Category: backyard

How Can a Water Feature Help My Yard?

By Paul F. P. Pogue From Ask Angi Nothing spruces up outdoor entertaining like a unique centerpiece. A water feature in your yard can make an excellent conversation piece and provide a customized entertaining spot. And water is a key part of nature, adding to the energy and life of your home. Only a few…


5 Extreme Lawn, Patio and Garden Cost-Cutters

For some of us, there are few spring joys that are as soul-satisfying as a healthy, lush green lawn. Or a pristine patio with clean furniture and accessories. You may have noticed in the past that a beautifully maintained healthy lawn does not come without considerable cost, effort and care. And outdoor living areas don’t…


VIDEO: Helpful Rottweiler Assists His Owner in Cutting a Tree Branch

An impressive video of a helpful Rottweiler assisting his owner to cut down a tree branch in their backyard has gone viral, leaving netizens amazed. Norman, who is 18 months old lives with Nicolle Bell and her husband, Allan, in their house in Sydney, Australia. “We picked him up on May 8, 2021, when he…


5 Tips for Summer Backyard Entertaining on a Budget

While you may never be on the Martha Stewart or Ina Garten level of home entertaining (after all, we don’t all have a home in East Hampton with a lush backyard), there’s no reason you can’t aspire to these mega-hostesses’ easy, breezy entertaining philosophies. And while you’re at it, you can aspire to host for…


Install Solar Landscape Lights

If you’re a home body and appreciate the summer months in your backyard, an upgrade to the lighting is a nice improvement you’ll enjoy for years to come. Landscape lighting can be practical and illuminate a dark path between the garage and back door or more fanciful used to highlight a striking flower bed or…


Backyard Refresh: How to Restore Your Outdoor Furniture

Goodbye, rainy spring; the long, sunny days of summer are here and it’s time to move things outdoors. But what if your backyard furniture isn’t ready? Don’t throw away that weathered wood bench or distressed patio set—revive it! Sometimes the simplest solution is best, and all you need to do is spring clean your summer…


Ask the Builder: Drain Swampy Yards and Stop Wet Basements

Ande lives in Puyallup, Washington, and reads my weekly column in her paper. She’s got a very common problem. In fact, tens of thousands of people suffer from it in places where there’s abundant rainfall for many months during the year. Ande’s backyard turns into a miniature Okefenokee Swamp when it rains. Her crawlspace also…


The Joys and Perils of Raising Chickens

I’ve raised a lot of chickens. Probably hundreds. For eggs, not meat. I give them the best lives I can, including a generous retirement plan when they reach a certain age, with free room and board, yet they rarely arrive at those emerald pastures. Precious few have lived long enough to die in their sleep….


Posh Backyards: Tips for Every Budget on Ways to Spend More Quality Time in Your Yard

Your home is likely to be the most valuable asset you own, in addition to serving as the center of family activity. When it comes time to plan upgrades, think outside the box, literally, by considering what outdoor upgrades you might want to add. Many upgrades are made with an eye toward increasing property value,…


Man Builds ‘Mini Johannesburg’ in Parents’ Backyard Over 12 Years Using Recycled Materials

Using recycled and repurposed materials, a South African artist with a creative vision has built a mini replica city of Johannesburg in his parents’ backyard. His replica grew over 12 years to include many of the city’s most iconic structures, rendered in incredible detail, and has even led to a career for the artist in…