75-inches; $149 and $119 respectively at Y Lighting. (Note that the Nexus Base Extension Rods are sold separately.) 

Above: The SPJ Lighting Directional Pathlight can shine light down, up, or in-between. It is made of solid brass and is available in nine finishes, including matte bronze as pictured; $165.60 at Louie Lighting.

Surface Mount Up-Lights 

These versatile, durable, compact fixtures project a narrow beam - good for precisely lighting garden features you want in focus. Their low profile keeps them inconspicuous during the daylight hours. 

Above: Laguna Lighting's basic up-light, the Rocket Lighting Fixture offers a range of wattages and beam spreads. Made of solid copper with a brass ratchet swivel to direct the light, it has a 2-inch head and a 7-inch pole (nearly a surface mount). Available in three finishes including antique brown patina as shown; $121.80 at Boxhill.

Above: The Evergreen Outdoor Cast Brass Directional LED Up-Light is a surface-mounted landscape light that comes with a plastic gravity stake for easy installation; $69.50 at Alcon Lighting.

Above: The ROC Lighting Architectural Spotlight is machined from military grade solid aluminum designed to withstand harsh environments. Available in black, white, bronze, or silver anodized (as shown); $79.50 at Alcon Lighting.

Above: Made of die-cast solid brass, the Corona Lighting Directional Brass Up-Light is $64.95 at Alcon Lighting.

Above: The Hinkley Bullet Spotlight has an elongated angled shade to focus the light coming out of the lens. Available in bronze with cast aluminum construction (as pictured) or matte bronze with solid brass construction. Priced from $54.44 to $187.78 depending on finish at Lumens. 

Above: Easy to adjust, the Hadco Copper Bullyte features a natural brass swivel arm with a brass locknut, and a fully-rotatable shroud in solid copper. It comes with a mounting stake and is $123.08 at Lightology. 

Developing a landscape lighting plan? See our earlier Pathway Lighting feature. 

We've always been fond of Terrain for its garden staples that are pretty enough to leave on view—copper pitchforks, linen-wrapped clay planters, rain boots handmade in France. But we're especially ardent fans during the holidays:

This year—though we don't have all our decorating schemes laid out quite yet—we know we'll anchor holiday displays with lights, and lots of them. Year after year, some of the best ones we find are from Terrain.

Above: Terrain's Twig Lights are perennial favorites we pull out in time for Thanksgiving. Here, Terrain gathered several bunches together into a chandelier to create a centerpiece over the Thanksgiving table. Replicate the look in How-To: A Woodland Chandelier. 

Above: A better way to celebrate Black Friday? We think so. Set the mood for hygge with Terrain's Vintage Drop Lights or Festival Lights. Opt for a new take on dessert—see DIY Spiced S'mores Kits—while you're at it. 

Above: Skip the grounded Thanksgiving centerpiece and opt for something handmade overhead. The ingredients for this DIY Autumn Lantern are simple—a Sphere Hanging Basket; Filigree Cutout Hurricane, and Steel Shepherd's Hook for hanging. Add a dried wreath, grains, and branches and you're nearly there. Full instructions in How-To: Autumn Lantern. 

Above: Terrain's Stargazer Lights will be climbing all over our homes and gardens in a few weeks' time; the copper wire-bound warm white lights can be used indoors or out.

Above: A Gardenista favorite for holiday decor: tree branches tightly wound in wire lights. (In copper, the Stargazer Lights look nice even unlit.)

Above: This simple idea has us thinking about truly instant holiday decor; drop tiny wire lights into a vessel and you're done.

Above: By the stairs are the Sphere Hanging Baskets used in the Thanksgiving candlelit chandelier mentioned above. After Thanksgiving dinner, the orbs become Christmas decor. 

Above: Stargazer Lights are available in a 6-foot-long Battery-Powered Strand or 15-foot and 100-foot hardwired lengths. 

See our other visits to Terrain in holidays past, in Steal This Look: Holiday Decor at Terrain and Shopper's Diary: Spring Decor at Terrain.

From where I sit perched on my couch, I can see the roof of the garage in the back of my building. At this time of year, and for most of the summer, the crinkled aluminum gutter that runs along the flat edge of the roof is stuffed to the brim with wily weeds that have made for themselves a kind of scrappy rooftop garden. It's November, and since we haven't had a true frost in Brooklyn, bright pink knotweed blossoms are still peppering the gutter, providing some visual interest but doing nothing at all to improve the flow of rain into the paved parking lot below.

Further along, on the roof of another apartment building, I can see a bit of chicken wire pulled up at one corner and rippling its way along the edge of the gutter; someone's attempt to prevent the same kind of urban garden seen on the garage below from sprouting four stories up. 

The scene got me wondering if there are more sensible solutions for gutter maintenance that don't involve regular treacherous climbs up a ladder. Here are a few options that I found for preventing leaves and other debris from taking up residence in the rain gutter. 

Above: Mesh Gutter Leaf Guards snap into place on existing vinyl gutters. Made from vinyl-coated fiberglass mesh and vinyl screening, the 6-foot-long by 3-foot-wide sections are sold in sets of five through Improvements Catalog; $19.95. 

Above: Aluminum covers by LeafX are a bit more sophisticated, and require installation through an authorized installation expert. The 100 percent aluminum cover sends water into the gutter, but flushes leaves and other menacing debris off the edge of the roof. Covers are designed to fit over existing gutters. Head to LeafX for more information and an installation quote. 

Above: The Gutter Glove Pro combines an aluminum cover with stainless steel mesh to protect gutters from becoming clogged. The aluminum support frame is anondized to make it compatible with copper gutters and type 316 stainless steel resists corrosion. The Gutter Glove comes in three different sizes to fit 2- to 3.5-inch-wide gutters, 4- to 5.5-inch-wide gutters, and 5- to 7.5-inch-wide gutters. Go to Gutter Glove to find an authorized dealer in your area. 

Above: Another guard for do-it-yourselfers, the RainDrop is made of UV Stablized Polypropylene and can be installed by homeowners or professionals. A series of rounded crossbars encourage water to fall directly into the gutter, rather than sheeting off the edge. Visit RainDrop to find a supplier near you. 

Above: The Gutter Helmet was developed by an MIT graduate in the 1960s. The design uses surface tension and gravity to propel past the edge of the gutter, before redirecting it into the gutter itself. When the rainwater passes over the edge of the helmet, a 3/8-inch slit allows water to slide in, while leaves and debris slide off. Head to Gutter Helmet to request a free quote. 

Roofs on your mind? See Remodeling 101: Standing Seam Metal Roofs. Interested in intentional green roofs? See Architect's Visit: A Green Roof, With Wildflowers.

In celebration of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday here in the States, we invited you to create Pinterest boards that highlighted a fuss-free, rustic, DIY table setting. After poring and salivating over your photos, we have chosen a winner:

Our congratulations to Barbara Stamis. We like her mix of old and new, including freshly plucked centerpieces and a vintage shopping list. Her favorite part of compiling the board? "Just being inspired to do many of these things this holiday," she told us. An avid cook, Barbara will receive the 5-Piece Bake Set from Falcon Enamelware in time for Thanksgiving.

Thanks to everyone who submitted. We'll be repinning your ideas from now until the holidays. And for more inspiration, here are a few favorites from Barbara's board:

Above: Whether it's been plucked from a country garden or bought at the corner market, we're all for a simple and verdant look this Thanksgiving. Barbara was inspired by Erin's white, green and indigo setting.

Above: To keep things simple, consider an à la carte setup. Photograph by Andrew Montgomery (see more of Andrew's inspirational work on Off Hours: How Chelsea Flower Show Cleve West Star Survives His Day Job).

Above: "Divine" roast turkey, as Barbara described it. Photograph by Katie Quinn Davies.

Above: A gluten-free thin crust pear tart, photograph via Tartelette.

Above: Warm comfort food baked and served in Falcon Enamelware. Photograph from Nest. 

For more Thanksgiving hosting and menu ideas, look to Erin's Botanical Napkin Rings and Kendra's The Ethicurean Apple Flip.

Problem: A balcony with hardly enough room to stand, let alone squeeze a table or chair. Solution: A portable table designed to balance on the edge of the balcony railing. Torafu Architects in Japan worked in collaboration with Ishinomaki Laboratory—a design co-op born of the devastation visited on Ishinomaki, Japan after the 2010 tsunami—to design a genius table for propping in tiny spaces. Even as the weather cools, we're dreaming about the possibility of a little al fresco entertainment. Hot chocolate for two on the fire escape, anyone?

Above: A moveable arm wraps around the balcony railing and provides a counter balance to the tabletop.

Above: The table collapses for easy transport up to the rooftop or balcony. 

Above:The Sky-Deck is available for sale through the Ishinomaki Laboratory online shop for 8,680¥. 

Have a little more space on your balcony? Consider this Green Vitrine. 

Have you already forgotten where you planted those tulip bulbs last week? And how exactly are you planning to locate that clump of wilted foxglove you cut back (without accidentally digging it up)? Keep track of your plants—and your schemes for next spring—by drawing a garden plan:

Keep it Simple: All you need is a piece of white paper (on which to plot the existing elements of your garden); a piece of tracing paper and tape (to add a layer for planned additions); a pencil (colored pencils optional); an eraser (you know why), and a measuring tape. Bonus points for gathering inspirational garden photos to spark ideas.

Need to Know: To draw your plan to scale, you will need to measure distances in the garden: the perimeter, the size of existing garden beds, the size and shape of your trees and shrubs. 

Step 1: Jot down measurements on scrap paper.

Step 2: For an average size backyard garden (18 feet wide), we assigned a scale of 3 feet=1 inch.

Step 3: Outline the perimeter of the space on a sheet of white paper (you can use graph paper if you prefer) and sketch in existing plants and other permanent features (such as fences, grass, and paths).

Step 4: Tape a piece of tracing paper on top. On the tracing paper, sketch the plants you plan to add to fill in holes in the garden.

Planning your first spring bulb garden? See Foolproof Spring Bulbs for a Beginner. See more of our novice gardener how-to posts at Gardening 101.

As word spread last summer about a mysterious disease that was wiping out impatiens, I often thought of my former neighbors in the leafy enclave of Sunnyside Gardens in Queens, New York.  When I lived there during the 1990s, impatiens was the go-to plant for providing color and charm to the tiny front yards of our attached brick homes, shaded out by the statuesque old London plane trees that lined our streets.

There were no nurseries nearby, so a nice man down the block took orders.  You could choose a color, but impatiens was the only plant he offered.  Later he distributed the flats of the little flowers after they arrived at his house.  I was new to shade gardening and my attempts to grow other flowers such as salvia and verbena had failed miserably, so I eagerly signed up.  With a deadly mold attacking impatiens in at least 33 states and the District of Columbia—and spreading fast—these days I wonder how those gardeners, hooked for so many years on that one dependable little flower, are faring. 

So, how can you fight the blight? Read on:

Above: Photograph via Mini Manor.

The disease in question is a strain of downy mildew (Plasmopara obducens).  So far it affects only Impatiens walleriana, while other members of the Impatiens family such as New Guinea impatiens seem to be unaffected. In the US the blight has struck on both coasts, in the Midwest, and in Texas.  Cases have also been reported in parts of Canada.  

Above: A popular pre-blight planting scheme for a shade garden. From L, white impatiens, variegated hostas, Swedish ivy, and maidenhair ferns. Photograph by Patricia via Flickr.

To get an idea of the scope of how beloved this plant is, read the Missouri Botanic Garden's pre-blight description of it: "Impatiens (sometimes commonly called bizzy Lizzy) is the most popular annual bedding plant in the U. S. today. For easy-to-grow, non-stop flowering in shady conditions, it has no equal."

Above: Impatiens Walleriania leaves with symptoms of blight. Photograph via Ball.

Surprisingly the blight has apparently been around since it was first identified in the 1800s; no one is sure why it suddenly has become a problem now.  The symptoms are easily confused with many other conditions, such as slug damage and inadequate watering.  First a white, downy growth can be seen on the undersides of leaves. Then flowers and leaves drop; soon all that is left of your plant is a clump of mushy bare stems.  There is no known remedy.

Above: A Rockapulco White Double Impatiens Walleriana is $7.49 from Proven Winners.

So, what to do?  If you have put off your fall cleanup, experts agree that you should dig up the affected plants immediately and discard them along with any associated soil or mulch.  Do not compost them; send them off with the garbage to be incinerated or buried in a landfill.  Containers that held impatiens should be thoroughly washed before being reused.  The spores of the disease travel easily on the wind and could show up in packaged soil or mulch. Because there is no known way to prevent the disease, don't even think about planting impatiens in the spring.

Above: A clump of purple browallia via Monticello. 

The good news is that you have plenty of time to find replacements.  So far begonias seem to be at the top of the recommendation list.  There are many varieties that are colorful, good in shade, and widely available. Breck's sells a five-plant Picotee Begonia Mixture for $18.74. A gardener friend of mine recommends browallia.  She has found it in purple and in white and says it is a prolific bloomer that does just fine in the shade. Monticello sells a packet of Browallia Americana seeds for $2.95. 

Above: A shady begonia. Photograph by Rise Liao via Flickr.

Consider it a shopping opportunity. If gardening catalogs' offerings don't inspire you, perhaps it's time to consider some shade-loving perennials.  You could even plant them now and they will come back year after year... certainly at least until scientists can come up with a blight-resistant impatiens. 

For more information on the impatiens, blight the Suffolk County Cooperative Extension has produced a handy fact sheet.

For more on shade loving plants take a look at color in the winter shade garden.

Spotted in Oregon at the Portland Japanese Garden, a staircase of simple pavers that reminded us how much we like a path that incorporates such natural elements as gravel, stones, or moss. We've rounded up a few of our favorites:

Above: Trying to walk down a graduated staircase edged with rocks and moss often feels like trying to navigate an obstacle course. Not at Portland Japanese Gardens, where each comfortably sized paver makes it easy to feel sure footed. Photograph by Blackthorne 56 via Flickr.

Above: Edging a path, a clump of purple heuchera complements the colors of the stones. For more of this garden, see "Steal This Look: Water Troughs as Raised Beds." Photograph by Marla Aufmuth for Gardenista.

Above: Hand cast concrete pavers of varied sizes are set in gravel to create a loose naturalistic look in a San Francisco townhouse garden designed by Alma Hecht. For more, see "Small Scale Gardening in San Francisco." Photograph by Marla Aufmuth for Gardenista.

Above: Portland, Oregon-based landscape architect Karen Ford created a pathway with drainage grates cut into the grout between paving stones.

Above: Underneath Ms. Ford's walkway, a 4-inch-deep, 4-inch slot was constructed to drain water.

Above: Large stone pavers make a simple and dramatic impact on a gravel bed. Photograph by Evelyn Müller via Fifty Limited. For more of this garden, see "Design Sleuth: Pavers and Gravel."

Above: The Subterra Permeable Paver offers the look of natural stone with the benefits of a fully permeable paver. Use for patios, walkways, or driveways. Available through Belgard Hardscapes. For more, see "Eco-Friendly Paving Solutions."

N.B. This is an update of a post that originally published on October 3, 2012.

Cold nights need warm drinks; the kind you can linger over. Olivia Rae James has been warming up her nights with a boozy, citrusy take on mulled cider. Spiked with red wine, this mulled cider gets a combination of sweet and spice from the addition of grapefruit, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. We're planning to keep a big pot on the stove this Thanksgiving. And don't be surprised if you see us taking an evening walk, thermos in hand. To warm the heart cockles, we say.

(Would you like us to send you a new recipe every Friday? Subscribe to our Gardenista Daily email.)

Photographs by Olivia Rae James. Original photography shot with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III digital SLR. The filmmaker's camera.

Above: Apples and grapefruit inspection courtesy of Olivia's pup, Frankie.

Above: Whole and ground spices.

Above: Grapefruit and apple halves.

Above: The ingredients combined and ready for heating.

Above: Mulled cider, served and ready to be enjoyed. 

Above: Cider for two.

Mulled Apple Cider

Serves 6

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups fresh-squeezed apple juice
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 1 grapefruit, thinly sliced (can be substituted for your citrus of choice)
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• Cinnamon (whole and ground)
• Nutmeg (whole and ground)
• Cloves (whole and ground)

Instructions:

Combine apple juice and red wine in a pot over low to medium heat. Add sliced grapefruit, apple, and a handful of cinnamon sticks, cloves and nutmeg, according to taste. Let summer for at least ten minutes. Add ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves (if necessary, to taste). Serve warm.

Apple cocktails must be in season: see our recent recipe for The Ethicurean Apple Flip.

For the urban gardener, space is limited and a need to maintain a certain degree of urbane sophistication may also be a consideration. Here's our roundup of gifts for the discerning urban gardener.

Above: Concrete and Steel Garden Tools; $45 each at Light and Ladder. When we visited Red Pig Tools this summer, Bob told us all about an upcoming collaboration with folks in Brooklyn. Little did we know the collaboration would include our friends Farrah Sit, Taylor of Fox Fodder Farms, and Native Cast. 

Above: The Urban Farm Seed Collection, $34 from Clyde Oak, includes vegetable seeds selected with small spaces in mind. Bonus point? The seeds are non-hybrid, non-GMO, open pollinating, and grown in the US. Let the seed saving begin!

Above: It doesn't get more urban than potting soil mixed and made from organic materials right in Brooklyn. This 2 Lb. Bag of Brooklyn Blend Potting Soil includes bark ash, peat moss, and dolomitic limestone; in other words, your terrarium will thank you; $7 from West Elm.

Above: Get your guerrilla gardening on with a collection of Seed Bombs; $7.90 from Kaufmann Mercantile.

Above: And for launching those seed bombs? We're pretty sure you're going to need a Slingshot; $27.95 from Kaufmann Mercantile.

Above: For the urban gardener who's just getting started, an Edible Flower Heirloom Seed Kit; $45 from Sarah Rainwater. 

Holiday shopping on your mind? See all of our Gift Guides for ideas and inspiration. 

Does the thought of a trip to the flower market make your palms begin to sweat? Maybe I'm projecting, but I think big city flower markets can be a little unnerving for most people: The crowds. The hustle. The options.

The first few times I went to the New York City Flower Market on 28th Street, I left feeling as though I'd been through the wringer. I also felt like I had more flowers than I knew what to do with and less money remaining in my wallet than was probably healthy. Try though she might, a girl can't survive on flowers alone.

This week, I arranged the florals for the Remodelista Market at the Park Avenue Garage in New York and had an excuse to visit the flower market again. While I'm still no expert, I feel like I now have a sufficient number of visits under my belt to offer a tip or two. Consider this the lay person's guide to navigating New York's flower market, and use it as excuse to make a trip (or two) to the market for yourself.

Photographs by Rebecca Baust. 

1. Plan ahead. I give this tip cautiously: too much planning and you'll find yourself devastated because no one had precisely the shade of coral ranunculus you were after; too little planning and you'll go in asking for holly berries in the middle of June and leave with ten tons of flowers you didn't intend to purchase. Keep in mind the budget you're working with and the color palette that you're hoping for, and then let the flowers that are available be your guide.

2. Arrive early. The market opens at 5:30 am and individual shops begin to close up around 10:30 am. If you're not a professional florist, you can likely enjoy your breakfast after the sun has risen and get there closer to 8 am and still find a healthy selection.

3. Browse first, buy later. I'm the worst at following this rule. I see something that I like and I want to snatch it up. This isn't entirely wrongheaded—there are only so many dainty bundles of tallow berries to be had—but it might also mean you don't walk away with the best deal. Don't hesitate to browse from shop to shop until you find exactly what you're looking for. 

4. Plan to buy in bulk. Flowers at the market come in bundles. If you want just a stem of something, head to your local florist instead. 

5. Use the shelves. Most shops in the market have metal shelves where shoppers can stash the flowers they'd like to purchase—don't hesitate to put up your unwieldy bundles while you shop. Your fellow shoppers will thank you.

6. Ask questions: the first few times I went to the market, I was too shy. Don't hesitate to ask a sales associate questions about bloom time, price, and inventory.

7. Check for freshness.

8. Bring cash. Not all shops accept credit cards, so make it easy on yourself and bring plenty of cash to make your purchases.

9. Make friends with the cats.

10. Wear comfortable shoes and a warm coat, and carry a practical bag: you'll want to have your hands free for toting home your parcels and choosing your flowers.

What to do after you're home? So glad you asked. Flowers at the market come unprocessed, so you'll have to remove excess leaves and thorns and give a fresh cut to the stems.

I used a table at the Remodelista Market as a staging area for untying my bundles and preparing my arrangements.

Above: Wintry privet berries, tallow berries, and seeded eucalyptus. 

Above: I practiced my best technique for making a hand-tied bouquet.

Above: Putting the final touches on the finished product. Head to the Remodelista Market (today through Sunday, November 23, from 11 am to 6 pm, daily) to see the olive branch and eucalyptus swags that we hung from the walls. (And catch a sneak peek on Instagram.)

Remodelista has been giving us lots of excuses to head to the flower market. See Alexa's story Party Flowers: In Which I Make 12 Arrangements on a Budget of $200.

Our Novice Gardener, Meredith, is lucky enough to have a little view from her San Francisco apartment—on a clear day, she can see downtown, San Francisco Bay, and Marin County, or at least a sliver of all three. But from the day she's moved in, all she really sees through the windows are three phantom window boxes.

Why not make them a reality? It's a ground floor apartment, she's handy with a hammer, and after a year of experimenting with container plants, it's time.

First, a quick note: If you're not in the mood to do it yourself, The Home Depot carries several styles of all-wood window boxes like this 40-Inch Planter from Pennington. But there's nothing quite like the look of furniture that perfectly fits the dimensions of a space, is there?

Photography by Liesa Johannssen. 

Finished Product

Above: Black is hard to beat for a window box. Because all three of the windows are different lengths, Meredith made custom boxes for a perfect fit. 

Materials

• Rough Cut Redwood Lumber. Purchase lumber in a width equal to the width and depth you want for your planter box.  
• Galvanized #8 Common Nails; Meredith used 2-inch nails, but these 3-1/2-inch nails would work just as well (or better; longer means sturdier, but be sure to pre-drill holes); $4.24 for a 1-lb. box from The Home Depot. 
• Appropriate mounting materials; this depends entirely on the conditions of your home. At Meredith's, galvanized wood screws and heavy-duty Corner Braces did the job. 
• Optional: If you want to make cuts yourself and anticipate more wood projects in the future, invest in a small woodworking power tool, such as the Ryobi 14-Amp 10-Inch Compound Miter Saw; $119 at The Home Depot. (Alternately, you'll need to hire a woodworker or contractor to make cuts for you.)

Instructions

Above: Meredith used Rough Cut Redwood Lumber for two reasons: First, redwood is resistant to water damage (along with several other varieties of wood). Second, rough-cut boards are cheap and almost impossible to make into something perfect; rough-cut lumber is the ideal antidote to any perfectionist tendencies you may have.

If you've never purchased lumber, here's the 101: The easiest way to start is to choose a depth and width for your boxes that is the same size as commonly stocked lumber. For example, Meredith wanted boxes to be 8 inches wide and 8 inches deep, so she bought 1-by-8 boards: 1 inch thick, 8 inches wide. (Keep in mind that these dimensions are inexact, called "nominal.") As for length, find a location of The Home Depot that will cut wood (most do, but not all). Know what length will fit in your car, then ask to have your boards cut accordingly. (For example, have a 12-foot board cut in half to fit your car, and make the rest of your cuts at home.)

Above: After your lumber is cut to size, set up your box and make sure all the pieces are square. (If they aren't, cut or sand accordingly until they are.) Measure and mark where nails should go.

Above: Meredith used 2-inch galvanized nails (they won't rust) and pre-drilled holes about every 6 inches or so. (The more nails, the sturdier the box. For extra strength, consider using an exterior adhesive.) She upgraded the drill kit to the Ryobi 18V One+ Lithium-Ion Drill; $79 at The Home Depot.  

Above: After she nailed the box together, she drilled drainage holes using the 1-inch bit from the Bosch Daredevil Spade Bit Set; the 6-piece set is $9.97 at The Home Depot. 

Above: Meredith sanded the boxes using a Dremel Multi-Max Oscillating Tool Kit, a tool with a surprising number of uses; $79 at The Home Depot. With rough lumber, the wood never would be perfectly smooth, and it's really not the point. (She didn't even use a sandpaper finer than 60 grit.) For this project, you sand to prepare the surface for paint; free yourself from trying to make the wood look perfect. Just get rid of the biggest splinters and roughest patches. 

Above: Wood will take on water and eventually rot; slow the process by treating the wood with a paint or stain. Meredith wanted a glossy black finish, so she used Behr Premium Plus Ultra Semi-Gloss Enamel Exterior paint featuring a mildew-resistant finish; one gallon is $39.98 at The Home Depot. She used a Purdy XL 3-Inch Angled Sash Brush; $13.48 at The Home Depot. 

Above: Careful installation is critical. Window boxes are heavy when filled with soil and plants, and if people can walk below the boxes, it's imperative that they be completely secure. Meredith's apartment has a stucco exterior wall and a heavy window frame. The first step to mounting the boxes: she drilled into the frame with a Carbide-Tipped Drill Bit (for drilling through stucco) to see what she had to work with. Behind the stucco was heavy wood framing, from which it was safe to hang the boxes. 

Above: Be sure to set the boxes away from the exterior wall a few inches to minimize the potential for water damage.

Above: In choosing plants for the box, she started with pairs of dwarf boxwood from The Home Depot; $5.98 for a 1-gallon plant. She planted them in a 50/50 mix of regular potting soil and EcoScraps Garden Soil Mix; $6 for a 1.5-cubic foot bag at The Home Depot. 

Above: She added more plants including New Zealand flax; two varieties of ivy; liriope; Jerusalem sage, and silver morning glory. Finally, the windows look appropriately dressed. The boxes sit directly off the living room, and Meredith is enjoying the view.

From greenery in the workplace to the intelligence of bees, here's what inspired us this week.

Photograph by Rebecca Baust.

If you're in New York, join us this weekend when we head over to the Remodelista Market at Park Avenue Garage Sale, 10 W. 56th St., to see the flowers Erin arranged after a trip to the New York City Flower Market.

Lindsey opened us up to a whole new world of variegated foliage. Photograph by Maria Robledo.

It's tea time!

Everything we needed to know about cooking wild mushrooms.

Plants may be your best coworker. Photograph via Fast Company.

Some (great) things in life are free.

A few of the best B&B's west of the Mississippi. 

Here's an exercise for when the cold just gets too cold: plot and plan for spring.

Over on Remodelista: Where we want to be right now.

Holidays, holidays: what to get the plant lover in your life.

This Connecticut scene has us experiencing serious garden envy. Photograph via Architectural Digest.

More proof of the power of bees.

And royal jelly, for that matter.

Five favorite dog-friendly houseplants, each one handsome and easy to care for. Photograph via The Sill.

Tara's getting married. But first: bulbs.

We want to see your gardens--again! Send in photos of your outdoor space for interview and post consideration.

And last, we're curious about your garden-inspired Thanksgiving plans. Follow us on Instagram and post a photo with the hashtag #gardenistathanksgiving so we can see what you're up to.

This week on Remodelista, Janet set up the bar to kick off the holiday cocktail party season. Margot brought the Champagne. Julie, Christine, and Alexa joined them for a toast: to embroidered napkins, a $125 dining table, and rummaging in the crisper drawer to create a centerpiece.

Holiday party must-have: wooden ice bucket.

Frequently I have the urge to embroider linens. Is this weird?

New-old dining table: $125. Memories of holiday meals eaten at it: priceless?

Thanksgiving dinner in the garden, anyone? Meet us in Brooklyn.

Alexa cleaned out the crisper drawer to create a holiday tabletop centerpiece: $10.

Spread over 185 acres of the Hudson Valley is a landscape that feels like taking a trip through a mystical land—like Clara's dream journey into The Nutcracker's country of sweets.

Originally the summer residence of Walter and Marion Beck, Innisfree Garden in Millbrook, NY, is a vast estate surrounding a 40-acre glacial lake. Walter, an artist who was influenced by Japanese and Chinese tea gardens, began creating a series of carefully defined, inwardly focused “cup gardens” in the 1920's. But it wasn't until the late 30's, after the couple teamed up with landscape designer Lester Collins, that the dynamic vision for Innisfree began to take shape.

Taking a broad view, Collins used the existing natural features of the dramatic setting —the “cup” defined by the sky, the lake, and the enclosing hills—to link Beck's individual gardens together into a grand scheme. Applying a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, and modernist design principles, he choreographed a new suite of gardens and landscapes to create a sense of flow through the space. The result is la mix of contemplative nooks and sweeping vistas that coax you in and draw you onward.

Innisfree is an ambitious combination of modernist and Asian design principles set on an American scale. Fifty years in the making, it is the realization of a life-long dream, as only three visionaries could conceive:

Above: One of Innisfree's more dramatic and yet contemplative spaces, The Point enjoys the rays of the rising sun on a misty morning.

Above: Inspired by the natural formations around it, the manmade Point Dragon Rock looks at home in the surrounding lakeside landscape.

Above: One of the key elements of Collins' dreamy sequence of linked landscapes is his Yarimizu, the oxbow in the meadow stream at Innisfree.

Above: One of many, a lotus lily pad dots the lake.

Above: Each season brings new drama to the landscape. Here a terraced peony garden delights visitors in the spring.

Above: Like a ruin reclaimed by Mother Nature, a verdant stone arch evokes a mystical doorway.

Above: A more intimate space, Lip Rock Waterfall is a wonderful example of how Beck and Collins used existing materials, rocks gathered on site, in their Asian-inspired gardens.

Above: The Terrace shows Collins' gift for tempering manmade, modernist spaces with fluid, informal plantings.

Above: The bog garden overlooks a distant jet fountain, one many sculptures throughout the park.

Above: Lotus flowers (Nelumbo nucifera) bloom from mid July through September.

Above: Feathery fronds complement one of the many misty waterfalls. Innisfree, open to the public from early May through late October, is located about four miles off the Taconic Parkway. For more information, see Innisfree Garden.

 Looking for more dramatic landscapes to visit? See more Romantic Gardens in our Photo Gallery.

N.B.: This is an update of a post originally published November 30, 2012.

If you want a bit of insight into how I turned out the way I did, consider the year that my mother declared that we'd have an "18th century Christmas." While our friends made lists that included American Girl dolls, Adidas Samba sneakers, and fluorescent-haired trolls, my sisters and I were left to scratch out lists that included wishes for woollen mittens and scarves. The guideline was that all the gifts needed to be homemade, or at the least, something that children in the 18th century might have received. These days, the concept sounds kind of ideal. But I assure you, it took some convincing to get us onboard.

On Christmas morning, our stockings hung heavy with oranges and walnuts and beeswax candles. We all did our best to look amused. 

Despite my lack of enthusiasm for my mom's scheme at the time, to this day I have a major soft spot for anything that smacks of, well, an 18th century Christmas. This year, I made a dried fruit garland to deck my halls. Make yours this week to hang for Thanksgiving, and add it to a piney garland for a wintry look come December.

N.B. In case there's a historian in the crowd, it should be noted that the history of decorating wreaths and garlands with dried fruit dates from the early 20th century and the height of Colonial Revival, and not from the Colonial period itself. The thought of sacrificing an orange for décor would have been unthinkable to the colonists. ...Details.

Here's what you'll need:

• Assorted apples, pears, and oranges
• Walnuts
• Upholstery needles
• Twine
• Cookie rack
• Cookie sheet

Step 1: Choose a variety of brightly colored apples, pears, and oranges for slicing. 

Step 2: Slice fruit into 1/4 inch slices, through the center of the fruit. Prepare to sacrifice your first few fruits (make fruit salad from the duds!) because it takes a bit of practice to get a clean cut.

Step 3:  Place sliced fruit on a cookie rack on top of a cookie sheet.

Step 4: Bake at 150 degrees for from five to six hours. Yes, you read that right. This is a project for a lazy (and chilly) afternoon at home. N.B. The next time I make a garland, I might try air drying the fruit (See Justine's Dried Vegetables to see how).

Step 5:  When the fruit is visibly dried, remove from the oven. 

Step 6: Use an upholstery needle to thread the dried fruit onto thin twine.

Step 7: If you decide to include walnuts or cinnamon sticks, use a hammer to gently tap the top of the needle through the top of the harder surfaces of your nuts and spices.

Step 8: Hang your finished garland in a sunny spot and enjoy all season.

For more garland projects, see Dried Hydrangea Garlands for Fall and DIY Video: Easy Holiday Garland.

As a child, Christina Rose Moreno liked to roam the fields near her upstate New York home marveling at and gathering wildflowers, leaves, and seed heads. With scissors and tape she would turn these treasures into art projects.  She didn't know it then, but she was training herself to be an innovative entrepreneur. 

In the hands of Moreno, the designer and owner of Flores del Sol at Etsy, the notion of what a dried flower arrangement should be has been turned happily on its head.

Photographs courtesy of Christina Rose Moreno except where noted.

Above: Moreno creates a corsage. Photograph by Casey McDaniel.

A few years ago Moreno, who has a bachelor's degree in horticulture and floral design, found herself a young stay-at-home mom in need of a creative outlet. Her tiny apartment didn't allow space to work with fresh flowers so she turned to dried material.  

Above: A Modern Farmhouse Arrangement of dried field grass is $40.

Like other business innovators, she discovered a niche to be filled. No one was making dried arrangements that looked contemporary. So Moreno developed what she calls her "natural modern design"  and opened her online store.

Above: A Moss Mound In Cement is $32.

Her most popular items are sculptural monochromatic arrangements that consist of just one kind of flower or seed head. She uses materials which she purchases from dried flower farms in California, Oregon, and Florida. 

Above: A Yarrow Mound is $40.

Running a successful small business can be a challenge for a woman who is also the primary caretaker for her three daughters, now 2, 4, and 6.  She says she uses her limited down time, such as when her girls are sleeping, to work on her arrangements.  

Above: An arrangement of succulents. 

She has created a small home studio which the children have named "Mommy's flower shop." Her husband is an enthusiastic supporter of the business and frequently appears in the studio with encouragement and treats such as ice cream or hot chocolate. 

Above: Christina Moreno at work. Photograph by Casey McDaniel.

Moreno says she hopes that as her daughters grow, so will her business. But for now she is a one-woman show: the creator, designer, photographer, shipper, marketer, and blogger. Her favorite job is that of designer.  She says it is exciting to come upon a new flower or texture and imagine how it will look in an arrangement.

Above: Blanca is a posy composed of white, gray and yellow flowers; $45.

Finishing a new design is satisfying but also a little nerve wracking. Says Moreno,  "I am always slightly nervous when I hit the 'publish' button to finalize a new item. I wonder if anyone will like it." Wonder no more.

For more posts on dried flowers, see Dried Hydrangea Garlands, Dried Bouquets for the Winter Months, The Ultimate Pressed Flowers, and Brown is a Color.

A cozy home for feathered friends, this terra cotta nest is perfect for gardeners who love their birds.

Fashioned from a classic ceramic pot with a Douglas fir front, the rustic/modern bird sNEST (No, that's not a typo) is quite at home in any garden. Real enthusiasts could even hang several staggered along a wall, making for a very stylish avian apartment complex.

Above: bird sNEST is available at All Lovely Stuff; $48.

Above: Industrious types could even make their own terra cotta nest. (For more birdhouses, see "Bodega Birdhouses by Roost."

Above: A detail of the Douglas fir plywood front shows the grain of the natural wood. (Are your birds craving warmth? See "Cold Weather Birdhouses from Belgium.")

Above: Exposed to the elements outdoors, bird sNEST will soon take on a lovely patina.

N.B. Looking for more avian housing options? See "Up on the Roof: A Red Tile Birdhouse" and "A Penthouse for the Birds."

Sitting in the office reminiscing about our childhoods (a topic second in popularity at Gardenista only to wondering what to have for lunch and is it too early), we were shocked to learn recently that editor in chief Michelle Slatalla hasn't lived in a house decorated with outdoor holiday lights since the 1970s, when her brother Jack used to shinny up the plum tree with a rake—or some years, a hoe—to drape strings across the highest branches.

This year, inspired by our partner The Home Depot, we decided to show her what she's been missing:

Photographs by John Merkl. 

Above: Michelle didn't know where to start when it came to figuring out how to deck her one-story stucco Spanish bungalow with outdoor holiday lights. She wondered: How many? What color? How big should the bulbs be? And how do you stick them on, anyway?

To answer her questions, we did a little sleuthing about how to design an outdoor light installation ... and then we went shopping at The Home Depot for supplies. Here's what you need to recreate the look:

Materials:

• Many, many strings of Home Accents Holiday 300-Light Clear Mini Lights ($8.98 apiece)
• Many, many strings of C7 25-Light Clear String Light Set ($6.98 apiece)
• A 50-foot Landscape Extension Cord ($15.97)
• An Arrow Fastener Heavy-Duty Staple Gun ($17.76) and a box of Arrow Fastener 3/8-Inch Crown Galvanized Steel Staples ($3.22) 
• A Stanley Trigger-Feed Standard Dual-Melt Glue Gun ($12.97) and 4-In Dual Temperature Glue Sticks ($2.54 for a 24-pack)

Above: For indoor use, a 15-Foot White Banana Extension Cord (Shown) is $12.98. For outdoor light installations, you can use a 50-foot Landscape Extension Cord ($15.97).

Question No. 1: How many?

Imagine you have baked a gingerbread house. Next step, icing. The same architectural details that you would define with white frosting—windows, doorways, chimney, roof line—are the ones we wanted to outline with lights on Michelle's house.

Our first step was to take measurements: the length of the roofline facing the street; the height and width of four casement windows on the facade; the vertical sides of the building facing the street, and dimensions of the porch windows and entryway. Then we bought enough strings of light to cover those distances.

Above: A C7 25-Light Clear String Light Set is $6.98 apiece.

Questions No. 2 and 3: What color and what size bulbs?

We decided to keep the palette simple and to use clear lights—by this point, we were thinking "starry gingerbread house"—and needed two sizes: strings of large-bulb C7 lights to define the roofline and vertical walls of the facade, and miniature lights for the smaller scale features (windows and doorways).

In addition to the facade, we wanted to light another area on the property and chose a tree at the edge of Michelle's driveway to wrap. Here is a simple tip: when designing an outdoor holiday light display, light up a second focal point, at a distance from the house, to create depth in the landscape. We used clear miniature lights on the tree, as well.

In all, we needed 800 clear miniature lights 100 linear feet of C7 lights. 

Above: An Arrow Fastener Heavy-Duty Staple Gun is $17.76 and works with six sizes of staples, including (Shown) Arrow Fastener 3/8-Inch Crown Galvanized Steel Staples; $3.22 for a box of 1,250.

Question No. 4: How do you attach the lights? There are several techniques you can use to attach outdoor holiday lights. To outline wood-framed windows, you can discreetly staple a string of lights to a corner of the trim; you don't need many staples because gravity makes a string want to hang straight without extra help.

To attach lights to stucco or tile, you can use a dab of glue from a hot glue gun. (After the holidays, you can remove the lights using a dab of glue solvent.)

Bonus points: You can buy strings of outdoor lights with cords of various colors—green or white cords are the most common. We used both on Michelle's house, white cords against the stucco walls and green on her green windows, black handrail, and tree trunk. 

We connected the strings to each other, plugging the end of one string into the beginning of the next. We used an outdoor-rated extension cord to connect the lights to an electrical outlet on a side wall of the house.

We wrapped the tree trunk tightly, to a height of 12 feet.

Dusk fell, the lights came on, the house glowed, and a neighbor walking a dog saw Michelle standing in the street admiring the display. "You should leave them up year round," the neighbor said.

"Oh my God, yes," Michelle said, turning to us to plead: "I want to live in a gingerbread house forever." Have we created a monster?

Looking for more holiday decorating ideas? We recently shopped at The Home Depot to create a surprisingly Easy and Elegant Thanksgiving Tabletop.