Matthew Levesque is on a crusade to prove that landscape design doesn't have to be boring or expensive. In his new book, "The Revolutionary Yardscape: Ideas for Repurposing Local Materials to Create Containers, Pathways, Lighting, and More," Levesque offers inspiration and tips on using unexpected materials to spruce up the area around your home.
The book is filled with images and explanations of projects in Levesque's own yard, from an outdoor candleholder crafted from discarded windows, to patio areas covered with scraps of terra cotta and broken dishes, to discarded glass shades upcycled for ground lighting.
But he stops short of advocating dropping any old thing in your yard. "A toilet planted with flowers in the front yard is only going to turn this into a clumsy joke," he says. "Wit is fine, but you have to think it through enough to make the final product beautiful."
(via SF Gate)
Photos: Brant Ward/The Chronicle