Perfect Fit: Molly Wood Garden Design

By Joanna Linberg | Better Homes & Gardens | June 22, 2020

When Helen Mikkelsen and her husband bought their home in Newport Beach, CA, they wanted to maximize its small yard for their four kids. So they promptly installed a lawn. It served its purpose as a play space but wasn’t exactly a destination. “We wanted to have more of a secret garden feel,” Helen says.

So the couple asked landscape designer Molly Wood for help. The mission: Carve out an all-weather space for the family to eat, the parents to lounge, and the kids (now ages 4 to 17) to play.

“I try to design for maximum flow and functionality,” Wood says.

Read more from the July 2020 print edition of Better Homes & Gardens.