Yard Videos

These This Old House videos showcase all of our yard projects, how-tos, and designs.

Roger Cook

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Remembering Roger Cook, 1954-2024

With tremendous sadness, This Old House bids farewell to our friend and longtime landscape contractor, Roger Cook, who died on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.
S22 E22: Tom Silva and Kevin O'Connor build a bat house
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How to Build a Bat House in Easy to Follow Steps

Tom Silva and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada talk about bats and how beneficial they are. Then, the team builds a bat house.
Jenn Nawada and Nathan Gilbert install a rain barrel
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Rain Barrel Installation: A Solution for Water Conservation

Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada first takes us on a trip to learn more about watersheds before meeting Nathan Gilbert to tackle a rain barrel installation.
S22 E14: Nathan Gilbert builds a kids' mud kitchen
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How to Build a Mud Kitchen for Kids

When a homeowner realized that her home daycare’s outdoor play space could be upgraded, she knew a mud kitchen project was on the horizon. She called the Ask This Old House team for help building this feature. Carpenter Nathan Gilbert is fresh off building his own daughter’s daycare, a mud kitchen, so he knew just what to do.
S22 E3: Lee Gilliam and Jenn Nawada help a homeowner with a sloped front yard
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How to Landscape a Sloping Yard

Lee Gilliam, the newest member of the Ask This Old House family, teams up with landscaping contractor Jenn Nawada to help a homeowner whose yard has been going downhill.
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How To Install a Little Free Library

Host Kevin O’Connor and contractor Tom Silva install Brookside Elementary School’s new little free library with the help of some students.
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How to Repair an Outdoor Pizza Oven

This Old House Mason Mark McCullough shows a homeowner how to breathe new life into their outdoor brick and stone pizza oven.
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How to Build a Pergola

Bring shade and style to any backyard with a pergola kit. Here’s how to assemble it.
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How to Build a Stone Bird Bath

This Old House mason Mark McCullough shows host Kevin O’Connor how to turn two pieces of stone into a beautiful rustic birdbath.
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How to Install a Shipping Container Pool

House One editor and DIY expert Jenn Largesse takes her backyard project to new heights with a container pool installation.
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How To Build a Wooden Garden Hose Holder for Your Home

Follow along as DIY expert Jenn Largesse shares how you can build a functional garden hose box out of cedar. with a built-in reel.
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Build It | Birdhouse

General contractor Tom Silva helps a pair of woodworking siblings build a DIY birdhouse in their new workshop.
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How To Build a Backyard Ice Rink

Learn all you need to know about building a backyard ice skating rink from This Old House experts Jenn Nawada and Nathan Gilbert.
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How Dry Wells Work: A Guide to Managing Stormwater

Are you having trouble managing stormwater? Dry wells can be a great solution. Here's everything you need to know about them.
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How To Build a Firepit From a Kit

Want to spruce up your backyard? This Old House expert mason Mark McCullough shows us how to build a firepit with a kit and some simple tools.
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How to Design an Outdoor Kitchen

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada discusses the common elements she includes in outdoor kitchen designs.
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How to Plant Hardier Foundation Plantings

Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada helps a homeowner replace and improve foundation plantings that have been crushed by snow piles
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How to Upgrade to a Smart Irrigation System

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada shares DIY Smarts tips when she travels to Orlando to upgrade an irrigation system.
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How To Grow Grasses on the Prairie

Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada partners with a Wyoming ecologist to learn about different types of prairie grasses.
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How to Repair a Cracked Stucco Retaining Wall

Ask This Old House mason Mark McCullough travels to San Diego to repair a crack in a concrete retaining wall with a stucco finish
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How to Build a Backyard Swing Set

In this guide, This Old House general contractor Tom Silva explains how to properly build a child's swing set for your backyard.
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How To Design a Yard in Phases

In this guide, This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada explains how you can redesign your yard by breaking it up into phases.
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How to Plant Edible Foundation Plants

A homeowner selects foundation plantings that include edible varieties for both people and wildlife.
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How to Remove Overgrown Foundation Shrubs

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner remove foundation shrubs that have overtaken the front of her house
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Build It | Fire Pit Cover

This Old House contractor Tom Silva shows how to build a cover that can turn a store-bought fire pit into a table when not in use.
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How to Install an Outdoor Faucet for Hot or Cold Water

Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner add an outdoor faucet with both hot and cold water.
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How to Install a Natural Gas Grill

Ask This Old House heating and plumbing expert Richard Trethewey helps a homeowner install a natural gas line to fire up his backyard barbecue grill
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Testing Battery-Powered Yard Tools

Are you tired of outdated tools? Check out the wide range of battery-powered tools in our informative guide.
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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.
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How To Rebuild a Hose Spigot

In this guide, Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains how to repair a leaky hose spigot.
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How to Install a Fence Gate in Your Yard

Ask This Old House landscape contractor, Roger Cook, helps a homeowner install a new gate to fence in her pet dog.
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How to Revitalize a Lawn

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares some DIY Smarts as he tends to a lawn that was seeded in the summer and is not doing well.
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How To Help Prevent Melanoma While Working Outside

In this guide, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook explains the importance of using sunscreen on the job site to prevent melanoma.