This is going to be my first summer without a backyard. After selling our house in the country, we traded in a grand backyard with a pool and garden for a view of the Pacific Ocean. Not a bad trade off.

But I vowed I would not write about outdoor spaces, patio furniture or backyard get togethers until I worked the entire experience out of my system. But knowing me and the need to talk outdoors, I had to include some of my favorite photos of French country backyards and furniture.