Small outdoor spaces, made to feel like home
Your balcony can be the best room in your home.
Patio, balcony and small-garden ideas with real sizes, real costs and plants that suit the spot you actually have. Planned from a small home in Finland by a former chef who measures everything.
36 into pull out a chair
4–6 hrs sunherbs, ferns & begonias
Every idea here starts with a tape measure: this is an 11 × 6 ft balcony, planned to the inch.
Fresh from the garden
The latest ideas
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Fall Window Box Ideas That Last Until the First Hard Freeze
Fall window box ideas with heuchera, pansies and kale that share light and water, plus bracket weights, drip checks and the week…
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Mums Front Porch Ideas That Stay Welcoming After Peak Bloom
Mums front porch ideas that last: buy by bloom stage, keep doors and steps clear, water when the soil is dry, protect…
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Deck and Balcony Planters Planned Around Weight and Water
Deck and balcony planters arranged around weight, water and wind: 16 layout ideas, a simple per-pot weight card, drainage tips and when…
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Driveway Planter Ideas That Respect Sightlines and Runoff
Driveway planter ideas placed around car doors, turning space, sightlines, drains and snow, with heat and salt tips for pots that stay…
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Extra Celestial Patio Decor From Daylight to Dark
Extra celestial patio decor ideas with navy and violet, round orbital shapes, tested iridescent finishes and one warm, shielded light that respects…
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FunHaus Patio Decor With Playful Shapes and a Clear Route
FunHaus patio decor ideas with bold stripes, curved seats and a red accent, plus a simple Play, Pause, Reset plan that keeps…
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Neo Deco Patio Decor With Geometry Built for Outdoors
Neo Deco patio decor in 12 ideas: Art Deco geometry, warm metal finishes that last outdoors, controlled shine and lighting rated for…
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Afrohemian Patio Decor Ideas Rooted in Real African Craft
Afrohemian patio decor ideas built around traceable African craft: 14 ways to layer earth tones, texture and plants with pieces that survive…
In season now
What to do in the garden this month
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What to Plant After Peas for a Second Harvest From the Same Bed
What to plant after peas: kale, broccoli, beets, carrots, lettuce or squash, matched to days before first frost, with steps to clear…
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Winter Interest Garden Plan With Bark, Berries and Structure
Plan a winter interest garden with evergreen structure, colored bark, berries, seed heads and winter blooms, chosen by zone and placed for…
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Winter Vegetable Garden Guide to Harvesting Through the Cold
Keep a winter vegetable garden producing with the right crops, row covers, low tunnels and cold frames, plus watering, venting and cold-weather…
Meet Evan
A chef’s eye for detail. A renter’s budget for the outdoors.
I spent fourteen years in professional kitchens, where every centimetre has a job, before I started planning small outdoor spaces the same way. Every guide here starts with the decision you actually face, then gives you the numbers that make it work: how much room a chair needs, how many hours of sun a plant wants, what a deck box usually costs.
- 14 yearsin professional kitchens
- 480+ guidesfor small outdoor spaces
- 1 rulemeasure before you buy
Patios and backyards
Make a small yard work harder
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Small Rooftop Patio Ideas That Respect Wind, Weight and the Roof
Small rooftop patio ideas that suit wind, sun and the roof: 12 looks, three light layouts, how to keep drains and the…
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Small Enclosed Patio Ideas That Still Feel Connected to the Yard
Small enclosed patio ideas with real sizes and costs: curtains, privacy screens, screened nooks and glass rooms, plus airflow, furniture spacing and…
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Small Backyard Deck Ideas That Leave Room to Move
Small backyard deck ideas sized for real life: 8 by 8 feet for coffee, 10 by 12 for dining, plus 12 looks,…
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Small Brick Patio Ideas With Warmth, Character and Room to Use Them
Small brick patio ideas that keep old brick’s warmth: 12 surface looks, the sizes a bistro or dining set needs, and the…
Balconies and renters
Turn a balcony into a room
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Balcony Storage Ideas for What You Actually Keep Outside
Balcony storage ideas sized for real life: deck boxes, storage benches, open shelves and carry-in kits, plus measurements that let every lid…
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Shady Balcony Ideas for a Brighter Place to Unwind
Shady balcony ideas that work: one comfortable seat, a cream cushion or colored pot, and ferns, begonias or coleus at the open…
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Hot Balcony Ideas for the Hours You Want to Spend Outside
Hot balcony ideas that line up shade with the hours you sit outside: track afternoon sun, add a tilting umbrella or roller…
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Windy Balcony Ideas for a More Sheltered Place to Sit
Windy balcony ideas that work: find the sheltered seat, choose low furniture and pots, decide on a screen, and bring loose items…
Outdoor privacy
Block the view you mind
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Evergreen Versus Deciduous Privacy Plants for Two Seasonal Plans
Evergreen versus deciduous privacy plants: map which views matter in winter, place evergreens only there, and use deciduous layers for summer cover…
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A Privacy Screen Around Outdoor Stairs That Keeps the Route Clear
Plan a privacy screen around outdoor stairs that blocks the view without crowding steps, handrails or landings, with 11 ideas and a…
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An Edible Privacy Screen in Containers That Follows the Harvest
Plan an edible privacy screen in containers as a seasonal relay: peas, pole beans and fruit pots that take turns covering the…
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A Privacy Screen Sample Visibility Test Before You Order
Run a privacy screen sample visibility test before you order: name what must stay hidden, then check each sample from real viewing…
Cozy styling
Make it feel finished
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Garden Tea Party Aesthetic With a Pour–Pass–Park Plan
Create a garden tea party aesthetic by planning where to pour, pass and park first, then styling one garden cue, a calm…
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Patio Decor Under Sticky Trees, Mapped by Cleanup Burden
Choose patio decor under sticky trees by mapping where drips land over three mornings, then placing wipeable, washable and fussy pieces in…
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Patio Decor Storage Planned Backward From Reopening Day
Plan patio decor storage backward from spring: sort pieces into four lanes, dry cushions fully, pack in reverse order and label every…
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Solar Pathway Lights for a Small Patio with Two Clocks
Solar pathway lights for a small patio work when the panel’s sunny hours match the steps you need lit after dark. Map…
Gardening
Grow more in less space
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Fungus Gnats on Seedlings — What to Check First
Fungus gnats on seedlings usually mean wet mix. Learn how to confirm gnats, test for larvae, fix watering and know when to…
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Beneficial Garden Insects: How to Spot Them Before You Spray
Learn to spot beneficial garden insects like lady beetle larvae, lacewings and hover flies, and know when to wait, wash with water…
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Insect Mesh for Vegetable Garden with an Evidence-First Response
Insect mesh for a vegetable garden: match the mesh size to the pest, cover at planting, seal the edges and take it…
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Squirrels Digging Vegetable Garden — What to Check First
Squirrels digging your vegetable garden? Confirm the digger by hole size and timing, lay wire over new beds, and remove the smells…
New here?
Not sure where to begin?
Pick the space you have or the problem you want to solve, and I’ll point you to the guides worth reading first.