Decks & Patios

Turn your screened porch into a greenhouse for the winter. You can opt for a year-round permanent greenhouse or a temporary one to use in the winter, depending upon how you normally use your...

Outdoor patios are an amenity, but if you feel yours lacks privacy, protection from the elements or isn't safe for your children or pets, you may not be taking full advantage of it. There are...

Successful patio designs often include a focal point, and a birdbath can make a charming and entertaining centerpiece. There are a few things to consider when planning your patio design around a...

A fire pit provides warmth and beauty to any backyard oasis. Even better: You can also roast marshmallows on it. Why not place some rocks or other landscaping around the fire pit to spice it up a...

Love the outdoors but not your patio? A little makeover can turn your patio into an extension of your house. With some fine-tuning and creative approaches, your patio can serve as your own private...

Just because you live in a condo or apartment doesn’t mean you have to be deprived of a garden. Garden planters, pots and containers open up a lively new world – create a relaxing area for...

Decks can be an extension of your home and a place to entertain your friends and family or read your favorite book. Create an inviting space using your favorite plants, a fire pit and a patio set....

If your home has an existing bland concrete patio, it's easy to brighten it up with a few hours of effort. Creating a complementary landscape around the patio involves considering how you plan to...

When thinking about decorating your patio, treat it like a room outdoors. In the summer months it may even be used more than the rooms inside your house. When decorating a large patio, it is...

Your own private retreat shouldn't have to cost you an arm and a leg. Turning a blah patio into a special outdoor area can be yours with a few inexpensive techniques. Letting your imagination run...

The sight of a concrete patio can disappoint even the most creative homeowner or apartment dweller. Cold and generally uninviting, a concrete patio is really just an opportunity to create a usable...

Greenhouse and nursery plant growers know the benefits of using shadecloth during the summer months to keep the heat and light intensity at a comfortable level for the plants that they grow. Shade...

Roof top patios extend your outdoor living space while affording more privacy than a deck or ground-level patio. The area can be furnished as simply as a chaise lounge for sunbathing or as...

Create your own garden within the limited and small space where you live by learning container landscape design and layout for an urban gardener. This how-to will describe steps to find a place to...

For every person who finds comfort in a lush tropical patio setting or tranquility in a Far Eastern-inspired Zen garden there is a person drawn to the stark beauty of the desert. Whether you are...

Container gardens offer a wonderful way to express yourself. When choosing containers as well as the plants to fill them, show your personal style by using colors, texture, plants and containers...

Container gardens require more frequent watering than landscape gardens because the exposed sides of the planters result in more evaporation and of course the area to take water from is limited. ...

Aside from aesthetics, planter boxes must be functional in terms of plants' requirements. They must have a means of drainage. Simply cutting several holes about 3/4 inch in diameter in the bottom...

Your deck is where you spend time with your family and friends, so you will want it to reflect your personality and be a comfortable place to relax.There are many different ways and themes for...

When building a patio or pathway -- or any area in which pavers, brick or flagstones have spaces to fill, there are several choices you can make in materials. You can use living plants or...

Make your patio brilliant and refreshing with bright, colorful annuals. Choose full-sun loving plants for the biggest and most fragrant flowers.

You just finished building your deck. Now you need deck accessories so you can enjoy your deck to the fullest. Furniture, of course, comes to mind but many deck accessories add comfort and...

Once spring and summer arrive you want to start getting outside and enjoying the good weather and entertaining family and friends on your deck. However, if your deck is starting to show its age...

An enclosed deck adds extra living space and provides enjoyment year round as an extension of your home. You can incorporate nature in an enclosed deck so that you have a feeling of being outdoors...

An irrigation system for your patio is actually a small network of tubing that drives water to hoses that you place at the base of plants or around a group of plants. The irrigation system can be...

Creating a patio border can complete your patio look and add finishing touches to what already exists. There are many different objects you can use for borders, including stones, pavers, bricks,...

Your patio plant list should be carefully crafted to determine which plants will complement one another in scent, beauty, color and texture. Assembling your patio plant list might require the help...

Stripping off the weather-beaten surface and applying a new stain can dramatically improve the appearance of your deck.