Landscaping How To & DIY

Improve the value of your home by discovering our landscaping step-by-step tips & ideas.

Landscaping

How to Grow Hebe Shrubs

These vibrant, versatile bushes can bring color and beauty to your garden all year long. Here’s what you need to know about planting, pruning, and propagating hebe shrubs.

By Nina Malkin

How to Install Outdoor Landscape Lighting

Heath Eastman demonstrates how to install landscape lighting along a garden path. Adding landscape lighting to a walkway or path can improve the look and experience of the area.

How to Test Soil Using a Kit

In this how-to video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook discusses the benefits of testing soil.

How To Kill a Tree Stump (2021 Guide)

From home remedies to professional solutions, here’s everything you need to know about getting rid of a tree stump in your yard.

How to Revitalize a Landscape for Free

Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada updates a landscape by moving around, dividing, and pruning the current plants in the yard.

All About Brick Garden Edging

Install clay pavers to form a tidy garden border to separate your lawn from plantings.

How to Plant a Cherry Tree

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada travels to Washington D.C. to help a homeowner select and plant a cherry tree for his house.

How to Build a Pondless Waterfall

Jenn Nawada, landscape designer for Ask This Old House, helps install a pondless waterfall in a backyard.

How to Install a Solar-Powered Fountain

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows how to harness the sun's energy to power a backyard water feature.

How to Transplant Mature Trees

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook uses muscles and machines to safely move trees to new locations

How to Plant a Privacy Hedge

Learn how to a low-maintenance evergreen screen from tall arborvitae shrubs.

How to Build a Cold Frame

Use rot-resistant planks and a salvaged window to build a protective box that extends the growing season. (Scroll past video players for written steps).

How to Build a DIY Trellis

Add dimension, color, and decoration to a blank space with a sturdy lattice trellis for climbing plants.

How to Prevent Weeds From Growing

Tips on how to keep weeds out of the garden, add the right amount of mulch over weeds, and 6 mistakes to avoid to keep your garden weed-free.

8 Most Common Types of Weeds in Grass

How do you remove lawn weeds? Read on to identify the most common types and the worst ones.

How to Trim Hedges

Five important tips to ensure your hedges are properly maintained and looking their best.

How to Cut Down a Tree Safely

Dropping and bucking a dead tree with This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook and chainsaw safety expert Tim Ard.

How to Build a Wood Retaining Wall

This Old House landscaping contractor Roger Cook shows how to construct a wood-timber retaining wall to create a play area.

How to Build a Fire Pit

DIY fire pit, anyone? Get all the materials you need for this project in a handy kit! Here are a few of our favorites!

The Privet Hedge

This iconic plant can serve as a green property marker, windscreen, and noise barrier.

13 Types of Evergreens to Plant for Privacy

A line of evergreen trees or shrubs can provide year-round seclusion even better than a fence. Here are some of the best and fastest-growing evergreens to consider planting in your yard.

How to Install a Sump Pump Dry Well

This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows how to collect discharge water from a basement sump pump.

How to Build a Garage Door Pergola

Use milled brackets and pressure-treated lumber to create an elegant canopy over your garage door.

How to Build a Copper Trellis

Transform plumbing tubing and fittings into an elegant garden accent

How to Prune Small Trees and Shrubs

Want to know how to trim your bushes and the best time to do it? Read on to learn more.

How to Anchor Hardscaping with Plants | This Old House: Live

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada helps out a friend with some plantings that work well with a winding, brick walkway.

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed | This Old House: Live

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada demonstrates how to build a raised garden bed in her backyard as part of This Old House: Live—an initiative providing daily programming and opportunities to connect with our experts during these challenging times.