Yard Ideas Blog
YardShare research library
Citable benchmarks from real yard submissions
Use these compact references for conservative, source-backed context about recurring patterns in YardShare's community archive. View the full benchmark library.
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
How To Grow Exotic Air Plants
All they need is the air they breathe, bright light—but no direct sun—and a bath two to three times a week. Do not add soil; they’ll just hang out wherever you plop them down and in whatever container you plop them in.
Read More
Is Your Landscaping Pet Approved?
Backyard landscaping isn’t just for the birds (and raccoons and squirrels). Pets need a safe place to frolic and have fun too. It’s good for their mental and physical well being – plus the more hair they shed outside the less ends up on your couch.
Read More
Don't Just Admire Your Flowers – Eat Them
You grow your flowers for their beauty, of course. But did you know that quite a few of them are edible? No, no, don't look at this column as if YardShare had gone nuts. Think about it.
Read More
Transforming A Pond Into A Spa
A backyard pond can be a nice touch, but if you don’t have a pool it can seem like a bit of a waste. Why should the fish get to have all the fun? That’s the attitude of YardShare contributor Sandi Clarke.
Read More
“Grandmother’s Garden” Hydrangeas: Today’s Fashion Flower
Hydrangeas are enjoying a renaissance in gardens throughout parts of the US. Although some of the old-fashioned varieties are not “zone friendly,” many can be successfully grown to zone 5, and a few even to zone 3.
Read MoreAbout 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.
YardShare data benchmarks
Use these compact research pages when you want quantified patterns from real submitted yards:
- Real Yard Trend Report: archive-wide outdoor-living and feature-pattern signals.
- Real Yard Water-Wise Transformations 2026: 68 lower-water yards with recurring stone, hardscape, and front-yard structure.
- Real Yard Curb-Appeal / Arrival-Sequence Patterns 2026: 175 front-entry yards focused on paths, driveway edges, stone, and hardscape.