Old House Gardens & Exteriors

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

Onteora Gardens Then & Now

A rare insight into period gardening comes from glass-slide images taken during the heyday of the summer colony at Onteora, in New York’s Catskill Mountains.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

Traditional Trades: Historical Weathervanes

A passion for three-dimensional expression led one sculptor to become America’s premier weathervane maker.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

Traditional Garden for an 1850s Home

A hardworking and resilient garden was created to compliment this 1850s New England farmhouse.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

How To Design a Bungalow Porch

Bungalow porches offer a warm welcome. Whether you’re building new or renovating an old porch, learn its history and ways to replicate this outdoor room.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

5 Long-Lasting Lilacs

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

The Truth About Tree Planting

Best practices for planting trees in your yard.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

8 Garden Designs for Old Houses

Ornamental gardens have complemented North American houses for more than three centuries. As successive architectural styles moved in and out of fashion, however, so did the design of the ideal garden, leading many old-house owners to wonder what garden design fits best with their building. Fortunately, residential architecture can provide important clues to an appropriate landscape.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

Where & When To Plant Bulbs

Planting bulbs in the fall can yield beautiful rewards come spring.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

The Best Picket Fences for Old Houses

Once an agricultural necessity, the wood fence became an architectural device and symbol of home.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

Uncovering a Historic Camellia Garden

For many gardeners, camellias are synonymous with history, beauty, and refinement.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

History of Chimney Pots

For most folks, the business end of a chimney is the hearth that throws off the warmth and the mantelpiece that grabs center stage in the room. For architects and builders, however, almost as important is the chimney top.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

How to Design a Garden on a Budget

Owners of an Italianate house in Milwaukee share their secrets for creating an old-house garden on the cheap.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

Expert Advice: Adobe Buildings

How to handle adobe building maintenance.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

A Garden Filled with Antiques

Decorating your garden in antiques can provide anything from a relaxing place to sit to an eye-catching piece that draws attention to new blooms.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

12 Ideas for Old-House Doors

Outfit your Victorian, Colonial Revival, Arts & Crafts, or mid-century entry in style.

Old House Gardens & Exteriors

How To Repair Deteriorated Shutters

Architecture is all about the details—Modernist architect Mies van der Rohe expressed this best with his famous statement that “God is in the details.” Shutters are inarguably one of a house’s most significant details; historically, they shielded delicate fabrics from the sun, protected fragile glass from inclement weather, and also offered security, privacy, and ventilation. Now merely window dressing, shutters are frequently misunderstood and installed as an afterthought.