Yard Ideas Blog

Name one garden plant that offers handsome—sometimes striking—foliage that takes on eye-catching color in the fall and interesting flowers that become showy seed heads which linger throughout the winter; a plant that offers visual delight in all seasons and demands only minimal upkeep in payment for these rewards. Grasses! Read More

If you want a picture perfect yard, you need to look at it through an artistic lens. Every window and door in your home is like a frame for a portion of your yard. As you develop your landscaping strategy, think about how your yard will look from each of these vantage points. Read More

Whether considering a small space or a complete yard make-over, you’ll need to assess and analyze the area—or areas—of your landscape that you are wanting to enhance or in which you’re going to create a new garden. Read More

“Oasis”, “tropical resort”, “paradise” - pool owners tend to get a little carried away in describing their backyard. But some folks really do manage to create a poolside Shangri-La. How do they do it? Read More

Spring is just around the corner. How far around the corner depends on countless celestial and meteorological factors, plus, of course, whatever a certain furry resident of Punxsutawney, PA had to say about it this year. (Fun fact: Phil has predicted correctly only about 39% of the time since 1887. So you may not want to take him to the track and let him pick the ponies for you. Just sayin’.) Large rodent shadows notwithstanding, spring is, in fact, coming. I know you’re ready. But is your landscape? Read More

What with global warming and climate change and maybe full moons, it really seems as if drought is more widespread than it used to be. If you want to tread softly on the earth, you may be interested in using more drought-resistant plants in your landscaping. Read More

I grew up next door to a vacant lot. On any given weekend, it was a football/kickball/wiffle ball field, home to dawn-to-dusk “capture the flag” marathons, a BMX test track, an obstacle course, hide-and-seek homebase, or the site of our neighborhood Olympics. Maybe vacant lots are just rare these days… or maybe today’s kids demand more than an abandoned field to play in. Whatever the reason, more and more folks are dedicating parts of their yard to the smallest members of the family. Read More

In many landscapes, the outdoor kitchen is the focal point, the centerpiece, the crowning touch of a painstakingly-designed and highly-anticipated entertainment space. And sometimes, it needs just that little extra something to make it really pop. More and more grilling stations and exterior bars are getting graced with granite as that final detail that puts it over the edge and takes it from so-so to sssssweeet! Read More

“Ah, spring. When a YardShare member’s fancy turns to thoughts of grilling.” (With sincere apologies to Alfred Lord Tennyson.) Nothing stokes a case of spring fever like a column of fragrant smoke wafting over the fence from your neighbor’s BBQ. If this is the year you’re planning up to upgrade your grill, you’ve got plenty to think about. Read More

For easily-accessible outdoor entertainment space, it’s hard to beat a deck. As a rule, decks typically feel more like a part of the house than a part of the garden. But if you have a deck, there’s probably no better vantage point from which to view your garden… and there may be no part of your outdoor space where you spend more time. Read More