While they are commonly called privacy hedges, they can do more than provide a barrier to neighbors’ prying eyes. A living privacy fence can: Drastically reduce sound pollution from traffic or other noisy neighbors. Shield your house from blowing snow. Act as a windbreak. And just as they act as […]
The city that gave us Buck Owens is this year’s best place to garden buck naked. An analysis of weather conditions expected for Saturday, May 4, 2019 — World Naked Gardening Day — shows that the city of Bakersfield, Calif., has the most conducive climate for getting out and gardening […]
Like it or not, your landscape says something about you and your personality. Do you like what it is saying? If not, don’t let your landscape talk behind your backyard. Experts have tips for ways to create a landscape that matches your personality and tells the world, in green, who […]
Mowing the lawn and raking leaves improve your mental health, but only by a bit, according to a massive study published in the British medical journal The Lancet. Lawn mowing, raking and other common household chores increase mental health by about 12 percent, according to the study titled “Association Between […]
ABCs of lawn mowing: How to mow, when to mow, what to mow with Lawn mowing is an important part of keeping your grass healthy and looking good. Done wrong, and your green expanse could turn brown and unattractive. And no fun at all to play on. “Without regular mowing, […]
Laying down grass sod to start or repair a lawn isn’t the hardest yard task, but it is labor intensive and requires knowing more than “green side up.” But don’t be daunted. If you have a bare or barren patch of yard, sod is a moderately priced way to turn […]
About 40 million Americans suffer from pollen allergies, and grass pollen allergies are among the leading causes of these seasonal sneezes. Doctors call it seasonal allergic rhinitis, but its common name is hay fever. Many types of irritants can trigger allergic reactions, including flecks of pet skin and dust mites. Hay fever is distinct from food allergies or […]
Do you know your Peruvian bat guano from your liquid kelp? If so, chances are you are a fan of organic lawn care. Advocates for this more-natural set of lawn and gardening practices argue that if you rely on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, your green lawn isn’t environmentally green. “I think synthetic fertilizers have run their […]
This type of audit you don’t need to be afraid of, even if you do get soaked. A lawn sprinkler audit done annually is one of the best home improvement investments you can make so your lawn stays lush and your water bills stay low. “Nationwide,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “landscape […]
The verdict is in from gardeners, environmentalists, and scientists: Don’t bag your grass clippings. Let them mulch your yard. Your lawn and the environment will both be happier for it. In the not-too-distant past, the standard advice was the opposite. We thought bagging was better and believed grass clippings contributed […]