Home Improvement

Once you have selected the right tree or shrub for your yard, identify the exact location for planting. Bear in mind that trees in particular ca damage the foundation of your home if they are planted too near it. Trees and shrubs set too close to your house can cause mildew and damage wood siding.

Finding the right tools when you need them is the key to efficient gardening. Make your life easier by spending an hour or two organizing them and make it easy to keep them organized.

Areas with warm or hot summer nights require grasses that are drought and heat tolerant. This popular type is a strong creeping and spreading grass but it sometimes tends to develop thatchy spots. It is durable and pest-resistant but it is meant only for sunny locations. In shade, Bermuda grass becomes thin and leggy.

Most lawn grasses are known either as cool-season (for the northern and mountain regions of the US Zones 3 through 6) or warm-season (for the southern half to third, Zones 7 through 10). Talk to your Cooperative Extension Service or local nursery and garden center about the best grass or combination of grasses for your lawn.

Traditional sprinklers lose up to 50 percent of the water they spray through evaporation. New drip emitters and microsprinkler heads, connected by individual tubes to a main hose solve that problem. The small sprinkler heads dribble or spray water a little at a time to large individual plants or small sections of flower beds.

If your garden gets parched because you do not have time to set up the sprinklers as often as you would like, consider automating at least part of your watering system.

We have 3 back-to-back FlipThisHouse episodes coming up on A&E. Check your local schedule, but here’s what we have: When: TOMORROW, SEPT 4TH AT 1PM ET: Suburban Steal The newest project for CT Homes comes by way of one of Paul and Than’s investor protegees. He sells them on a steal of a deal in […]

You can still have a great garden even if you are a plant novice. All it takes is some basic know-how and a willingness to plunge into some outdoor work. Looking at a beautiful garden from your window or door is a very rewarding experience. Such a garden can also yield fresh, delicious produce and dazzling flowers and provide a gracious setting for relaxing and dining with family and friends.