Outdoors

Nothing beats stretching out in a comfortable hammock under the shade of a tree. Many homeowners don’t have the luxury of hanging a hammock between two trees. The answer is a beautiful and functional wooden hammock stand. These are our picks for the best wooden hammock stands.

Tropical plants aren’t naturally meant to grow indoors, and that creates some hurdles. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to grow tropical houseplants with modern grow lights and potting mixes. A few simple tricks can ensure optimal growth for your indoor tropical plants, such as:

One of the most common reasons why seeds in your vegetable garden don’t sprout is a lack of watering. Just like established plants, seeds need consistent watering. Vegetables like moist soil. Not soaking wet, but moist.

In search of a way to improve your home, don’t overlook how beneficial adding a wooden fence can be. Wooden fences improve your home security and they also add a familiar element of design that is very appealing. You can improve that wooden fence even further by adding a wooden gate.

Roses are the oldest flower ever recorded with archaeologists finding a rose fossil from 35 million years ago. In fact, the oldest living rose is more than a thousand years old! There are over two thousand types of roses from short ground cover to large rose bushes and heirloom to wild. That makes answering the question of when roses bloom a difficult one.

No longer just for parking vehicles, garages have become workspaces and storage areas that we use on a daily basis. It is where many homeowners have their laundry rooms, sporting equipment, and more. Because your HVAC system doesn’t extend into the garage, it gets very warm, and a ceiling fan helps.

Winterizing your lawncare equipment seems like a fool’s errand at times, but believe me, it’s something you should do. It’s what makes sure that you will be able to use your sprinklers once summer comes around. Like with all chores, there’s a right time and a wrong time to start winterizing your system. But, when’s ideal?

Incorporating wood chips into your garden can be beneficial by increasing nutrients in the soil over time. Wood chip garden mulch is organic, so it slowly breaks down, typically between three to six months. However, if you want to compost your wood chips quickly, you will need to add nitrogen to the mix.

Upgrading to a new garden hose can make yard work so much easier. Less easy, however, is figuring out what to do with your old garden hose. It takes up so much space and isn’t very useful once you get a new one. So, can your garden hoses be recycled?

Dogwoods, from the genus Cornus, consist of a large group of flowering trees and shrubs. These plants are wildly popular because they provide interest year-round – with blooms early in the spring, berries in the summer, and stunning fall colors.

Gas-powered weed eaters are some of the most common yet reliable tools available for keeping your yard clean and neat. Since it is not electric, there is no need to lug around a tangled, heavy extension cord.

One of the best and most popular uses for coconut coir in a garden is to improve soil aeration. If you live somewhere with dense or clay-like soil that is easily compacted, then coconut coir can make your soil conditions more favorable.

One of the most underrated fast-growing flowers on the planet is the nasturtium. These reddish orange blooming flowers can be planted indoors from seed in late winter, and bloom in the spring. If you live in a warmer climate, they will grow back every year. 

Every step you take to prepare a garden ultimately determines how well your plants will thrive. Whether it be the consistency of the soil or the nutrients you use, everything plays a role in your garden’s longevity. So, does a garden need to be level?

Cascading stairs are an elegant way to take your outdoor deck to the next level. They can be built with either flat slabs of rock or shallow wooden boxes. Either way, they’re an ideal fit for patios and decks with shallow rises.

Newspapers are one of the most popular man-made items to use as kindling. They are also usually tossed in the recycling bin the day after they arrive. If you plan on starting a fire in the coming days, don’t toss your old newspapers.

Nothing beats fresh herbs when you are looking for a way to boost the flavor and freshness of a dish. Herbs from your garden are arguably the freshest ingredients of all, but for those living in a seasonal climate, an herb garden has a shelf life. While you can’t always grow fresh herbs throughout the year, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to dry and preserve your delicious home-grown ingredients for later use.

When you’ve had a riding lawnmower for so long, one thing you’ll start to notice is that it will get slower. When that happens, it will take longer to mow the yard, meaning that your machine is working less efficiently. If you have a hydrostatic mower, you might want to increase the speed so that you can get the job done in less time.

Zero-turn mowers are enjoyable and can make cutting the yard fun. The mower operates on a hydro transmission that works the right and left sides of the mower separately. Gravely mowers are one of those zero-turns that have been around for over 100 years.

A juicy and flavorful tomato is the pinnacle of success for many home gardeners. Although there are squashes, beans, and root vegetables that bring joy to those who grow their own produce, nothing quite compares to a fresh tomato. But growing great tomatoes can be quite challenging, especially certain heirloom varieties. If you are just starting out as a home gardener, you will want to know the tomato varieties that are the easiest to grow. 

If you’ve spent a lot of time cultivating a beautiful garden, you don’t want pesky invaders taking over your space. Invasive species like the Virginia creeper steal resources from other plants in the area. This can easily lead to a dead garden.

Good fences make good neighbors. But what happens when a fence falls into disrepair, or you want to make an aesthetic change? Removing an old fence post might be the most challenging part of the job. 

Many people find their plain concrete patios quite dull and hard to decorate. However, even something as simple as laying tiles can transform and upgrade your concrete patio with little effort. You can even do this project without professional help if you have experience laying tile. 

Your patio often serves as an extension of your living space, whether as an area to dine, relax, or entertain. How you arrange patio furniture influences the space’s function and overall aesthetic appeal. A thoughtful design can elevate your backyard retreat, whether you have a spacious outdoor area or a small, unassuming pad.

There are many parts of the world that consider lotus flowers to be sacred. They are known for both their exceptional beauty and religious significance – particularly in Hinduism, Buddhism, and various Eastern cultures. Often referred to as the Flower of Life, the lotus is commonly associated with the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

Choosing between sod and grasses is not only aesthetic but also often about function and climate. One grass may be better looking while another may be better suited for the environment that you live in. Two common tropical types of grass are Bermuda and Zoysia, but what’s the difference between them, and which is better?

How great is it to step outside and pluck a lemon from your tree to garnish a drink or make fresh-squeezed lemonade? Fresh fruit trees are a great addition to your yard space and garden. But if your lemon tree leaves are turning yellow, you might be worried that your homemade lemonade days are numbered.

There is something of a misconception that all mower attachments are the same. The fact of the matter is that there is a huge array of attachments that can be used with tractors, skid-steers, excavators, and wheel loaders. All of which are designed to work optimally in certain situations.

You may be familiar with lemon balm if you know much about adaptogens. Adaptogens naturally trigger the stress response system to relieve anxiety. It’s a beautiful, tasty herb that provides a natural, healthy way to cope with stress and anxiety. 

Installing lights on vinyl siding is a great way to spruce up the outside of your home. It’s essential to use exterior lights to keep the wiring safe from any potential moisture. These lights come with a built-in rubber gasket that helps seal the fixture against the siding. 

Depending on where you live, you may find that your outdoor faucets require extra maintenance and care. Certain occasions and temperatures will require you to take extra precautions.  But do you need to cover your outside faucets in the winter?

Many dogs have a love-hate relationship with the garden hose. They seem to love drinking from it but don’t love being chased by cold water (although some dogs love it). Either way, if you have a garden hose, there are fewer ways to quickly cool down your dog than by hosing it down with cold water from your garden hose.

Whether your garage is run-down, too pricey to repair, or you want to remove it and build a new one, demolition may be the best route to go. Tearing down a garage is considered a partial demolition, which may be necessary for homeowners who are carrying out a major home remodel. While garages are still highly sought after among homebuyers and can actually increase the value of your property, there are plenty of instances when your home may be better off without the eyesore of a dilapidated garage.

If you are worried about people seeing into your home through the windows, then consider installing an extra set of curtains. Most people have a heavy set of curtains to block the sun or provide complete privacy at night. 

Nothing says summertime like a cookout. And at the center of any good cookout is the grill, on which numerous foods are cooked to the enjoyment of the grill master and their guests. But there are a variety of grills out there, and some are ideal for specific occasions while others are ideal for different occasions.

As a child, waking up to a snow day is a pleasant surprise. You get to stay home from school, play around in the snow, and maybe sip on some hot chocolate. As adults, the snow is not as fun since it often just stops you from getting on with your day faster.

Trees are the lungs of the planet, and we can certainly use more of them. But improving the atmosphere is just one reason people plant trees. You might want to add a new beautiful flowering tree to your front yard. Or perhaps there is a fruit tree you want to add to your gardening arsenal. Regardless of your reason for wanting another tree, you need to consider when you should plant it. So, when is the best time to plant a tree?

I’m blue, da ba dee da ba die… Well, not quite. I’m a fan of blue. My hair is blue, ya know. I like blue decorative items, too. When it comes to finding garden decor that is blue, things get dicey. Not many flowers are blue, at least…not naturally. Want to find out what the most popular blue flowers are?

My backyard is one of my favorite spaces in or outside of my house. My family and I spend tons of time out there in the summer especially. So, it’s kind of a bummer when the weather changes and we can no longer enjoy the little oasis we’ve created.

Although most homeowners hire a professional to build their deck, some may choose to DIY it. Whether you are speaking with a contractor or looking for materials at a lumber store, you want to know what you’re talking about. Even if you’re well-versed in the subject, it is not uncommon to have basic deck construction questions about the design, planning, or installation process.

There are riding, push, and self-propelled mowers. There are mowers that self-bag, that have no bags, and that have built-in mulchers. There are high-powered and pricey riding mowers, and more affordable and basic pushing mowers, and seemingly a million different options for mowers in between. While having choices in mowers is a good thing, it also creates more potential for finding lawn tractor brands to avoid.

RVing is an excellent way to get out and see the world. If you plan on staying in one place for a while, you may be interested in hooking up an external propane tank to your RV. Doing so will ensure you never run out of propane in your current location.

Possums have recently gotten a little bit of meme fame on the net, and we can see the appeal. They are creepy, albeit fairly cute at the same time. While they are adorable from afar, they are not the type of creatures you want to bring to your home. Trapping them can hurt them, so the better question to ask is how you can spook them away from your home.

The cactus plant is known for being a staple of desert environments, but it also deserves a spot inside your home. The cactus plant can provide some fresh air of its own and its unique appearance is also a welcome sight.

Lawn mowers are considered by many as simple machines, but that does not mean they are always easy to fix. If you have a lawn mower that runs for a minute then stops, you are probably wondering why that is happening and how you can solve the problem.

Remote controls are supposed to make our lives easier. For the most part, they do accomplish that job. Being able to control various objects by just pressing a few buttons is undeniably convenient.

Summertime means a lot of different things. It means BBQing. It means spending time outdoors with friends and family. It also means keeping your yard nice and manicured, looking clean and fresh throughout the summer.

Fall is an exciting time of change, and many homeowners look forward to this time of year. However, it can also be a nuisance for your yard between the grass dying and the leaves falling. Every homeowner should start the season on the right foot with a fall yard cleanup checklist.

You’re taking a significant step toward finishing your landscape design. Buying sod by the pallet can get expensive. Plus, there are several things to consider. So, how many square feet are in a pallet of sod, and what does that mean for your budget? Here’s what you need to know.

Fences are a great investment. They provide you and your neighbors with privacy and keep pets and children in your yard. They can even add value to your home.

Mowing your lawn is, under the best of circumstances, a chore. Mowing wet grass makes things even more difficult. Wet grass only compounds everyday problems with mowers. To successfully mow wet grass, you need a mower with some special features.

One reason why a banana tree won’t produce fruit promptly is because it is too young. Like many other fruit trees, banana trees must mature and develop for quite some time before they provide the delicious fruit you’re after.

One of the best vegetables to plant in October is garlic. Garlic loves to begin its growth cycle in cool soil, which is why so many people choose to start it in October. It also thrives when temperatures are below 40 degrees for prolonged periods. These conditions all help it grow garlic you can harvest in late spring.

It’s no secret that many of the most annoying bugs are drawn to light. Bug zappers emit light that can attract such bugs, and that’s part of why they’re so effective. However, you must keep that in mind when finding a location for your bug zapper, or it may backfire. 

Dogs might be man’s best friened, but that doesn’t mean they’re friendly towards gardens. A dog that has a penchant for digging can uproot flower beds and also cause his own escape. If your pup keeps trying to dig under your fence, you need to make sure that he knocks it off. But, how can you prevent a dog from digging?

The sight of weeds is enough to ruin the perfect picture of your beautiful yard and garden. By summer, weeds are in full force, so it’s important to treat the root (literally) of the problem throughout the spring. Many homeowners understandably struggle with how to prevent weeds in the spring.

Weeds find a way of popping out of the tiniest cracks around your home, even if you have a small yard. If you are getting your home ready for guests, you might try pulling weeds in order to have the area looking its best. You will, however, quickly find weed pulling can be back-breaking work. This is where products like Roundup weed killer can come in handy. But how long does it take for Roundup to work?

Not having a driveway or having one that is too small to fit your needs, can be frustrating and limiting. Not only do you have little to no space to park, but it can also make accessing certain parts of the property a difficulty.

If you do any sort of gardening or landscaping, mulch will be your best friend. In addition to adding aesthetic appeal to your land, mulch is crucial for keeping your soil healthy from season to season. Applying mulch is not a one-time job. You will have to replace and dispose of organic mulch as it decomposes, and you’ll eventually want to replace inorganic mulch, too.

You move into a new house, you are sleeping peacefully in your bed, and then ‘CRACK!”. A loud sound like a gunshot pierces through your dreams, shooting you out of bed. No, there aren’t any prowlers on your property or fireworks going off. It’s just your deck, adjusting to the freezing cold temperature.