My husband and I spent last weekend in Asheville, NC on a brief “baby moon” (we’re expecting a little one in January!)  It was a gorgeous time of year to be in the Blue Ridge Mountains, perfect weather and clear skies! On Saturday we spent the day touring the Biltmor

Autumn seems a bit late to arrive this year.  Temperatures have been warm, and we’ve only started to see a bit of fall color (at least north of Boston). If fall is your favorite season (it’s definitely mine) and you’re thinking of planting this time of year (which is

For the last year I’ve been working on this wonderful project in Brookline.  The design, featured in my July Newsletter, creates a useable front yard sitting and garden space for a multi-generational family.  As the sunniest space on the property we created a patio and raised pl

Nilsen Landscape Design’s Wellesley Project was recently featured in a Houzz article about Cape Cod style architecture and design. “This Boston example faithfully follows the Cape Cod style and adds dormers to complete its look. You’ll notice that some examples in this sto

Last week I was in Concord photographing a project that I had recently finished.  Since I was in the area, I decided to stop by the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln on my way back to the office.  I wrote a post back in 2012 about a visit to this sculpture park, and its b

This season I’ve designed a number of different landscape walls.  When considering a wall, don’t forget about lighting!  It is a critical component to the plan and a great way to highlight the natural beauty of stone work.  There are a few different types of light fixtures

It is Friday before Memorial Day weekend, and instead of packing the day with meetings, I treated myself to a field trip to Van Berkum Nursery in Southern New Hampshire.  This nursery is specific to perennials and is noted for having a wide variety of plants to choose from.  I took my

I just got back from a quick trip to the Netherlands. My husband and I spent two days in Rotterdam (he was there for work) and while he was in meetings, I had the great pleasure of heading to Utrecht to spend the day with local designer Carrie Preston. We had a great time, and while m

Last week I had the opportunity to attend an all day landscape lighting seminar sponsored by Cast, a supplier of beautiful cast bronze landscape lighting fixtures.  I had taken courses before on lighting design, and knew the basic concepts of how and what to light in the landscape, bu

The Great Outdoors: Landscapes as Special as the Houses they Surround Interior designer Emily Pinney and landscape designer Andrea Nilsen Morse combined their talents to give a couple the retreat they longed for on the roof deck of their Boston condominium. Continuing her theme for th