Rebecca Sweet

A Jewel Box Courtyard that’s Wheelchair-Friendly

A Jewel Box Courtyard that’s Wheelchair-Friendly

Today I want to share with a darling jewel-box courtyard (that’s wheelchair friendly, too!) Three years ago our local newspaper ran a story on our (then) new book, Garden Up! Smart Vertical Gardening for Small and Large Spaces. Within 24 hours, I received a phone call from Judy, who was in desperate need of transforming […]

Spooky South End Cemetery in the Hamptons

Spooky South End Cemetery in the Hamptons

While visiting New York this summer, I spent a glorious weekend touring the Hamptons.  Oh my.  I’ve never quite seen anything like it- the estates, the gardens, one charming town after another, the pristine beaches.  It surpassed everything I thought it might be – pure heaven on so many levels. One day, while touring the […]

My garden, my refuge

My garden, my refuge

A few years ago my good friend, Patty Craft (who is also the editor of Horticulture Magazine) invited me to attend Northern California’s Heirloom Exposition.  It’s a glorious event centered around the pure food movement, with gardeners of all walks of life enjoying the displays and the vast array of information (you can read about […]

NYC summer garden tour wrap-up guy wolff pottery

NYC summer garden tour wrap-up

As summer comes to a close, I thought I’d share with you the last gardening tidbits from my summer in New York. They might seem a little disjointed from one another, but I hope you find them interesting  nonetheless!  (To read about the other gardens I visited, click here, here, here, and here!) 1.  Guy […]

New York’s Conservatory Garden central park conservatory garden

New York’s Conservatory Garden

Without a doubt, one of my very favorite places in New York is Central Park’s Conservatory Garden. This was my first time visiting this garden, and I’ll admit I mistakenly thought it would be yet one more formal garden filled with the predictable evergreens, fountains and acres of lawn (pretty, but probably not the most […]

Celebrating Community Gardens in NYC

Celebrating Community Gardens in NYC

One of the many things I love about New York is the surprising amount of community gardens tucked in here and there just waiting to be discovered.  Some are small, some large, some created for children, some for quiet contemplation.  They’re everywhere! As I’ve mentioned in the past, as much as my daughter enjoys hanging […]

The Heather Garden & The Cloisters

The Heather Garden & The Cloisters

After spending two months in Manhattan, it would be an understatement to say I was in dire need of a bit of nature. So one day last week, I hopped on the subway to the very edge of the city to explore The Cloisters (a branch of the Metropolitan Museum dedicated to Medieval art). While […]

A luscious, lawn-free rock garden in Denver

A luscious, lawn-free rock garden in Denver

Don’t you love the feeling you get when pulling up to someone’s home for the very first time, and the moment you see their garden you just know you’re in for a treat? That’s how I felt when my taxi slowly crept along the street, looking for the address of Sheila Schultz. This past May, I […]

Flowers and Fireworks in the garden

I’m a sucker for good ol’ American holidays, with the Fourth of July being right up there at the top of the list.  But with California’s severe drought amplifying threats of wildfire you won’t be seeing many firework shows this year. But that’s okay.  This summer I’ve been organizing my zillions of garden photos and am seeing exploding […]

The High Line Highlights High Line Garden

The High Line Highlights

I spent a few weeks in New York City this summer, and am thrilled to have finally visited the High Line public garden. Ever since its grand opening in 2009, I’ve been dying to see the transformation of this abandoned, defunct elevated railway into one of the city’s most inspiring and innovative public gardens. I’d like […]

Mixing edibles with ornamentals

No longer relegated to the back of the garden, hidden away from sight, edibles are finally getting the respect they deserve.  Whether mingling with showy perennials and annuals in traditional ornamental beds, tucked into a patio container, or (gasp!) featured as a focal point in the front of the garden – edibles are at home in […]