Backyard

DIY Fire Pit Using Retaining Wall Blocks

Diy Fire Pit Retaining Blocks

Making a DIY fire pit is a very simple project if you use trapezoidal blocks.  There was only main issue we ran into – the quantities of blocks we needed.  First, the fire pit calculator at Home Depot was way off.  We ordered way too many blocks; 38 blocks too many.  We even compared their … Continue Reading

Practical DIY Projects For Leftover Composite Decking Board Scraps

  Raised Garden Beds Raised Dog Bowl Stand Benches Decorative Privacy Screen Garden Potting Bench Planter Boxes Birdhouses And Nesting Boxes Window Planter Cornhole Game Boards Plant Stands Vertical Deck Skirting Step Stool Outdoor Patio Shelving Shims Chicken Feeder Compost Bin Outdoor Window Serving Buffet Bar Rolling Plant Caddies      

Quick Tips For Installing And Maintaining Composite Decking

Trex Composite Deck Tips

  Joist Spacing The minimum recommended spacing for most composite deck joists is 16 inches on center.  If you are laying your boards on a 45 degree angle, you’ll want your joists spaced at 12 inches on center. If you are updating a much older wooden deck, there’s a chance that the joists may be … Continue Reading

DIY Repairing Canoe Deck End Caps

Repairing Canoe Deck End Cap

This old, neglected canoe was in need of some serious attention.  In addition to needing significant body work, a portion of the fiberglass deck had broken off. We contemplated getting a small sheet of thermoplastic, creating a wooden form, and then using a heat gun to shape the plastic onto the wooden form. But we … Continue Reading

Caring For And Propagating Hoya Kerrii

Propagating Hoya Kerrii

The Sweetheart Plant’s “Dating Profile” Likes: Bright, direct (but not intense) indoor sunlight, preferably 1 to 3 feet away from a south-facing window Dislikes: Bright, direct, harsh outdoor unfiltered sunlight Likes: Warm, humid, airy environment Dislikes: Dry, cool or cold or damp or drafty environment Likes:  Lightly damp, loose, well-draining soil with a dry spell … Continue Reading

DIY Dragon Fruit (Pitaya) Trellis For Indoors And Outdoors

Diy Dragon Fruit Trellis Supports Capped

We live in zone 7a, so our dragon fruit plant lives outside in the summer and inside during the cooler months.  We got him as a little cutting, and once he started growing past 18 inches we provided him with a one gallon pot of soil and a 5 foot section of 2×4 to climb … Continue Reading

How To Propagate Hawaiian Ti Plants Cordylines From Cuttings

Hawaiian Ti Cuttings Propogation

Fortunately, Ti plants are easily propagated and rooted up in water using stem and tip cuttings.  You can also air layer the stems, or root up the cane cuttings directly in lightly damp soil, but you’ll get a week or two jump start by using the water method. How To Prune Hawaiian Ti For Propagation … Continue Reading

Why Are My Spinach Leaves Getting Pointy

Spinach With Pointed Leaves

If the leaves on your spinach plant were once full, fleshy and oval, but are now thin, narrow, and resemble pointed arrows, it means your spinach plant is in the process of bolting.  The spinach plant is preparing to flower and produce seeds. The structure of new spinach leaves change when the plant is begins … Continue Reading

Pruning And Propagating Montauk Daisies Using Cuttings

Montauk Nippon Daisy

Here in zone 7a, our Montauk daisies (also known as Nippon daisy) tend to get pretty leggy by mid-June.  If left untrimmed we would still get a pretty, but sparse, flush of blooms in early fall.  Some people prune them by mowing the plants down, but we prefer to prune them by hand so that … Continue Reading

DIY Plastic Bottle Weed Killer Spray Shield

Plastic Bottle Weed Killer Spray Shield

A quick solution to reducing over-spray when applying weed killer it to create your own spray shield using a 2 liter plastic soda bottle.  You can then target specific weeds, even on a windy day, and reduce the risk of the weed killer reaching your non-target plants. This simple design makes it easy to attach … Continue Reading