If you’ve ever been within reach of a bird perched on a branch or nibbling at a feeder, you’ve had an experience that’s hard to match. Attracting birds, butterflies, and bees to your garden—by creating a habitat friendly to small creatures like these—requires both research and a playful curiosity, according to Elizabeth Lamb, ornamentals coordinator …

Rugs have always been considered as a form of art, even though their role is practical and even prosaic—we walk on them, after all—and we’re all familiar with traditional murals painted on walls, whether interior or exterior. In Rochester, rugs go beyond textiles on the floor and paintings on the walks with a stunning “flooral”—a …

Strolling through the south side of Highland Park, you might come across a jumble of logs on the ground, some sticking straight up, and some lashed together with rope. You might see kids playing on these logs with their parents. You might assume that a tree fell here and it was converted into a playground …

When most people think of carnivorous plants, Venus flytraps (à la Little Shop of Horrors) first come to mind. While those are arguably the most recognized of the insect-eating flora, expert carnivorous plant growers have hundreds of other varieties in their gardens and collections: pitcher plants with traps the size of liter soda bottles, sundews …

When Karl and Carla Naegler moved from Fairport into their Canandaigua home in 2001, they envisioned a complete backyard retrofit. The couple shared a love of the outdoors, and it seemed natural to extend their living space outside. They were also antique collectors with a rustic-meets-shabby-chic design sensibility. Bit by bit, using repurposed materials and …

Floral body adornments are nothing new—look back over history and you’ll find everyone from Aphrodite to Mata Hari to Lana Del Rey with a band of blooms around their heads. In recent days, though, the idea of a flower crown has lost its luster. An association with festival culture took the crown’s positioning from indie …