Tag Archives: backyard

How to Level a Sloping Backyard Cheaply: A Practical Guide A sloping backyard can be a source of frustration, limiting usable space and complicating everything from gardening to outdoor entertaining

December 08, 2025   Matt

While professional grading can cost thousands, there are several effective, budget-friendly strategies to reclaim your yard. With careful planning and some sweat equity, you can create a more functional and attractive outdoor space without breaking the bank.

1. Assess and Plan First
Before moving a single shovelful of dirt, take time to understand your slope.
* Identify the Grade: Determine the severity. A gentle slope may only need terracing, while a steeper one requires more strategic solutions.
* Check Drainage: The primary rule of landscaping is that water must flow *away* from your home’s foundation. Your leveling project should never compromise this.
* Call 811: Always contact your local utility locating service before any significant digging to avoid hitting underground lines.
* Sketch a Plan: A simple drawing helps visualize the final result and estimate material needs.

2. The Terracing Technique
Terracing is one of the most affordable and visually appealing methods for managing a slope. It creates flat, usable tiers held back by retaining walls.
* Materials: Use inexpensive, durable materials like railroad ties, concrete blocks, or naturally rot-resistant timber (e.g., cedar). For the very budget-conscious, recycled materials like old bricks or even strategically placed large rocks can work.
* Method: Build retaining walls for each tier, starting at the bottom of the slope. Fill behind each wall with soil from the tier above. This cuts down on the need to import fill dirt.
* Tip: Keep terraces low (under 3 feet for wooden walls) for stability and to avoid needing engineered plans or permits.

3. The Cut and Fill Method
This DIY grading approach involves cutting soil from the high end of the slope and using it to fill the low end.
* Process: Stake out the area and use a string level to mark your desired grade. “Cut” soil from the uphill section and “fill” the downhill section, compacting it in 6-inch layers.
* Cost: Primarily involves tool rental (a sturdy tiller, a hand tamper or plate compactor, and a laser level for accuracy) and your labor.
* Crucial Step: After grading, always re-seed or re-sod the disturbed area immediately to prevent severe soil erosion.

4. Create a Dry Creek Bed
For slopes with minor drainage issues or erosion, a functional dry creek bed is a cheap, natural-looking solution.
* Function: It directs rainwater runoff, controls erosion, and adds a landscape feature.
* Materials: Use collected stones and river rock. Line the bed with landscape fabric to prevent weeds, then fill with gravel and arrange larger stones for a natural effect.

5. Build a Mounded or Bermed Garden
Instead of fighting the slope, work with it by adding soil to create raised, leveled planting areas.
* Application: Ideal for creating flat spots for a patio, a sandbox, or a garden bed. Mounding soil into berms can also add visual interest and block wind.
* Material: Requires imported topsoil or garden mix, which is relatively low-cost, especially if bought in bulk.

6. Opt for Strategic Decking or a Platform
If the slope is too severe for easy terracing, building a wooden deck or simple ground-level platform creates an instant level area.
* Advantage: It requires minimal earth disturbance. A basic, freestanding platform deck can be built with affordable lumber (like pine treated for ground contact) on concrete pier blocks that adjust to the slope.

Budget-Conscious Tips for Success
* Rent, Don’t Buy: Rent heavy-duty tools (tiller, compactor, sod cutter) for a day or weekend.
* Source Materials Wisely: Check for free fill dirt or compost on community boards or from local construction sites (ensure it’s clean). Buy mulch, soil, and stone in bulk.
* Plant for Erosion Control: Use fast-growing, deep-rooted ground covers like creeping juniper or ivy on slopes and terraces to hold soil in place cheaply.
* Do It in Phases: Tackle your backyard one terrace or section at a time as your budget allows.

A Word of Caution
For slopes adjacent to your home or very steep grades, consult a professional. Improper grading can lead to foundation damage or catastrophic wall failure. Always check local regulations regarding retaining walls over a certain height.

Conclusion
Leveling a sloping backyard on a budget is an achievable DIY project with the right approach. Whether you choose terracing, strategic grading, or creative decking, the key is careful planning, a focus on proper drainage, and a willingness to put in the work. The result—a flat, usable extension of your living space—is well worth the effort.

Read More

Tropical Plants for Your Landscaped Backyard

April 02, 2025   Matt

Tropical Plants for Your Landscaped Backyard

A tropical landscaping job for your backyard may take some effort to achieve. This is especially true in areas where a tropical setting for a back yard may not always be possible. But it does not necessarily mean that it can’t be accomplished. Trying to emulate a tropical setting can be doable in landscape design by learning about some helpful tips.

Trying to create a wonderful tropical landscape can take some time to plan. Then comes the time to choose the plants that you wish to add up in your planned tropical landscape design. There are actually a number of tropical plants that you can use to create that appropriate setting that you wish to display in your backyard.

When you say “tropical” when it comes to plants, palm trees usually come to mind. Palm trees can easily give your backyard that tropical feel. When choosing the right palm tree for your tropical landscaping plans, there are usually some important things to consider. You have to know which palm trees would grow well in your area. For this, you must try to learn about a certain palm tree’s ability to withstand cold, their sunlight requirements as well as their height especially when there are space limitations to consider.

There are two kinds of palm trees. There is the palmate which is characterized by leaves having lobes that fan out from a common point. Palmate leaves usually resemble an opened hand with fingers jutting out from a common center. Then there are pinnate palm trees whose leaves are characterized by leaflets branching out along both sides of a main stalk, much like resembling a feather.

Different palm trees can be chosen according to how they can withstand cold, plant size and height as well as for their sunlight requirements. If you are looking for smaller versions of palm trees for your backyard, you may want to check out Lady Palm trees. These tropical palms usually grow to a height of four to eight feet. Lady palm trees usually do well in places that afford some filtered light or shade rather than being exposed to sunlight directly. Lady palm trees are also able to withstand temperatures for up to 22 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you wish to have majestic palm trees in your home, then you might want to have Queen palm trees that can grow as high up as 50 feet. This type of palm tree has pinnate leaves and can withstand cold for up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. A big disadvantage though is that Queen palm trees require healthy amounts of direct sunlight to grow and may not be a good choice if you have a shady backyard.

Aside from palm trees, there are also other plants that can help give your backyard that tropical look. Bamboo, for example may help give your backyard not only a tropical look but also some Oriental feel. It would be good to know that there are some species of bamboo that are able to withstand freezing temperatures. Some species are hardy enough to withstand temperatures of up to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Such bamboo species would really help transform your backyard into your very own tropical landscaping paradise.

And mind you, the use of plants is just but one of the many ways that you can employ to make a tropical enclave out of your own backyard. Research and careful planning would make it all possible.

Read More

Energy Efficiency in Your Backyard

June 16, 2024   Matt

Energy Efficiency in Your Backyard

A pretty backyard can only go so far. Many experts have proven that efficient landscaping that takes into consideration energy needs, may well save a family more then 30% of their usual heat or cooling costs – either in the winter or summer. These savings could tangibly translate to almost 0 worth of savings in a year.

So how does one make an energy efficient yard? There are various things that can be considered in both existing and soon-to-be-developed landscapes.

Keep the Sun Out

One of the key considerations in landscaping includes the various weather conditions that prevail in the area. This means taking into consideration where the sun shines and what path the sunlight takes. A house’s walls and foundations, when hit directly by the sun, will absorb almost 90% of the sun’s heat, thereby increasing the burden on the air-conditioning or cooling system to keep the house cool.

Usually, the best way to keep the sun out is to plant deciduous, dense, and broad trees to the south or west of the house, where their foliage can provide shade against the rays of the hot summer sun. Keeping the sun out can reduce temperatures to up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

These deciduous trees lose their foliage over the winter and will give you access more of the sun’s heat in the winter when your home’s walls and foundations need the heat.

Break the Wind

One of the primary contributors to lowering home temperatures is the wind that blows through the house. Especially in the winter, this wind is particularly sinister as the wind chill is much colder than the normal atmospheric temperature in the area.

Plants that serve as effective windbreaks include evergreens or trees in general. In fact, even fences placed in strategic locations can serve as windbreaks.

Keep the Heat or Cool In

One of the primary culprits in the wasting of energy is the heat or cool that escapes through the home’s roof, windows and doors. It is imperative to find a way to keep heat or cool air inside the home.

The best way to achieve this is by planting shrubbery around the home’s foundations. This creates a dead air barrier, keeping the heat and cool inside the home where it matters. Experts have suggested widening the distance between the shrubbery and the house’s walls in order to increase this area for dead air.

In landscaping your yard or garden, it is important to maximize the benefits by using an aesthetically pleasing landscape. After all, energy efficiency in the area will effectively save energy and money in the long run.

Read More

Building Your Fish Pond In Your Own Backyard

February 23, 2024   Matt

BUILDING YOUR FISH POND IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

A pond may offer a number of benefits. It can be cool
and relaxing, visually appealing and it can provide
the local wildlife a watering point.

For Starters

It is imperative to know the reason why you are
building this pond before the actual construction.
Some individuals just wanted to put up these kinds of
projects without considering the comfort and safety of
the inhabitants of that pond. Evaluate first these
things before assembling your pond.

You can ask for advice from your pond professional or
read books that are concerned on pond kits and the
techniques of construction of ponds. Consult your
local pond contractors who have experience regarding
this field.

Now you can build your own fish pond following these
planning stages:

Consider the location.

Choose a site where your pond is not near existing
large trees. These vantage points will prevent root
problems as well as minimizing the problem of falling
leaves in your pond that may cause decaying and poor
water quality. Pond plants such as water lilies need
sunlight to grow. It is best to place your pond where
it can be exposed to sun but not too much as it can
over heat during mid afternoon or on hot days. A semi
shaded place with a good amount of light coming
through is sufficient enough.

Temperature extremes should be minimized on the pond.
If you intend on raising and keeping fish, it is
important to make the pond as deep and as large as
practical. However, deeper ponds may need to be fenced
to prevent accidents.

Design with purpose.

Consider electricity supply for pumps, filters, and
lights when designing your pond. It is also important
to look into the water supply and drainage.

Ponds must have an overflow area (a place located
below the rest of the pond height) to control where
the excess water should go. Overflowing may be caused
by overfilling the pond with water or from heavy rain.

Screen your overflow paths to prevent any escape of
small plants, fishes (and its eggs), and snails during
water additions and heavy rainfall. This may also
protect the local waterways from any possible escape.
This is especially important if there are non local
fish in the pond.

Complete preparation requirements.

It is essential to clean and rinse ponds before using
it since fish and other water plants are sensitive to
contaminants. “Curing” concrete ponds combined with
water changes, scrubbing, filling, and painting with
vinegar is also important.

Allow chloramines and chlorine to dissipate especially
if you used tap water to fill the pond. One can also
utilize a commercial chlorine neutralizer from pet
shops to solve this problem.

Ensure that all equipment such as fountains,
waterfalls, filters, and lights are working
satisfactorily before adding the fish and plants.

It is also better if you allow at least one week for
the plants to settle in the pond before adding the
fish. Clean up the pond regularly for dead leaves as
this will add unwanted excess nutrients to the water
and decay it as well.

Observe proper maintenance.

A said, keep the pond clean of fallen vegetation and
dead leaves. The frequency of cleaning will depend on
the amount of vegetation falling into the water and on
the tome of the year. Do the cleaning at the beginning
of spring before the temperature of the water starts
to rise.

Feed your fish and clean up the filters periodically.

Add water in the pond periodically. A normal garden
hose will do. However, no more than 10-20% should be
added at any time because of the chlorine levels in
tap water.

Read More

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

January 23, 2024   Matt

Backyard Landscaping Ideas

No matter where you live, there’s nothing better than relaxing outdoors on a warm summer night watching your backyard landscaping ideas come to life.

Unfortunately, re-landscaping your entire backyard during the course of one growing season can be back breaking, expensive and requires major planning.

Here’s a simple solution: Break up your backyard into “rooms” and remodel one room each year. This is especially helpful if you’re on a budget. You’re results will be much better if you spend as much time and money as you can on one project, rather than trying to revamp the entire backyard all at once for the same amount of money.

Although you’re landscaping only one section of the yard at a time, you still need an overall plan. Using graph paper, sketch out the permanent structures on your property including the house, out buildings, deck and trees.

This is also a good time to consider which existing plants and shrubs won’t be a part of the new landscape.

Make copies of your sketch and experiment with different designs. Incorporate ideas you like from magazines or gardens you’ve visited.

If you host frequent cook outs you’ll probably want to keep the yard open and plant along the borders. If you don’t need the space, you could create real drama with an island bed, walkways, solar lighting and cutouts for comfortable furniture to relax on.

Here are some ideas you’ll dig:

Screening with Plants

If your yard doesn’t have a fence, you might want to consider planting a row of hawthorn, juniper, arborvitae, or a combination of these bushes to create privacy and provide a backdrop for future flower beds. A strategically place evergreen screen will also provide a windbreak from winter winds and drifting snow.

Planning a Border Flower Bed

The hardest part of designing a border is choosing flowers that complement each other both in color and height. The list of perennials I suggest here is for a six foot wide bed in a mainly sunny situation. Wide, in this case, means outward from the plant screen or fence, not the length of the bed.

Use 3 or 5 plants for each kind of flower and allow 16”–18” between each plant. Allow 20”–22” between the different plant groups. Planting an odd number of plants is more visually appealing than an even number.

Allow sufficient space at the rear of the bed for access. This will also prevent choking off necessary air and light from the plants in back.

These are my suggestions for a perennial border. They were chosen to give a long display, with the first flowers appearing in April and the last in October.

Tall plants for the back row: SEDUM ‘Autumn Joy’; RUDBECKIA Goldsturm; PHLOX White; IRIS light blue or yellow; VERONICA Blue; SOLIDAGO ‘Golden Shower’; and HOSTA fortunei ‘Picta’.

Shorter plants for the front row: GERANIUM grandiflorum; POTENTILLA ‘Firedance’; HUECHERA Pink; ASTER Dwarf Blue; SEDUM Dragons Blood; ACHILLEA ‘Moonshine’; and ERIGERON ‘Prosperity’.

Obviously, these plants won’t be the best choice for every climate. A worthwhile book to help you choose plants native to your climate zone is The Comfortable Lazy Garden. It’s also an excellent reference for beginning gardeners.

Island Bed

An island bed, as the name implies, is planted in the middle of the yard surrounded by a sea of grass. It can vary in shape and size according to your imagination and available space. Scale the plants from tallest in the center to shortest at the edges.

Preplanned Gardens

I understand all of this Latin mumbo jumbo can be daunting for first time gardeners, it was for me. If you would like a ready made solution, Direct Gardening offers a wide selection of preplanned gardens designed to take all the guess work out of plant selection and placement.

Water Feature

Imagine the reflective beauty of a pond or the gentle splashing of a man made waterfall. How about a 100 foot high waterslide? Maybe next year.

Do Your Yard a Favor

Before you buy any vegetation, visit a real garden center for advice on drainage and soil preparation. Also, bring a copy of your plan; a soil sample and an extra credit card just in case you can’t wait years to make your backyard landscaping ideas come true.

Read More

Building A Fish Pond For Your Own Backyard Garden

June 18, 2023   Matt

BUILDING A FISH POND FOR YOUR OWN BACKYARD GARDEN

DIYs

Building the perfect pond for your backyard garden can
be a do-it yourself activity or you can hire a
professional to do it for you. It’s really not that
hard but does require some research and certain
knowledge about landscaping in order to get it right.
You need to get a good book and read up on it or ask
some friends and professionals about the idea of
building a pond in your garden. For now, here is a
brief discussion on how to build that pond that you’ve
always wanted in your garden.

Situate the Pond

Basically the first step to building a pond is to find
a suitable spot to dig a hole in your garden. The size
and depth of the pond should be proportional to size
of your garden. A liner will also be needed for the
pond. You can buy and place a prefabricated fiberglass
piece or have the choice free forming your pond with
rubber roofing material or similar to it. In any case,
a liner is a must for ponds to keep the water from
draining.

If you are planning to breed fishes in the pond, you
need to consider the depth. You have to make sure that
the pond is deep enough for the fishes. In colder
climates, the pond should be deeper than the frost
line and making sure that the fishes have still enough
room to go to.

Ponds should not be placed near trees, shaded, or low
areas. Plant life, especially lilies, and fishes need
the warmth of the sun. Falling leaves can also
accumulate fast and cause a cleaning nightmare. Low
areas cause large volume of rainwater runoff to enter
the pond. Rainwater runoff may contain chemicals
coming from pesticides and fertilizers which can be
harmful to pond plants and fishes.

Filtration

Building a pond also requires the owners to put some
thought on how to filter off the waste that
accumulates in it. A good thing to remember is that
the bigger the water area the better it can handle the
waste coming from the fishes. Keep in mind that you
will need to put some kind of substrate or gravel so
that a bacteria bed can build up and help maintain the
water in good quality. You can buy good filters and
gravel in your local pet stores.

If you are building a pond to keep a school of gold
fish or other kinds of fishes, wait until you have
covered the bottom with gravel and placed a good
filtering machine. Like an aquarium or a fish tank,
you should introduce a fish to the pond one at a time.
Allow some time for the environment of the pond to
adjust with the population. If you dump all of the
fish you intend to place in the pond, they probably
would not survive the environment because the natural
filtering of the bacteria will not be able to handle
the waste of the fishes and their food.

Filters can also help to ensure that your pond doesn’t
become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes
lay their eggs on still waters, so anything that
agitates the eggs will help prevent the pond to become
a breeding ground. Filters help maintain the waters
clean but regular cleaning is still needed to maintain
the quality of the pond.

Read More
« Older posts

  • Subscribe

Support us!

If you like this site please subscribe