Yards

Seventeen years ago, general contractor Tom Silva and host Kevin O’Connor worked together to build a sturdy picnic table for the Ask This Old House crew. After nearly two decades of daily use, that original table has seen better days. Now the pair are teaming up again to build a newer, more robust replacement—one that's built to last another 17 years and beyond.

Adding power to a shed transforms it from simple storage into a functional workspace. With electricity, you can add lighting, outlets for power tools, and even heating and cooling.

A steep front yard can be difficult to maintain. Grass is hard to mow, soil washes away during heavy rain, and patchy areas quickly become an eyesore. Instead of fighting the slope, Jenn Nawada’s approach focuses on working with it—softening the grade, improving drainage, and using plants that help stabilize the soil.

Establishing a barrier between your yard and the street is important. Without it, folks may park on your lawn, whether they mean to or not. When a homeowner realized his neighbors all had stylish barriers across their yard, he knew he needed one. Carpenter Nathan Gilbert and landscape contractor Lee Gilliam helped him install a split-rail fence and all the landscaping he could imagine.

When he moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Adam decided to make friends in the community. After inviting a few strangers over for dinner, his backyard quickly became a gathering place for the whole community. Monday Night Dinners became a tradition. But his backyard wasn’t the ideal entertainment space, so he called Ask This Old House for help. Jenn Nawada (and volunteers) answered the call.

Uneven yards can be tricky for little kids to navigate. Depressions make walking and running unsafe, and they hold water, creating wet, muddy conditions. When a couple wanted their backyard to be flatter and retain less water, landscape contractor Lee Gilliam answered their call. With a simple process, he was able to repair the soil, regrade the lawn, and seed it for the growing season.

This Old House follows Asheville families rebuilding after Hurricane Helene’s devastation.

While the yard sloping away from a home is great for the foundation, but it can create landscaping issues. Severely sloped grades make garden beds look sloppy and bare, especially if there's a downspout nearby. When a homeowner struggled with her sloped garden, she called mason Mark McCullough and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada for the solution: a garden retaining wall.

Tree fungal diseases can be a pain to beat. Year after year, the disease seems to return and while treatments might seem to win the battle, the fungus wins the war. Worn out by his multi-year fight with a pine tree fungus, a homeowner called landscape contractor Lee Gilliam for help.

Unfortunately, pine tree fungal diseases are all too common, and some trees might suffer from more than one at a time. When the results of a tree’s lab test came in, host Kevin O’Connor, landscape contractor Lee Gilliam, and arborist Brandon Maltby met to discuss common diseases and treatments.

An outdoor shower is great, but just because it’s outside doesn’t mean it has to be cold. When a young couple installed an outdoor shower at their Cape Cod home, they wanted high-end fixtures and the ability to use hot and cold water. Plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey showed them how by installing an outdoor showerhead and water that breaks down easily for the winter months.

Outdoor showers are great, but it’s hard to feel comfortable without at least some degree of privacy. When a couple decided to install an outdoor shower in their yard, the team at Ask This Old House wanted to give them a classy enclosure that fit the neighborhood and provided that privacy. To help, carpenter Nathan Gilbert picked up a rustic white cedar enclosure that will fit perfectly.

Outdoor showers are great after a day at the beach or even rinsing off around the pool. But, since they’re typically close to the house, it’s important that they drain well to prevent pudding and foundation damage. When a young couple decided to install an outdoor shower in their backyard, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada and mason Mark McCullough pitched in with a drainage solution.

Are deer destroying your shrubbery and trees? Here are some ways you can deer-proof your plants year-round.

When a homeowner realized her children love to dig, she knew the perfect outside toy would be a sandbox. But, without knowing how to build one that would stand up to the rigors of childhood, she called the team at Ask This Old House for help. As a man who loves to dig himself, master carpenter Nathan Gilbert was happy to answer the call.

When homeowners run out of space in their homes and garages, they often turn to a shed for a bit more flexibility. But, these outdoor structures need a sturdy, level base that sheds water for longevity’s sake. When a pair of homeowners needed a gravel foundation for their new shed purchase, mason Mark McCullough was happy to help out.

Stormwater runoff can be hard to manage with gutters and downspouts alone. And a saturated, soggy yard that soaks the foundation is not a good time. When a homeowner called Ask This Old House for help, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada knew just what to do. Together, they install two gutter runoff control options that will easily control these water challenges and divert water from the foundation.

Tom Silva and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada talk about bats and how beneficial they are. Then, the team builds a bat house.

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.

Carpenter Nathan Gilbert helps a homeowner create a cool, shady corner where she can watch her kids play in the pool.

This guide and video explains how to build a mud kitchen for your kids to enjoy and improve your outdoor space for your family.

Gas meters can be eyesores on your property, but there's an easy way to stylishly sheath them. Read about how to build, customize, and maintain a utility cover in our guide.