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Yards
Reel Mower Buying Guide
When you're walking behind the right model, giving the lawn a haircut can be one of life's little pleasures. Here’s what you need to know before you buy a reel mower.
How to Make DIY Fossils
Engage your kids with this easy DIY fossil project.
5 Ways to Attract Fireflies to Your Yard
Recapture the childhood excitement of seeing fireflies in the night sky.
How to Install a Dry Well for a Sump Pump
This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares a permanent way to collect and disperse sump-pump water
How to Choose and Use Birdfeeders
Feeding our feathered friends with This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook and Massachusetts Audubon Naturalist Tia Pinney
How to Run Electricity to a Shed
Electrician Scott Caron shows us how he powers an outbuilding—which takes wiring knowledge as well as lots of digging.
How to Build a Lemonade Stand
How to make a sturdy display table, with instructions for parents and kids
How to Build a Backyard Ice Rink
In this video, Ask This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada and carpenter Nathan Gilbert help a homeowner build a backyard ice rink for her kids that they can use year after year.
How to Choose and Plant Ground Cover
This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shares tips for selecting, planting and growing low-maintenance ground cover.
18 Low-Maintenance Ground Covers for Any Type of Yard
Landscaping expert Jenn Nawada explains how ground cover plants are a creative alternative to rocks and mulch, and then tells us about some of her favorite varieties.
How to Prep Your Lawn for Winter
The end of summer signals the best time to lay the groundwork for a lush field of grass come spring.
The 5 Best Trampolines (2022 Review)
Trampolines can be a fun addition to your yard. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the five best trampolines on Amazon to help you find the product that’s right for you and your home. The products included in this article are available at various home improvement stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.
The 5 Best Cordless Leaf Blowers (2021 Review)
When the fall season rolls around and your lawn is covered with leaves, a powerful leaf blower is a must-have tool. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the five best cordless leaf blowers on Amazon to help you find the product that’s right for you and your home. The products included in this article are available at various home improvement stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.
The 5 Best Gas Grills (2022 Review)
Gas grills are easy-to-use cooking appliances that sit in your yard. Read our review on the best gas grills to learn more about our top picks from Amazon.
3 Simple Tools to Pick Up Fall Leaves
From leaf blowers to vacuums, we’ve used all kinds of products and technology to tackle this annual chore. Sometimes the best approach is well-designed, simple tools.
How to Build a Pergola
Building a classic shade arbor for the backyard
How to Get a Great-Looking Lawn
Ask This Old House landscaping contractor Roger Cook heads to Kentucky to help a homeowner revive his lawn.
Fall Lawn Treatment: 7 Musts for Your Yard
Take note of these helpful tips that your lawn needs before the onset of winter.
6 Creative Backyard Shade Ideas
Stay out of the sun while enjoying your outdoor rooms with these great ways to add shade to these spaces.
9 Steps to a Lush Lawn
Want to create a lusher lawn? Read these tips from This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook.
The 5 Best Grills (2022 Review)
Grills can elevate your burgers, hot dogs, pineapple rings, and other foods. In this review, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the five best grills on Amazon to help you find the product that’s right for you and your home. The products included in this article are available at various home improvement stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.
End-of-Summer Yard and Garden Cleanup Tips
Give your lawn and garden the care they need by removing debris, dividing crowded perennials, and adding mulch—so plants can come back stronger.
Summer Checklist: Small Projects that Pay Off
Warm weather has finally arrived! It’s time to head outside and give your house and landscape some TLC.
Smart Home: A Brainier Backyard
As smart tech aimed at outdoor living evolves, the range of tasks it can handle—from lighting the patio to freeing you from the grill to robo-mowing the grass—is more impressive than ever.
Ingenious Hot Tub Deck Ideas
Give your hot tub the extra special touch it needs with these great deck ideas for your hot tub.
6 Fun Outdoor Bar Ideas
Entertain and impress your guests at your next backyard party with these great outdoor bar ideas.
Outdoor Rooms Roundup
Looking to eke a little more living out of your backyard patch of green? As the past year has made clear, outdoor spaces are vital to our well-being—and they can double our dining, entertaining, and hangout space. Here’s how three couples created a bit of paradise in their own backyards.
How to Install a Fence Gate
Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner install a new gate to fence in her pet dog
How to Choose and Use Lawn Sprinklers
Watering smartly with This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook.
Build It | How to Build a Chicken Coop
Use pressure-treated lumber and PVC trim to create a shelter designed by Tom Silva to keep predators at bay—and provide a source of fresh eggs right out your back door. You'll find the full, written step-by-step instructions (with diagrams and photos) under the video below
10 Grilling Gifts for Your Favorite Grillmaster 2022
If you’re searching the internet for something to get your grill-savvy loved one, read our gift guide for 10 outdoor cooking necessities you can give to your favorite grillmaster. The products included in this article are available at various home improvement stores, local home centers, and online retailers like Amazon.
How to Put Your Snow Blower to Bed
Here’s what to do now to ensure that your snow blower is ready for action next winter.