Every step you take to prepare a garden ultimately determines how well your plants will thrive. Whether it be the consistency of the soil or the nutrients you use, everything plays a role in your garden’s longevity. So, does a garden need to be level?

I’m blue, da ba dee da ba die… Well, not quite. I’m a fan of blue. My hair is blue, ya know. I like blue decorative items, too. When it comes to finding garden decor that is blue, things get dicey. Not many flowers are blue, at least…not naturally. Want to find out what the most popular blue flowers are?

Ground wires can be tricky. And they’re dangerous if they overheat. So, why do ground wires get hot on an electric fence? Better yet, is there anything you can do about it? Here’s what you need to know.

Choosing between sod and grasses is not only aesthetic but also often about function and climate. One grass may be better looking while another may be better suited for the environment that you live in. Two common tropical types of grass are Bermuda and Zoysia, but what’s the difference between them, and which is better?

It can take up to 100 days for tomato plants to bear fruit. The timeline depends on factors such as sunlight exposure and your watering habits. Germination, the first stage, takes up to 8 days before tomato plants stay in the early growth phase for 4-5 weeks.

When it comes to your lawn and the essential upkeep required to keep it looking nice, a lawn mower is an essential tool. It can help keep your grass looking just as you imagined and can save you a whole lot of time in the process, too.

Keeping your yard beautifully landscaped is the perfect way to not only make your home look beautiful but also to give you some much-needed privacy. Adding just the right bushes, trees, and plants can make a home unique and be an appealing target for animals like deer to grab a quick meal. If you live in an area with a high deer population, you will want to search for deer-resistant plants to keep your landscaping and yard looking fantastic, even with deer roaming the area.

Fiberglass pools have such a popular following. They are sturdier than typical vinyl or Intex. They also tend to work well with people who want to customize them with bells and whistles. As a person who gets the need to be customized, I understand the love people have for adding a coat of paint to their pool walls. We know it’s cool with concrete, but can you add flair to your fiberglass too?

Squirrels are cute critters that can be surprisingly determined. When that determination is focused on tearing up your flower pots, it can feel like a nightmare. Squirrels can seriously damage your potted flowers to the point where the life of the flower may hang in the balance.

For hundreds of years, fences have been used for a variety of different things. Whether you want a privacy fence to give you and your family more privacy and protection or you need a smaller fence for decoration or containment, there are a surprisingly large amount of rules. One of the things you need to consider before building a fence is how far it needs to be from the road.

If there’s one thing that mold loves more than anything, it’s humidity. While humidity is great for houseplants, it can do just as much harm as good. Your grow room is at high risk of mold problems if the humidity level exceeds 55% to 60%.

Green spaces are the future of our planet. Therefore, greens spaces and patios are getting more and more popular nowadays. Understanding the least expensive patio material will help you make well-informed decisions. So, you need to know how to invest in green spaces without spending too much money.

Adding a dog to the family is lots of fun, and your new furry family member will bring a bunch of love and joy into your home. But pups also come with some extra responsibilities and considerations when it comes to your house, especially the backyard. So, how do you dog-proof your backyard to keep your pet safe and your yard in good shape?

Aloe vera is just as useful for you as it is for your other plants. For example, you can use aloe vera to help boost the growth of stubborn plants. That’s especially true if you extract the gel from your aloe plant. 

The deck is supposed to be a hugely positive addition to your home. It becomes harder to say that when the deck boards you used are looking worn down or are just plain broken.

Nothing beats stretching out in a comfortable hammock under the shade of a tree. Many homeowners don’t have the luxury of hanging a hammock between two trees. The answer is a beautiful and functional wooden hammock stand. These are our picks for the best wooden hammock stands.

If you’ve just purchased a home, it’s highly likely that you have a single-car garage. More than 79% of American homes come with an attached or detached single-car garage. While many park their cars in single-car garages, these spaces can also double as extra storage for your home. 

The garage door opener keypad is one of the most underappreciated devices we use regularly. That’s mainly because we only realize how important it is when it starts to malfunction. Getting out of the car to open up the garage door is an inconvenience for many of us. Thankfully, you won’t have to go through any kind of complicated process to get your garage door opener keypad working again.

One of the worst things you can experience while living in an apartment is a rude and noisy neighbor. Although most of the time, your neighbor is likely heavy-footed, other times you might wonder if your upstairs neighbors stomping on purpose. But, no matter what the reason for the stomping and aggravation is, what can you do?

We’ve grown to accept that we as homeowners will have to deal with unwanted guests from time to time. For the most part, our unwanted guests are on the smaller side like ants, cockroaches, and spiders. However, there may be times when your unwanted guest looks a bit different.

Many tenants will do anything to make their rental properties meet their aesthetic and feel like home. For many people, this includes planting a vibrant garden in the yard. So, are you allowed to plant a garden at a rental property?

There are many reasons to separate your yard from the yard next door. Neighbors invading your space or needing more privacy are common reasons. Sometimes people feel the need to clearly define their property line, which is never a bad idea.

Smoked meats, seafood, vegetables, and even cheese are staples of barbecue and cuisine in general. Enthusiasts have split down the middle when it comes to the best way to smoke meats, especially when it comes to temperature. So, what is better: cold smoking or hot smoking?

When you first start reading up on all the bits and bobs surrounding pool maintenance, it becomes clear that salt is a thing. Like, big time. There are tons of different types of salt that are used in keeping our water’s conditions good to go. For example, most people don’t even realize that pool salt is different from the salt used to soften water. Check out the differences between the two…

Are you planning on building or resurfacing a deck but are unsure about what deck board dimensions will work best for your project? More specifically, are you unsure whether to go with 2×6 or 5/4 decking?

The key to success when planting vegetables in the early spring is knowing what species to plant. Some species do quite well in the cool shoulder seasons of early spring and late fall, while others will shrivel up and die. Only plant species that are proven to thrive in the early spring where you live. Consult with your local garden store for advice, and follow care instructions closely.

As a fan of retrowave music, I am a palm tree fan by default. I love palm trees. As in, I actually want to move to California as a result of them having palm trees. I wish I was joking, but I’m not. With that said, it only became recently clear to me how many different types of palm trees there are out there. The palm family is way larger than album art suggests!

Walk behind string trimmers are exceptional at reaching places that standard lawnmowers can’t go. If you want to up the ante, can you put a blade on a walk behind string trimmer?

A swimming pool is high maintenance, but it is worth the work for the luxury it affords in hot weather. It is critical that you consistently add chlorine and shock the water to kill germs. So, why is it that the chlorine in your pool simply disappears?

Climbing the steep hills on your property can get tiresome very quickly. You may be interested in solving the issue by building a staircase that eliminates the problem. If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Oak trees can be beautiful, majestic fixtures in any yard. Huge and lumbering, they can provide ample shade and a great place for the kids to climb in the summer. Having an oak tree can be a welcome addition to any yard.

You can stop your dog from destroying your plants with both household and store-bought remedies. The key is to make your dog want to avoid eating your plants altogether. Luckily, many of the best ways to stop dogs from eating your plants are easy, such as:

The Briggs and Stratton lawnmower is perfect for cutting and leveling the grass in your backyard or lawn. But, like other electric machines, it’s vulnerable to wear and tear. It’s only normal for a starter to go bad or keep breaking after prolonged usage.

Lawns can be fickle, and it’s all too easy to overwater or underwater your grass. Grass becomes straw-like when it gets too little water. Overwatering can damage your lawn’s root system, and that’s hard to come back from.

Whether it is the moldy smell or that feeling of stickiness in the air, humidity is annoying and can even be unhealthy. The choice of whether to use DampRid or a dehumidifier depends on what the situation is. It’s not a case of one being better than the other, but rather knowing when to use what product.

When improving your outdoor space, trees are an especially important feature. In addition to being a prominent focal point, trees can provide shade and beauty when chosen for an appropriate space. With a large canopy and unique foliage, could the tipu tree be a great fit for your landscape? We will explore the pros and cons of tipu trees to help you decide.

If you do any sort of gardening or landscaping, mulch will be your best friend. In addition to adding aesthetic appeal to your land, mulch is crucial for keeping your soil healthy from season to season. Applying mulch is not a one-time job. You will have to replace and dispose of organic mulch as it decomposes, and you’ll eventually want to replace inorganic mulch, too.

Not only is composting great for the environment, it’s also a rewarding process. Nothing feels better than reducing your carbon footprint at home. However, it can be alarming and discouraging when your compost pile smells foul. So, why does my compost smell like sewage?

When your lawn needs leveling and you are short of cash, you can take charge of matters and build your own leveling drag. There is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on a harrow or thousands of dollars on a garden tractor. In fact, you easily build a leveling drag that you’ll be able to pull yourself.

There’s something extremely satisfying about tending to a vegetable garden and growing your own food. Whether planting leafy greens, juicy tomatoes, or crunchy broccoli, it’s also a boon to your health. Mulch helps protect plants from the elements, among other benefits, but what is the best mulch for vegetable gardens?

Ticks are easily the scariest arachnids besides spiders, and they can be quite harmful to humans and animals alike. The sight of a tick on your body is enough to make you think twice about going outside during spring and summer. Most homeowners would do anything to keep ticks off their property. So, does mowing the lawn kill ticks?

Storing your extra peppers is the best option after picking too many of them. That way, you can enjoy your peppers for a long time even after the growing season is over. Luckily, peppers hold up well if you properly store them in airtight containers.

Having windows in your garage is a great way to brighten your space and make it look more attractive, too. That said, it can also pose privacy issues, especially once the sun goes down.

Primer bulbs are key components of most new gasoline lawnmower engines. The small plastic bulb plays a vital role in getting the fuel to the carburetor. You may notice that your lawnmower primer bulb has a hole.

Although you might assume that sand is sand, this is actually not the case. When it comes to choosing the right sand for your project, the type of sand that you choose can make a major difference. Sand is a crucial component to creating durable and visually appealing paver patios and pathways. Not only will selecting the right type of sand make installation of the pavers easier, it will also ensure that your project is built to last.

A comfortable patio can become an additional living space if you have the right design. A patio heater can provide the necessary warmth on chilly evenings to keep your outdoor plans on track. But it’s important to know how long patio heater gas lasts so you don’t end up out in the cold.

Briggs and Stratton are one of the leading names in lawnmowers, and they earned their reputation. As great as their mowers are, problems can still occur, and they can be quite frustrating. With that said, what causes oil to come out of the carburetor on your Briggs and Stratton mower?

You want a fantastic pool in your backyard. But the layout of your property may not allow for the design you created. So, what do you do when sewer lines get in the way? And can you install a pool close to the sewage line or not?

Are you one of those people that love to spend time outside and wish you could do it all year round? The winter months can be a bummer for outdoor lovers, especially in places with cold climates. There are a few options to generate heat outdoors, such as fire pits or patio heaters.

One thing that is on the want list for almost any gardener or plant enthusiast is a greenhouse. Among the popular styles of home and backyard greenhouses is the gothic arch design. Many gardeners considering their first greenhouse wonder about the advantages and disadvantages of building or buying a gothic arc greenhouse.

Buying the right pool furniture is critical when you are trying to create the perfect vibe for your backyard oasis. A pool is a great way to create an elegant and tranquil atmosphere, but without the right furniture, a pool can look drab and shabby. So, when you are shopping for pool furniture, you want to make sure you buy something long-lasting and chic. But what is the best material for pool furniture?

A pool that doesn’t have a filter isn’t a safe one to swim in. However, if you are swimming in a pool that has a malfunctioning filter, then you are still not entirely safe. Even something as innocuous as having a pool filter that’s leaking from the top can be a sign that it’s not good to swim in your pool. Before you dip your toes in, make sure you fix that leak!

You have finally decided to bite the bullet and install that long-awaited irrigation system in your lawn. You are ready to order your materials and the supply house salesman throws you a curve. Do you want SDR21 or Schedule 40 pipe?  What is the difference, and how do you tell?

Chain link fences are one of the most durable and affordable types of fencing you can choose from for your home. Unlike many other fence materials, chain link fences provide a strong security perimeter for your property and require little to no maintenance. However, these fences tend to receive a bad reputation for their appearance. While this may be the case to some extent, there are many different types of chain link fences available.

The patio can be a great place to hang out, especially during the summer. But the warm months will eventually fade, giving way to cooler temperatures. When that happens, you can still hang out on the patio but staying warm may be a challenge.

You should never leave your grow lights on all the time. Grow lights are necessary to grow indoor plants, but you only need to run them for 8-10 hours. This lets you mimic the standard sunlight conditions that your plants would experience outdoors.

The grilling world is extremely competitive, and companies are constantly producing new and revolutionary equipment. Two of the top grill-producing companies in the world are Camp Chef and Blackstone Products. Their top products, the Camp Chef Flat Top Grill and the Blackstone Grill are extremely popular, but which one is better?

Adding tile to your pool can create a stunning showpiece in your backyard. Not only are glass and ceramic tiles beautiful to look at, but they are strong, long-lasting, and very low maintenance. Pool tiles can transform the entire look of your pool with just one simple installation.

It’s summertime and that means dragging your trusty lawnmower out of the shed and of course, it won’t start. When it does start, it only does once and never again. Typical!

A raised fire pit in the backyard is a beautiful way to create an outdoor space that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional for parties or get-togethers. Putting a  canopy over your fire pit can help protect the flame from the elements, but little is known about whether or not this is a safe practice.