Gardening for the Birds There’s a rush of wingbeats, and you look up to see a flock of birds soaring past. It’s a busy time for birds both local and migratory as they prepare for winter, and a reminder to bird-lovers everywhere of the beauty and entertainment they can bring to [...]
Shade Gardening The days are getting shorter, the sun is low in the sky, and sunlight is a little harder to come by. The change reminds us of something we consider at any time of year when designing landscapes - those parts of the landscape where sun is always hard to come by! [...]
Featured In Casual Living Magazine: Casual Living contributing writer Laurie Rudd features Montgomery Robbins in her article "On a Mission for Style." To read the full article, follow the link below. https://www.casualliving.com/designer-profile/mission-for-style/
Montgomery Robbins has been deemed a winner in Hearth and Home Magazine's Excellence in Outdoor Room Design Competition for our creation in Mt. Diablo, CA. There are 27 winning projects out of 138 project entries from 28 states and 3 Canadian provinces, which are grouped into categories based on square footage: [...]
Summer Solstice Last year around this time, our blog focused on Summer gatherings. We look forward once again to a season of outdoor living at its finest – Fresh garden vegetables and flowers on the table, swimming to beat the heat, and warm nights, candle-lit dinners, and stories around the fire. This year, [...]
Ornamental Grasses Ornamental grasses have stolen our hearts. The grace and movement of grasses can enliven any garden style, from the most traditional to the most contemporary. Here in California, the trend towards drought-tolerant and native-style gardening is highlighting the usefulness of grasses in our designed landscapes - their incredible variety of forms [...]
Ruth Bancroft Inspiration From The Bold Dry Garden, Photo: Marion Brenner The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a botanical gem located in Walnut Creek, California. It also happens to be one of our favorite places to visit when we are seeking inspiration or looking to spend some quality time among [...]
Harvest The ultimate reward after tending fruit trees is of course a bountiful harvest! As designers of Outdoor Living, we love the chance to experience such success in our own yards as well as our clients’. During the growing season, one can ensure a great harvest with a few clever tricks. [...]
Backyard Orchards - Young Fruit Trees The early years of a tree’s life are the most important formative time in its development. When it comes to fruiting trees, that translates to the long-term health of the trees and the success of future harvests. Pruning and shaping the young trees is a science. Here [...]
Backyard Orchards – Planning and Planting Here in the California Bay Area, we are blessed with a Mediterranean climate capable of supporting a wide range of fruiting trees. From citrus to pomes, the ability to grow our favorite fruit in our own backyards is a unique feature of California outdoor living. Introducing [...]
