Articles by Sarah Alcroft

The yard that landscape designer Nigel Philips inherited when he and his wife bought their East Sussex, England, home was a good size and pleasant enough, but it was a bit dull and an 8-foot drop from the house. The challenge was to connect the outdoo…

The couple who owns this yard wanted different things. For one homeowner, it was all about outdoor cooking and exercising; for the other, the priority was a leafy space with plenty of gardening opportunities. The area to play with, however, was just 3…

When the homeowners bought this barn home in the village of Stowting, Kent, it was in good shape structurally but very much in need of decoration. The couple had seen designer Sophia Fish’s previous projects on Houzz and liked her style. “I got a noti…

When the homeowners bought this barn home in the village of Stowting, Kent, it was in good shape structurally but very much in need of decoration. The couple had seen designer Sophia Fish’s previous projects on Houzz and liked her style. “I got a noti…

When a house is being renovated, the landscape often can become a bit of an afterthought. Not so with this yard behind a Victorian home in North London. “The owners wanted the garden to be the focal point as soon as you came through the door,” says Pa…

Back in its spring slot at last, the 2022 RHS Chelsea Flower Show (24 to 28 May) was packed with ideas for our own yards, from ways to incorporate well-being to sustainable gardening and the best planting to attract wildlife. One of the key messages, …

This 1960s single-story house in southwest London has big windows with fabulous views of the outdoors. Unfortunately, when these owners moved in, those views were largely of a patchy lawn and overgrown bushes. Landscape designer Lucy Willcox had the v…

As spring kicks off, and suddenly there are masses of cheerful plants for sale, it’s tempting to grab a selection to add instant garden color. However, without a little planning, it’s easy to end up with an incoherent design that doesn’t quite work. S…

Many of us have reconnected with the natural world over the past two years. In doing so, we’ve also realized that there’s lots to enjoy right outside our door. Discovering how much nature can contribute to well-being has prompted some of us lucky enou…

Homes don’t have to be huge to function well and look unique, as this two-bedroom apartment in a three-story Victorian in Bristol, England, demonstrates. Owner Lizzie O’Neill, who’s an architect, used her skill and design eye to change the flow and fe…