Yard Planning

Prepare for your next yard project by discovering our planning ideas & tips.

Yards

18 Low-Maintenance Ground Covers for Any Type of Yard

These low-growing, gregarious plants turn barren ground into a carpet of green, shading the soil, reducing evaporation, halting erosion, and discouraging weeds.

By Thomas Baker

Before You Buy: Reel Mower

When you're walking behind the right model, giving the lawn a haircut can be one of life's little pleasures

17 Stunning Decks to Inspire Your Backyard Transformation

Think outside the standard wood platform with smart design ideas for a range of settings and budgets

Leaf Blower Reviews and Ratings

Looking for the best leaf blower? Gas, electric, backpack, or cordless? The pros at TOH offer their top leaf blower reviews to help you decide which is the best for you.

How to Grow Grasses on the Prairie

Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada partners with an ecologist in Cheyenne, Wyoming to learn about different types of prairie grasses and how to care for them

How to Choose and Use Lawn Sprinklers

Watering smartly with This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook.

Cordless Lawn Mowers That Won’t Quit

We’re living in the golden age of cordless lawn mowers. Not long ago, these quiet, smokeless cutters had anemic batteries that made you wish you were mowing with gas.

No-Grass Yard Ideas

Smart ways to give yourself—and the environment—a break from big, demanding lawns.

How to Plan for Spring Bulbs

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook and landscape designer Jenn Nawada share some tips for planting spring bulbs

How to Create a Desert Landscape

Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada heads to Phoenix to recreate the desert in a homeowner’s front yard

CHECKLIST | Get Your House Ready for Spring

Put these items on your fix-it list to transition from winter to spring

Don't Just Jump into a Water Feature

Fountains, ponds, even faux streams are great additions. Just consider resource maintenance before you build.

Outdoor Kitchen Components

Just in time for the weekend, a gallery of all-weather luxuries guaranteed to turn any outdoor kitchen into hangout central. Plus, our exclusive TOH cocktail, the Rhum Repair.

How to Choose and Use a Leaf Blower

It may come as a surprise to the sound-sensitive neighbors, but most people buy blowers too small for their needs

Spring Flood Watch

Learn how to keep your basement dry and your yard puddle-free