Landscaping & Outdoor Building

Update the look of your outdoor space using a sapling trellis. Look around your outdoor landscape for young branches to reuse for your own design. Situate the trellis structure within your...

During the heat of the day, frogs and toads in your garden will seek out damp, cool earth to help conserve and replenish skin moisture. Unlike we humans, amphibians really don't care about the...

Garden arches may border the entry to a garden path or provide a focal point in your back yard. Flowering vines and other foliage can embrace and disguise the building material in your garden arch...

Perhaps nothing makes a bolder statement to join two levels in your garden than a meandering, ancient-looking rock staircase. The look of steps hewn into the earth is appealing in an almost...

There's no reason why a backyard pond can't be updated as often as you update your flower or vegetable gardens. Today's pond-friendly fish, garden accessories and easy-care pond plants give you...

Garden edging, regardless of the material, separates garden space from a yard or lawn. Garden edging provides a distinctly noticeable border that protects the garden's contents from lawn mowers...

Hand-laid garden tiles offer an easy, yet attractive, means of forming a walkway or rustic patio area in your garden. Laying your own tiles requires little more than a few pavers, some imagination...

A sunny garden landscape offers opportunities to plant a huge number of sun-loving flowers, vegetables, herbs, fruit trees and vines. Sunny locations dry out quickly, so it's important to select...

Organic soil is soil that has not been altered, affected by or exposed to toxic chemical fertilizers, noxious pesticides or poisonous herbicides. The organic method of gardening requires the use...

Brick patios, garden walkways and brick garden "rugs" can offer classic traditional elegance or country charm to rural gardens and urban landscapes. Brick paving is cost efficient and durable and...

Cast iron tubs can make an elegant statement in a home for decades, but when the time comes to replace old with new, there's no need to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Relegating...

Building a brick edging is a simple process. The goal is to create an edging of brick that will prevent unwanted plants and weeds from creeping into your garden. You are building a weed and grass...

Burdock, also known by the scientific name Arctium minus, is an ecologically invasive plant found along roadsides and in disturbed ground throughout the northern United States. A biennial, the...

The idea of the garden as an outdoor room has caught on in recent years. Once you view your yard as an extension of your home, the question becomes how to embellish it. Like decorating any...

Mulch is a material placed over the soil surrounding your garden plants. Mulch can be made of various organic materials including bark, straw or manure. If you happen to have a pond nearby, you...

Spinning copper garden sprinklers add a touch of whimsy to your garden or your backyard. You can make your own spinning sprinkler with a few supplies from the local hardware store. The most...

Mailbox gardens have become a popular way to add curb appeal to a home. Use the bare piece of ground at the base of a mailbox for a mix of evergreen flowering perennials like pinks and lavender....

Decorative landscaping often incorporates the use of landscape gravel. Easily adding texture and color to garden surrounds, the prime value is in not having to replace it annually. A homeowner...

Fences can serve multiple purposes in a garden, from separating crops from flowers to isolating areas of your yard. Garden fences also provide a further opportunity to enhance the look of your...

Growing shrubs and vines together provides endless opportunities for creating interest and mood in the garden. Both allow you to take the design of the flower beds higher for added dimension....

Garden decorations created by you take shape from your imagination and reflect your own personal style, as fewer things in life are more personal than your own garden. The most effective garden...

Until recently, creating garden walls was a task meant only for a professional or a capable do-it-yourselfer. Messy concrete and deep trenches were necessary to hold bricks in place; considerable...

Garden fences help create privacy, reduce noise and create a visible boundary between you and your neighbors. Fences can also keep pests away from your garden produce. Knowing basic fence...

Yard statues are a surefire way to add low-maintenance nonliving points that add interest and pizzazz to your garden or landscaping. They do not need weeding, feeding or pleading to keep them at...

Squirrels eat plants and flowers from flowerbeds because they are vegetarians. They aren't picky eaters, and generally consume anything they see growing, as long as it tastes good. Squirrels...

Finding ways to edge and organize your garden is critical to creating a garden that is easy to maintain and produces generous plant yields throughout the growing season. While some people use...

There is almost nothing more peaceful then the sound and appearance of a garden fountain. It brings beauty and interest to any garden. Installing a garden fountain is not difficult, but it does...

Fountains are added to garden or outdoor settings to enhance the landscape, create a calming atmosphere, muffle noise and distractions, and attract birds and other wildlife. Garden fountains are...

Garden tool racks hold tools ranging from rakes and shovels to trowels and bush clippers to gardening gloves. These tools and tool racks can be kept in the garage, a nearby shed or even right...

Be it a lush paradise in the frigid North or a flower-strewn wilderness in the midst of a city, a beautifully landscaped yard is a true retreat for any homeowner. However seemingly daunting the...

Setting up a pond waterfall pump system must be done carefully to ensure maximum water flow. Not only will this improve the appearance of the water garden and the quality of the water, but it may...

Landscaping is an exciting prospect for many new homeowners. The thought of making one's property a true retreat is a tempting concept. Unfortunately it can be too daunting a prospect for those...

Raised bed gardens have more fertile and less compact soil, allowing them to be planted more intensively and creating a larger harvest. A pyramid raised bed is an attractive way to grow a variety...

A patios can add a great accent to a landscape or backyard arrangement. They are practical and fun for gatherings and barbecues. To give your patio the flare and color it deserves, you will...

For avid gardeners, gardens are special places. Not only do they grow beautiful living things, their surroundings nurture the soul. In fact, many gardeners try to make their gardens a sanctuary in...

Shrubs add an eye-catching element to the landscape even during the winter months when flowers are not in bloom. Reducing lawn by adding shrub beds saves time and resources by reducing the amount...

Old tires can be a big environmental hassle to deal with. Millions of tires are disposed of every year. Old tires, however, can have many uses around the garden. Using tires around the house and...

Above-ground oil tanks come in many sizes and may hold several hundred gallons of oil. In the United States, those who live in the North store home heating oil in these tanks, and farmers use them...

Traditional garden planning uses turf cutting and double digging to prepare beds for planting. Raised garden boxes have gained popularity as a no-dig way to start a garden. There are several other...

Landscaping with Japanese red maples is an easy way to add stunning color to any garden. Native to Japan, Korea and China, the Japanese red maple has been cultivated worldwide for landscaping...

Imagine your dream garden. Chances are that in addition to flowers, shrubs figure prominently. Whether your ideal garden is an informal country garden with heirloom plants or a classic garden with...

Making a garden stepping stone out of ceramic tile can be an easy way to use spare or interesting tiles to accent your garden. The process is simple, fun, and creative.

Creating an outdoor chakra garden will connect you to your body, soul and backyard. The combined practice of contemplative gardening and meditating outdoors balances the physical, emotional and...

A walkway can lend ambiance and a bit of visual interest to any garden. It can define different areas in the garden or lead to a focal point like a seating area, reflecting pool or pergola....

The dry stream bed, the path of sand, pebbles and stones left after the water in a stream dries up, is both visually and architecturally interesting and useful in landscape design. Situating the...

Whether you received a potted cypress tabletop Christmas tree or are adding a Hinoki cypress to your container garden, routine care will help the plant thrive. Move the plant to a larger container...

Raised gardens or flower beds are ideal for gardeners who wish to control the soil content in their garden, create a flower bed that is easier to reach and maintain, control weeds, or add a...

Forsythia bushes are early spring blooming plants that burst into vivid yellow flowers in February and March. As the flowers fade, bright light green leaves emerge, covering the long arching...

Garden walls add visual appeal to your landscaping space. They can also be used to build raised flower beds or divide sections of your garden. Since having a professional install a stone brick...

Your sprinkler system has given you years of service. You love not having to use a water hose to keep you lawn looking green and fresh. The only problem is your sprinkler heads are being covered...