Landscaping
This couple transformed bare land into a shady oasis by planting trees, shrubs, then perennials.
Every year it's the same story: The lawn starts out looking great. Then the bugs and fungus hit, and by the Fourth of July, that once-lush-and-lovely lawn looks like a war zone. But it doesn't have to be that way. This season, arm yourself with information to win the battle.
After moving to the country, landscape designer Pauline was challenged by the property. There were no gardens, and basically the only good plants were a few large trees. "I was taught to read the land," she says. "It's very hilly here, so I wanted to expand on that theme and create more natural, rolling garden areas."
The prairie winds never stop blowing. That about sums up the biggest challenge Jeannette and Leonard Wickstrand have found while gardening on an exposed plateau near Battle - ford, Saskatchewan.
This Michigan family's rural retreat has a resort feel - with pool, pond, and patios - but allows lots of privacy.
Lawns
The lawn you long for- How to lay sod
- Choosing a lawn fertilizer
- Fall lawn overseeding
- Repairing a sunken lawn
- Controlling weeds with corn gluten
- What's bugging your lawn
Ponds and water gardens
8 water garden tips- Landscaping for wet areas
- Building a natural swimming pool
- Building a footbridge over a stream
- Building a dry stream bed
- Creating a koi pond
Plants and flowers
Armed to weed- Top 10 shade plants
- Establishing a hedgerow
- Plants that reduce erosion on hilly land
- Growing bamboo
- Hostas: The easiest plants to grow
- Planting ornamental grasses
- Wild at home
- Forever green
- Why plant a native prairie?
Mike Higgins is an expert on sprinkler systems, and says before winter, disconnect the pump, drain it, and bring it inside.
As the flood waters recede and homeowners move their attention from wet basements to their landscapes, they may find themselves a bit overwhelmed. Nationally known gardening expert Melinda Myers provides these tips to help you deal with flood damage.
Erosion control blankets help you establish fresh ground by protecting a seed bed and bare soil. Once permanent vegetation is established, you'll have natural erosion control.
One of the best ways to tell if your dirt is desirable is by grabbing a spade and turning over a scoop of soil.
Mulch looks nice, controls weeds, keeps the soil moist, controls erosion, and provides organic matter.
Laurie Fox is a horticulturist with Virginia Tech University and says good water conservation in the landscape starts by first assessing your site.
Want unique, tough planters that don't look like everyone else's? Go to a brick supplier, get some clay chimney flue liners, and let the creativity flow.
There's a new product, Patio Pal, that makes quick work of laying bricks for patios or walkways.
I prefer to let nature take its course when it comes to controlling bugs, worms, and anything else that lives in my soil. Bugs killing bugs, worms killing bugs, birds killing worms; it's all part of the cycle of life.
Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that live in the soil. They make their presence known by eating your garden veggies.
It can strike suddenly after centuries of hiding, and will devour anything in its path. Sounds like a horror movie plot, but in reality there could be a sinkhole on your land.
