Discover new design ideas every day. Sign up for Dwell’s newsletter
SubscribeSign In
All Photos/outdoor/landscapes : vegetables/patio, porch, deck : wood

Outdoor Vegetables Wood Patio, Porch, Deck Design Photos and Ideas

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, food scraps and yard waste make up 20 percent of what we throw away. Composting organic materials keeps them out of the landfill, which cuts down on greenhouse gases, and enriches the soil. To compost at home, make a pile in your backyard, or introduce an indoor bin for throwaways like apple peels and eggshells.
Garden
Garden with mature landscaping growing fruit, vegetables and flowers
After a years-long search for viable land, Eugene and his wife, Claire Ko, bought an old dairy farm with good soil that could be rehabbed into an organic fruit and vegetable operation.
Castaños House by Arch. Ekaterina Kunzel & Arch. María Belén García Bottazzini
Castaños House by Arch. Ekaterina Kunzel & Arch. María Belén García Bottazzini
Rooftop patio
External area, integrated to the house by balcony common to all rooms, has swimming pool and deck. Casa Di Irena furniture. Deck run by Lovato Marcenaria
External area, integrated to the house by balcony common to all rooms, has swimming pool and deck. Casa Di Irena furniture. Deck run by Lovato Marcenaria
The indoor/outdoor connection was important for entertaining as well. The windows and doors can be thrown open, and people can sit close to the kitchen, inside or out, with the raised platform doubling as informal seating.
Ravit Dvir Architecture and Design
Outdoor area/balcony
A Fermob table and chairs are on the rooftop terrace. “The weather is unpredictable, to say the least. You want to be outside but you don’t want to sit in the middle of a gale,” says Duncanson. “But [at this house] you can always find a place that’s quiet.”
On the lower roof, cedar decking and flower beds define one of several outdoor gardening spaces. Part of her ongoing research into the livability of cities, Fitzgerald aimed to create landscaped areas that were “aesthetic, aromatic, educational, and productive.” The deck is bordered by an expanded aluminum mesh railing and black metal corrugated panels.
The glazed canopy extends to the garden to shield against the rain, ease the sunshine but does not degrade the light quality in the inner space.