Gardens and Landscaping

Welcome to our backyard ideas page where we feature access hundreds of outdoor living spaces including decks, patios, balconies, porches, verandas, swimming pools, outdoor kitchens, gardens, plants, flowers, gazebos and other structures and more. To date we’ve nearly covered everything imaginable for backyards and landscaping, but we’ll likely come up with more so be sure …

Mint is many things to many people. To some, peppermint oil relieves irritable bowel syndrome and indigestion symptoms. The aroma of mint is said to improve brain function, help with congestion, opening the airways when inhaled. Mint has a lot of benefits and tastes delicious when added to food, salads, desserts, and drinks. Many cooks …

Rosemary is one of the most versatile herbs known for its healing properties. It has anti-inflammatory qualities, helps relieve anxiety, and promotes a good night’s sleep. Rosemary is also a chef’s friend and adds flavor to meat dishes, salads, and stews. It smells amazing too. By growing your own Rosemary in pots or containers, you’ll …

Thyme is an amazing aromatic herb. It has medicinal properties and adds a burst of flavor to every dish it is added to. Thyme is also an incredibly easy plant to grow on a porch or potted herb garden, but what is the best way to plant them? Keep reading to see how to plant …

By Kate Anne Designs Photographer: Christian DuRocher Inspired by the whimsical beauty of traditional Spanish courtyards, Kate and her team brought life to the previously unfinished space, using Olsen pavingstone and roman cobblestone to complement the rustic Spanish theme and reclaimed brick (which was installed on its skinny side) to create a contemporary and custom …

Cabana by S3 Architecture Perched on a forest cliff overlook in Rhinebeck, Cabana is everything but just enough. This modernist wooded retreat is the perfect cantilevered respite. Rustic materials combine with masculine and minimal interiors.

Suppose you want to try your hand at pot and container gardening and want to grow your own seedlings. In that case, sage is one of those rewarding gardening experiences. Sage is a perennial herb that, with care, keeps on growing year after year. Beginner gardeners and novices enjoy the ease of growing sage as …

The kitchen herb oregano quickly grows from seed and can be divided and planted in pots or containers. Oregano is an asset to a garden as a culinary herb in Mediterranean dishes. In nature, oregano attracts bees and butterflies. It often is planted as a companion plant to stop aphid infestations on cabbage, broccoli, and …

Patio gardening is a leisure activity with tremendous rewards. Growing lettuce in pots is a functional kitchen garden activity that is more than decorative. Planting lettuce seeds in pots take up little space and is an exciting DIY project. You can grow lettuce in a pot on your patio, and with the cut-and-come-back again harvesting …

Growing your own basil is easy and fun. Basil grows easily in pots and containers. What better place to grow it than on your patio or in a handy courtyard pot? This delicious and nutritious herb is a must in all gardens. Below we will answer how to plant basil in pots or containers. Resources: …

To have some fresh chives ready for a delicious soup, dip, or baked potatoes is amazing, especially if it is fresh from your garden. Whether you slice, snip, or chop your chives, their mild flavor is a must in any kitchen. Chives are fast and easy to grow, and with a few steps, you can …

Nothing brings flavor to a kitchen like fresh garlic, and nothing beats the freshness if it comes from your garden. Usually, it is best to plant garlic at the end of June, on the shortest day of the year, and harvest it at the end of December. Garlic is planted in warmer regions between May …

Planting and growing your own fruit can be very rewarding, not to mention healthier than buying store-bought fruit. If you know how to plant strawberry seeds in a pot or container and harvest the fruit later, you may find it easier and more rewarding than you thought. Resources: How To Grow Strawberries From Seed | …

For a stew, salad, or soup, onions are a must in every kitchen, and nothing beats its freshness when it comes from your garden. Many people run at the thought of planting onions, but today you will learn that nothing is easier and more satisfying. Resources: How to plant onions in containers

Introducing the Essential Herb It’s pretty much guaranteed that nearly every home on this planet has at least one form of oregano in it. Whether it’s dried, fresh, or coming in oil form, oregano is one of those essential herbs that’s just gotta be in your pantry. Oregano is present in so many different cultures …

Introducing Post-Harvest Strawberry Plant Care I just love the process of growing strawberry plants. Their leaves are so bushy and green, their tiny white flowers do a great job of attracting pollinators, and there is nothing more exciting than seeing those tiny red berries start to grow.  If you’ve ever grown strawberry plants before, chances …

Introducing Methods for Healthy Oregano Growth  Oregano is one of those essential herbs that you’re going to find in nearly and pantry on the planet. The Greeks were right in describing it as “the joy of the mountain”, as it is most of the time the joy of the kitchen as well.  Any time that …

Introducing the Highest Yield Strawberry Plants  I have had quite the journey with my garden. Gardening takes a superb amount of work and patience, and a certain amount of grace in dealing with disappointment. Growing edible plants is incredibly exciting, but sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you may have hoped.  There are fewer …

Introducing Strawberry Plant Pollination  The world of horticulture is getting to be a pretty crazy place. In a world where something called an Ugli fruit exists (it’s a hybrid of grapefruit, orange, and tangerine) it’s starting to seem that the options are endless when it comes to manipulating what nature does all by itself.  If …

Introducing Herb Cold Protection Methods  For anyone who has experience with it, you know that growing herbs takes a considerable amount of work. The beginning of the season requires tons of time and dirty hands, they require maintenance throughout the season, and there’s a whole other procedure when it comes to preparing them for the …

Introducing Strawberry Growing Methods  There are so many great things about city life, but something that I’ve struggled with is not having the space to garden when you’re a person who is interested in gardening. I prayed for south facing windows, I experimented with balcony gardens, and finally I moved into an apartment with its …

Introducing Methods to Protect Strawberries from Extreme Heat A couple of years ago I bought myself my very first strawberry plant. I finally had an apartment that had a south facing window which allowed me to take advantage of the very short growing season in Montreal, Canada. I was so excited. I could finally attempt …

Introducing Oregano, the Pests that Hurt Them and How to Protect Them From Pest-Ridden Harm Where would we be without oregano? Pizza sauce would be bland, stews would be colorless, gardens would be down a solider, and folks would be desperate for a natural cough and cold remedy. There are so many reasons to plant …

You plan your strawberry plans. You plant them. You care for them. You look forward to them maturing and growing delicious strawberries. And then some nasty diseases strikes them. They stop growing. They turn colors that aren’t right. They don’t produce strawberries. In some cases, they die.  The fun is over. This extensive article is …

The internet is awesome but it can also be a cesspool of bad information.   You gotta use discretion when following what people say and suggest. Gardening tips are no exception.  Fortunately, bad gardening information isn’t typically catastrophic but it can have some ugly consequences.  You definitely want to avoid any tips that could harm you. …

Supercharge your basil efforts with this age-old gardening hack which is adding fertilizer. Here are the five best fertilizers for basil. 1. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers Basil is a heavy feeder and requires a steady supply of nitrogen to support its rapid growth. The solution is to use fertilizers that are high in nitrogen, such as ammonium …

There are three main parts of a tree: Leaves, trunk and branches, and roots.  Below we set out detailed anatomy illustrations showing all the parts of a tree; illustrations for each section of the tree. 1. Big picture tree anatomy Overview parts of a tree explained: Crown: This the top area of the tree an …

It’s a beautiful thing to see it spring to life in a glass or bed of water and then enjoy it later on pizza, in soup, or almost any dish. As it grows, its scent will be intoxicating, and you will want to do it again and again. Learn more about how to grow basil …

When I first started growing basil, I had a hard time being consistent about cutting it. I figured it didn’t matter where on the stem I made my cuts, or even how often I trimmed it. I just kind of picked off what I needed, or cut it all the way down to the soil. …

Are you sick and tired of never having enough fresh basil? Do you find yourself running out to the store to get more basil while your plants at home grow slowly? Boy do I feel your pain! I’ve been there.  There’s nothing more frustrating than planting seeds and only getting a “meh” harvest, right? When …

What is a begonia? Begonia is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae that come in a wide range of leaf types, shapes, sizes and colors. The genus contains about 1,400 different plant species (we set out 12 popular types of begonias). The Begonias are native to moist subtropical and tropical climates. …

We’re not anti-real plants. Quite the opposite. We have loads of plants, herbs, hanging baskets, flower beds and gardens in and outside our house. However, when it comes to our covered deck, which we use year-around, hanging flowers aren’t an option.  All Spring and Summer we had hanging flowers. They looked great but were a …

Can you or should you compost onions? Yes, you can but it’s best to chop them up to prevent them from sprouting. You’re composting, not planting a garden, right? We do without any problems but we follow the few simple steps and tips below. Does that mean all types of onions? Yes, it does. You …

Welcome to our free shed plans page. We worked with two architects with a keen interest in designing sheds.  We didn’t just want to provide some simple layouts but instead want to create and offer for free highly detailed shed plans that step you through every aspect of how to build a shed. There are …

Welcome to our detailed instructions setting out how to build a shed.  The plans and instructions below were drawn up by Marie-Jo Tabet, Master of Architecture (MArch) with extensive architectural experience.  You can get all of our free shed plans here.

Quicklist: Types of Ferns Evergreen Ferns Deciduous Herbaceous Semi-Evergreen Boston Fern Staghorn Fern Holly Fern Maidenhair Fern Cinnamon Fern Bird’s Nest Fern Australian Tree Fern Asparagus Fern Ostrich Fern Japanese Painted Fern Royal Fern Blue Star Fern Cretan Brake Fern Polypodium Vulgare Arachniodes Simplicity Asplenium Trichomanes Lady Fern Sunset Fern Kimberly Queen Fern Austral Gem …

Quicklist: Orchid Types Angraecum Orchid Boat Orchid Brassavola Orchid Catasetum Orchid Cattleya Orchid Cycnoches Orchid Cymbidium Orchid Dendrobium Orchid Encyclia Orchid Epidendrum Orchid Lady Slipper Orchid Ludisia Orchid Lycaste Orchid Masdevallia Orchid Maxillaria Orchid Miltonia Orchid Odontoglossum Orchid Oncidium Orchid Paphiopedilum Orchid Phaius Orchid Phalaenopsis Orchid Phragmipedium Orchid Psychopsis Orchid Vanda Orchid Vanilla Orchid Zygopetalum …

Quicklist: Types of Backyard Sheds Gambrel (Barn-Style) Gable  Lean-to  Saltbox  Vinyl Storage Metal Storage  Wood Storage  Sheet Metal Clay Tiles Green Roofs Roofing Shingles Vinyl EPDM Rubber Small Medium Large Extra-Large Shed Flooring Materials Shed Floor Insulation Ventilation Concrete Pad Post-and-Beam Concrete Piers Gravel Pad Cement Blocks Garden Office Firewood Storage Personal Belongings Storage Tool …

Have you ever seen a 6-legged bug crawling around your house and wondered if it was an ant? Well, you’re not alone. Many people mistake these insects for ants when in reality, they are something else entirely. It can be hard to tell the difference with the naked eye. However, there are some easy ways …

Did you know that there are bugs out there that look like hummingbirds? Crazy, right? Everyone knows that insects can be a nuisance, but sometimes they can be downright beautiful – even if they’re still bugs. So, the next time you see a tiny hummingbird flying around your backyard, take a closer look. It might …

Most of us have encountered stick insects before. These unique bugs have perfected the art of camouflage, seamlessly blending in with their surroundings to escape from predators. But scientists have actually observed hundreds, if not thousands, of these insect species! Phasmatodea, or phasmids, live all over the world and range from tiny to several feet …

The Dogwood plant typically flowers in early April in the southern part of their range, until late April or early May in northern and high-altitude areas. The similar Cornus kousa (“Kousa dogwood”), native to Asia, flowers about a month later. It is important to know more about the dogwood plant, its varieties, characteristics, and the …

A kissing bug is a bloodsucking night crawler belonging to a group of bugs closely related to assassins. To my horror, I learned kissing bugs are not like love bugs, as I’d initially confused the names. And now I may never sleep again. Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico are the biggest harborers of kissing bugs …

(Cornus) come in a range of sizes, from the dwarf Korean dogwood (Cornus kousa), which only grows to about 15 feet (4.6 m) tall, to the giant Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), which can reach up to 100 feet (30 m). The speed at which dogwoods grow also varies depending on the species. For example, the …

With lobster-like pincers, menacing tails and venomous bites, scorpions are fearsome creatures. They’re the prototype for a host of bugs that use pincers to grab prey and brandish tails as a battle cry. Their imitators are found in most climates and places, including your home. So, save yourself a fright by getting to know these seven scorpion …

You’re out in your garden or walking in the woods when you spot what looks like an ant — until it suddenly takes flight. When wings appear, you know that it isn’t an ant — but it could be one of the many insects that engage in ant mimicry. If you spot bugs that look …

Finding the right houseplants for your home or office is important, especially if you want a certain type of plant. Some are bright, fragrant, and tropical, but there are also some that have that beautiful droop or drape appeal. They can accent bookcases, shelves, and tables because of the way they fall. Some of those …

Lettuce is a fantastic addition to any produce garden because it is not a “one and done” vegetable. As the lettuce plant continues to grow, you can trim leaves as you need them without disturbing the continuous growth of the rest of the plant. Knowing how and when to trim your growing lettuce plants will …

Are your strawberry plants dead? That’s a good question that doesn’t always have an immediate answer. I think it’s worth taking the time to test your plants to find out if they can still produce edible fruit if you notice at least a few signs of life yet. Brown leaves don’t mean the plant is …

Garlic requires sandy, well-drained soil. Prepare your garlic bed by loosening the soil to 12-18 inches. Mix 2-3 inches of organic matter such as compost or manure. If your soil is heavy clay, consider raised beds. Rake the bed smooth and break up any large clumps of dirt. To plant garlic, separate the cloves from …

Onions are a biennial plant, and this means that their full flowering cycle is two years long. Their growth cycle goes from seed, to plant, to bulb over two years. You will see onions have a top growth by the end of the first year and then flower in the second year until the plant …