Yard Ideas Blog

Deck You, Deck You Very Much

Building a deck is one of the most popular outdoor home improvement projects because it can be done with a few good tools and a few good men (or women). There are lots of reasons to build a deck on your property.

Container Gardening: Not Just for African Violets Any More

Let's face it. There are times when you've just got to have a container for your precious plants. Some of us use them in an attempt to keep invasive (but attractive) alien plants in check; some of us turn to containers from lack of space or ground; and some of us just plain make container gardening glamorous.

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Robert Frost wasn't crazy about fences, but his neighbor was. Maybe Frost was messy and the neighbor wanted everybody to know where Frost's property ended and his began; maybe Frost's neighbor wanted to keep kids out of his yard. Who knows? In any case, fences are a very popular addition to many yards.

Create Your Own Small Pond This Weekend

Ponds and water gardens are great assets to the landscape and provide much interest for the homeowner. Small ponds are not expensive; you can purchase a pre-formed hard-plastic variety and dig a hole to fit its contours, or, a flexible pond liner that will lay down and follow the shape of the hole you’ve already dug.

Grow Up! Ideas For Climbing Plants

When you’re running out of space in your yard, or you need some height to create additional interest, grow up! There are numerous twisting, twining and climbing plants available—both annuals and perennials.

Make Room For Nature On Your Patio

A patio is a transitional space between your home and the great wilderness (AKA: your backyard). Unfortunately, many of these spaces languish as barren concrete deserts. It’s time to think about ways to bring in the green without sacrificing the utility of your patio.

Annuals: A Cure for Spring Fever

Before you go out on your annual spring trek to the garden center this season, be sure to make a list of the sites in your garden you want to brighten up by adding annuals. Without a plan, you may find yourself tempted by the many varieties offered, seemingly everywhere you go.

Rocking Your Yard With Stone

You may keep your favorite pet rock in a shoe box in the closet, but the rest of the mineral family has to make its own way in the cold, hard world outside. That’s OK. There are plenty of places in your yard where they can feel right at home.

Ornamental Grasses to the Rescue

Ornamental grasses are multi-task plants: they offer attractive foliage, flowers and seedpods; their beauty is heightened by sunlight and they dance with the wind; they require little maintenance; they provide almost year-round interest in the garden—and—they are problem solvers for less-than-ideal sites in the yard.

The Many Uses of Roses

Gertrude Stein famously wrote, “A rose is a rose is a rose.” You can't really argue with that, unless you want to split hairs. However, her implication seems to be that a rose is just a beautiful flower and that's all, end of story.

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About Yard Ideas

Our landscaping blog is built around the real yards shared by our community. Each article takes a topic, from outdoor kitchens to garden design, and pairs practical advice with photos from homeowners and pros who've actually done the work.

You'll find ideas for projects of every scale: front yard curb appeal, backyard patios, fire pits, water features, container gardens, and more. Whether you're a weekend DIYer or planning a major landscape redesign, there's something here to get you started.

Browse all yards to see the full collection, or explore by feature, garden type, yard size, or climate zone.