Tags :
Lawn / Garden
Lawn / Garden from Home / Garden
Lawn / Garden
Manage Rainwater Runoff With Beauty and Style
The growing desire to create a "green" environment combined with the trend of extending our outdoor living space bring functional and decorative ways to manage water on our property. Water management is a great way individual households can help to keep watersheds, rivers, lakes and oceans from filling up with polluted runoff. Here are a few ways the environmentally conscious homeowner can manage the water that falls on their little corner of the world -- and do it in a way that adds beauty to the yard.
Innovations Make it Easier than Ever to Do It Yourself
Home improvement by homeowners has evolved. Innovative, high-tech ways to add curb appeal are the hottest new trend in the world of do-it-yourself. Here are some cutting-edge innovative products homeowners are using.
Petunias: The Perpetual Petal Pusher
Flowers, buds, blossoms, blooms -- it's what we all long for: non-stop color in our gardens and landscapes. Why not make it easy on yourself this season? Stop worrying and wondering if you've chosen the right plant for the right place. An easy solution to achieve a glorious garden brimming with blooms and continuous color is to plant petunias.
Get Your House in Shape for Football Season
According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), extending the footprint of your home by creating living space outside is one of the hottest trends in home remodeling right now. Here's a project that will give you a good start.
Five Quick Fixes That Improve Curb Appeal for Under $500
It's a known fact: Good-looking, well-maintained homes sell faster (and command a higher price) than houses that appear worn down and tired. In today's attractive roller coaster real-estate market enhancing curb appeal -- the first impression of a house as seen from the street -- can mean the difference between attracting serious buyers and resulting in a sale, or having the property languish for months as unsold.
Yard Work Accidents are Common This Time of Year - Here are 7 Tips to Stay Safe
Fall is one of the most dangerous times of year for accidents involving do-it-yourselfers. Here are 7 tips that will help you stay safe as you trim trees, split logs, till the garden, etc.
Create an Outdoor Living Space in Your Own Back Yard
Today, almost everything you do inside your home is coming outdoors. From showers to kitchen sinks and everything in between, today's homeowners are utilizing the back yard to get more life out of their homes.
Birding -- Enhancing Your Backyard Experience
In today's highly interactive and short attention-span society, the backyard increasingly beckons to us as that accessible personal space in which to repair from life.
How to Keep Deer from Lunching on Your Landscaping
Manners are lovely, but they just don't cut it when it comes to preventing pesky deer from foraging in your foliage! Here's how to do it.
How to Choose a String Trimmer
String trimmers are the most-purchased outdoor power tool. Here are some guidlines for choosing the string trimmer that's right for you.
Enjoy Your Landscaping, Even After the Sun Goes Down
Landscape lighting used to be simple. A few recessed cans lining the front path, a couple downlights tucked in the trees, and you were done. Not anymore. When it comes to the great outdoors, homeowners have seen the light.
Gazebos: The New Gathering Place Away from Home
Many homeowners wish to turn their backyards into outdoor living spaces, bringing indoor comforts into the fresh outdoor air. Gazebos are uniquely suited to do this by providing a covered retreat that adds distinction to the outdoor living space.
Pests Fall with Autumn Treatment
As the summer months come to a close and autumn sneaks in, homeowners in the southern United States know one thing is for sure: Fall brings not only more comfortable weather, but also an increased fire ant threat.
Protect Your Hands Before Digging in the Dirt
Now that winter has faded away and warmer temperatures have finally arrived, one of America's favorite pastimes is once again taking center stage.
Premium Feeding: Attracting High-Quality Birds with High-Quality Food
Feeding birds is a hobby shared by roughly 63 million people around the world. With bird feeding becoming even more popular, so has the enthusiasm to attract an elite group of birds.
How to Shop Like an 'Exterior Designer'
Today, there is an endless array of options for putting the finishing touch on your lawn, garden, patio, deck or dock. Here are some tips for do-it-yourself "exterior designers."
'Greening' the Outdoors Begins in Your Own Backyard
Nurturing the environment starts at home, right in your backyard. There are countless steps the entire family can take to develop and care for their outdoor haven.
Autumn Trends in Outdoor Living
Autumn. The very word conjures up colorful images, comforting impressions and cool feelings of a restful season. With the cooler temperatures that autumn brings, now is the perfect time to finally realize the relaxation you have been promising yourself all through the summer months. And what better place to relax than in the great outdoors.
Ten Easy Steps for Reconditioning Your Fence or Deck
As the weather gets warmer, we begin to spend more time outdoors. The best part of having a yard is enjoying it during these months, but when items in your yard such as your deck and fence look worn and drab, it takes away from the pleasure.
How to Clean and Care for Outdoor Furniture
When spring rains rinse and refresh the outdoors, decks, patios and everything on them get a bath, too. But, once it's dry you see the remaining film that stays: dirt, bird droppings, sticky tree sap and buds, and whatever other debris that gets carried in the wind to land on your patio.
Active Outdoor Play -- Are Kids Getting Enough?
According to the American Association of Obesity, today's youth are considered the most inactive generation in history. So what can you do to turn things around for your child? A good place to start is by showing your son or daughter that you're serious about improving the situation.
Rediscovering the Outdoors with Your Kids Starts in Your Own Backyard
With school almost out, summer is the perfect time to rediscover the outdoors. Experiencing nature's wonders firsthand -- admiring a garter snake slithering in the grass planting flowers in the yard or devouring strawberries picked fresh from the garden -- can prove as captivating as anything on the TV or video-game screen. So begin today to get your kids to celebrate and capture summer outside with our living planet.
Using the Right Tools to Maximize Fall Lawn Cleanup
Many homeowners enthusiastically care for their lawns and gardens during the spring and summer months but tend to neglect them during the fall. After all, there's no need to spend time maintaining the yard with winter on its way, right? Wrong.
Six Must-Have Features on Today's Cutting-Edge Lawn Mowers
Ask anybody who toiled in the backyard in the 60s, 70s or 80s: Mowing the grass used to be an exercise in frustration. People struggled with equipment that was limited by the technology of the day. Here are six high-tech features to look for when you're choosing a mower:
The Rose: The Queen of Flowers Blossoms in Summer Arrangements
You can;t help but notice that roses are blooming all over. During the summer months, this ever-popular flower, also known as "The Queen of Flowers," is at the height of blossoming. With almost 120 varieties available, roses are a classic favorite, ranking as the number one choice of almost 85 percent of flower buyers and receivers. Whether your taste leans to the subtle, the flamboyant or the delicate, there is a rose to please, say the floral experts at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM.
Tips for a Safe Summer Season on Your Deck
Gas prices are on the rise again, the number of people traveling is down and families are choosing to spend more time at home enjoying their decks. And with so many accessories available that make the yard an oasis -- from solar fountains and fire pit tables to stainless gas grills -- the deck extends the living space and creates an at-home vacation spot.
How to Green-Up Your Home's Value
Want a good way to help protect the value of your home? Remember these two words: green matters. Not green paint, mind you, but green space. It's an umbrella term for the trees, lawn, shrubs and other plantings that can affect not only the salability of your home, but your utility bills as well.
Six Simple Questions to Help You Choose the Best Mower for Your Lawn
Though lawn mowing can be time-consuming in the spring and summer months, it's a "must do" for both the health of your lawn and basic curb appeal. Consequently, homeowners are looking for mowers to help them maintain their yards as quickly and easily as possible so they can spend more time enjoying their lawns.
Eight Awesome Annuals that Add Instant Impact
It's all about annuals. If you want to make a dramatic difference in your garden this spring, you gotta get annuals.
A Simple Way to Increase Outdoor Living Space
For those homeowners looking to add to their living space, improve their lifestyle and increase the resale value of their home, the perfect solution is to extend your living area outdoors through the addition of decks, patios, outdoor kitchens and entertainment areas. The walls between the indoors and outdoors are coming down -- and we're seeing outdoor rooms and living areas that have all the features of indoor kitchens and family rooms.
Retractable Awnings Add Space without the Costly Addition
When looking at summer home improvements, many times we think about adding an addition to expand our livable space. But building an addition can be inconvenient, costly and take a long time. A new trend with consumers is to add retractable awnings to their home's exterior.
Classic Outdoor Living Made Easy
If you're thinking about making some home improvements this year, consider increasing the value of your home with the addition of a deck. A deck can give you more living space and bring the feeling of the great outdoors right to your back yard.
How to Increase Time Spent Enjoying Your Pool
Pool season is short -- especially when you consider that most people work during the day and the best opportunity to use the pool is in the evening. While you can't make the summer season longer, you can extend your time in the pool by adding light. The right lighting will transform your pool and patio into an aquatic oasis that offers ambience as well as functionality.
Redwood: A Beautiful, Environmentally Smart Fencing Option
A fence can be one of the hardest working features of your home. The right fence will define your space, create privacy and shade, and retain its beauty while standing up to even the harshest weather. The perfect fence will also reflect your commitment to living "green." Here are some tips and reasons why redwood is the ideal wood for such a project.
Expand Your Square Footage with Comforts of Home Outdoors
The yard work is done and you just want to sit back and admire your surroundings. If you're reclining into an old lawn chair that's seen better days, it's time to treat yourself to something that better complements your outdoor living space.
Three Simple Steps to a Fresh Fall Landscape and Garden
Every garden and landscape space needs freshening up by summer's end. Exhausted from the scorching sun, heat and drought of the season, updating the landscape with a few simple projects and garden chores can have it looking revitalized for fall in no time.
How to Protect Your Dog and Family From Tick-Borne Disease
Playing outside with the family dog is a joy during the warm weather. Whether you're running in a park or just playing catch in your own backyard, dogs offer companionship and delight. But with tick-borne diseases on the rise, dog owners need to be vigilant about making sure an unnoticed tick doesn't make their furry family member sick.
Green Landscaping Adds Green Value
Thinking of selling your home? Sprucing up your yard will help get buyers attention and can add up to 15 percent to its value.Here are some tips on how to do it.
Wild Bird Foods That Fit the Bill
People understand that certain birds like particular types of food, but what most don't know is that the food a bird prefers has a lot to do with its bill (also referred to as a bird's beak).
Simple Secrets for Selecting Outdoor Statuary
You're not alone if you find that the piece of garden statuary that looked so elegant at the garden center just doesn't seem to fit your garden back home. Here are some simple guidelines that will help you choose the perfect piece of statuary for your garden.
Putting the Bite on Pesky Mosquitoes
Humans and birds aren't the only creatures that need to worry about mosquitoes that carry the West Nile Virus. Researchers in Florida have discovered alligators are getting the disease too.
How to Get the Best Looking Lawn in the Neighborhood Without Breaking the Bank
Every year around this time, there's at least one yard in the neighborhood everyone wishes were their own. You know, the one with the perfectly manicured lawn, the rounded hedges and the flowers that just won't quit blooming.
How to Get Your Yard Ready for Winter
There are a few simple things you'll need to do in the coming weeks to help your yard endure the winter. Some of those chores are easier than others, but you don't need to call a professional landscaping company to do the job. You can do it yourself with the help of rented tools.
Next Generation Pressure-treated Lumber Boasts New Advantages
For many years, the most popular product for building fences, decks, planter boxes and other outdoor structures has been pressure-treated wood. But now there's a new alternative gaining in popularity.
Take Advantage of Every Last Moment You Can Spend Outside this Season
The summer solstice has passed, the days are getting shorter and soon the fading sunlight will serve as a signal for the leaves to start turning color and fall from the trees. But just because Mother Nature is preparing for her winter slumber doesn't mean you have to do the same. Here's how to prolong your enjoyment of the great outdoors.
A Beautiful Landscape Starts in the Fall
Every year, a lot of time, money and effort is devoted to the pursuit of a beautiful and well-maintained home landscape. Keep these tips in mind when tackling the landscape for fall and winter.
Hot Tips for Landscaping Around Hot Tubs
For many families, adding a hot tub in the back yard makes the American dream complete. But what really elevates the hot tub from home improvement to home oasis status is the decking and landscaping created around it.
Outdoor Living Spaces: Adding an Outdoor Room
One of the hottest trends among homeowners is to extend a home's living space to the outdoors. Many homeowners want a refuge from the hectic pace of daily life. Decks can provide a place to relax and enjoy the outdoor setting.
Revive Your Summer-stressed Lawn This Fall
People associate lawn care with spring and summer, but the fall is actually the optimal time to take steps toward a healthy, greener lawn. Here are some tips for your fall lawn care.
Learn How to Turn Any Back Yard into the Ultimate Outdoor Living Experience
With home improvement season upon us, homeowners are eager to make their outdoor living areas as inviting as the inside of their homes. Before visiting the local home and garden center or hiring a professional to create a backyard paradise, consider taking the DIY approach.
Japanese Beetles Become Grubs, But That Isn't All
Every 1,000 Japanese Beetles swarming in your yard this summer means there can be 50-thousand grubs deposited in your yard by fall. Many people don't make the connection and believe the two problems are unrelated. Actually, the best way to eliminate Japanese Beetles is by attacking the grubs which is the weakest link in the Beetle's one year life cycle.
Lighting Plays a Huge Role in Your Home's Curb Appeal
Adding outdoor lighting is a smart investment not only from a security standpoint, but because of the dramatic affect it has on curb appeal. When you're ready to begin the dramatic and instant beautification of your property, here are some tips to get started.
The King of Daffodils Is Dead: Long Live the Kings!
Every fall, thousands of daffodils bearing the name King Alfred are sold and planted in the United States, an amazing feat for a bulb that has been out of commercial production for many years. So what are they really? Here's the answer.
How to Shop Like an 'Exterior Designer'
Today, there is an endless array of options for putting the finishing touch on your lawn, garden, patio, deck or dock. Here are some tips for do-it-yourself "exterior designers."
Revive Your Summer-stressed Lawn This Fall
People associate lawn care with spring and summer, but the fall is actually the optimal time to take steps toward a healthy, greener lawn. Here are some tips for your fall lawn care.
Manage Rainwater Runoff With Beauty and Style
The growing desire to create a "green" environment combined with the trend of extending our outdoor living space bring functional and decorative ways to manage water on our property. Water management is a great way individual households can help to keep watersheds, rivers, lakes and oceans from filling up with polluted runoff. Here are a few ways the environmentally conscious homeowner can manage the water that falls on their little corner of the world -- and do it in a way that adds beauty to the yard.
Autumn Trends in Outdoor Living
Autumn. The very word conjures up colorful images, comforting impressions and cool feelings of a restful season. With the cooler temperatures that autumn brings, now is the perfect time to finally realize the relaxation you have been promising yourself all through the summer months. And what better place to relax than in the great outdoors.
Next Generation Pressure-treated Lumber Boasts New Advantages
For many years, the most popular product for building fences, decks, planter boxes and other outdoor structures has been pressure-treated wood. But now there's a new alternative gaining in popularity.
