HowToDoThings.com Recent Garden & Landscape Design Articles

How To Make a Butterfly Garden

gonzo — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:21:44 -0600

Colorful and beautiful butterflies can be an asset for your garden. Not only are they relaxing and pretty to look at, they help your garden. By creating a garden that attracts butterflies, you invite these winged beauties to decorate your yard. Follow these instructions to create a butterfly garden.

Do your homework. Each area of the country is home to different types of butterflies. Find out which butterflies are popular in your area and what their preferred plants and habitat.
Plan your garden. Before you get started, you want to develop a plan to maximize the butterfly attractiveness of your garden while still creating a space you will enjoy. Investigate the plants and design that works best for the space you have. Also keep in mind that the garden should be located in an area that has sun exposure and is protected from strong winds.
Choose plants for your garden.

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How To Build a Wood Planter

poolplayerpaul — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:28:15 -0600

How To Start a Koi Pond

sspets — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:20:53 -0500

How To Build a Garden Pond

Pond Gardiner — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:03:35 -0500

Research the topic of water gardening before attempting to build your own backyard garden pond. These steps will help you cut down on costly mistakes that can increase the cost and the time involved with the project.

How To Choose a Design for Your Garden

agthompson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:09:00 -0500

How To Design Your Garden

agthompson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:49:25 -0500

How To Do Gardening Science Fair Projects

bronwyn — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:53:35 -0600

Gardening science fair projects can be both fun and educational for children – especially for those who may have no experience with growing plants. There are endless possibilities in terms of gardening science fair projects, and most of them can be easily adapted to fit the needs of different ages.

How To Plan a Garden for Kids

bronwyn — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:02:24 -0600

Gardening is a wonderful introduction to science and nature. If you are looking for a special way to spend time with a child in your life, think about planning a garden for kids. The garden can be big or small; the point is to have fun, spend time outdoors, and introduce children to gardening!

How To Grow Plants in the Classroom

bronwyn — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 11:55:16 -0600

Growing plants in the classroom is an excellent way to get students excited about science!

How To Get Grant Money for a School Gardening Project

Marilisa560 — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:52:31 -0600

Science in our school curriculum has often focused too much on paperwork and too little on real applications. Life science and biology in particular are subjects that have so much potential for hands-on activities and experiments. Gardening and plant care is an ideal venue to explore your biology or life science classes or curriculum. If you'd like to begin a gardening project in your classroom, there is grant money available to support your endeavors. Here are some areas to explore for grant funding.

How To Cool Your Patio with a Patio Misting System

davenkit — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:53:22 -0600

We have all seen those cheap patio misters they sell at the big box stores. For $29.00 you basically get a mini-spinkler system that connects to your garden hose and sprays small droplets of water on you and your guests. Of course you are a little bit cooler, but do you really want to be soaking wet at a barbeque?

How To Choose Spring Bulbs for Your Garden

Snappy — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:07:27 -0500

After the cold of winter when the garden is more sparse with flowers and trees in leaf, spring bulbs offer you a chance to welcome the new year with a flush of flowers. The majority of favorite spring flowers are bulbs, and can be planted in autumn to overwinter, and to burst fourth in spring as the earth warms up slightly.

How To Design, Plan and Plant a Vegetable Garden

niphipps — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:02:21 -0500

There's nothing more fulfilling than planting your own vegetable garden and harvesting its mouth-watering treats. If you're new to vegetable gardening and don't know where to begin, following these simple guidelines will help to get you started.

There are many ways to design a vegetable garden. A well-designed vegetable garden can be attractive as well as functional.

How To Grow Palm Trees

niphipps — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:12:42 -0500

Palm trees are grown all over the world, and they aren't just for tropical gardens. Nearly anyone can grow them, but you need to provide the proper growing requirements if you want to be successful. Below are some tips on growing healthy palm trees:

How To Grow a Moss Garden

Staff468 — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 18:57:00 -0500

Samurai movies, anime, and moss gardens... what do they have in common? All three rose to popularity in Japan before moving west into our cultural consciousness. In the case of moss gardens, the Japanese have been growing them for centuries; from a religious perspective, moss gardens have been thought to elicit a calm, contemplative state of mind.

There are many different mosses from which to choose as you plan your moss garden - yellows, greens, browns, even white varieties. Some, like cushion mosses, provide just what their name suggests, while rock cap mosses naturally offer a vibrant covering on any large rocks you'd like to put in your moss garden. Some plants that we consider mosses are technically not moss at all, but rather are classified as liverworts or hornworts. These plants look and behave similarly to moss. As they are all non-vascular plants, they lack roots, leaves and stems.

How To Use a Garden Tractor

Staff468 — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:06:00 -0600

Using your garden tractor appropriately and caring for it well will increase its lifetime. Here are some tips on how to use a garden tractor:

Before you even put your key in the ignition, read the manufacturer's operating manual. The operating manual will have vital information, such as whether you need to add counter weights when using attachments mounted to the tractor. It's details like this that you don't want to learn the hard way.
Familiarize yourself with the controls: Know the location and function of the controls. Know how to stop the tractor in a hurry should you experience an emergency.
Check the oil and fuel level when the engine is cool. If you need to refuel the tractor in the middle of a job, turn the engine off and wait for it to cool if there is any possibility that the fuel might splash on the hot engine.

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How To Buy a Garden Tractor

Staff468 — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:07:00 -0600

Although my seven-year old boy wishes it were otherwise, a garden tractor is generally intended for larger gardens between 1-5 acres. When working with gardens of this size, a garden tractor make the tasks at hand manageable. As the popularity of gardening increases, so does the range of garden tractors available. Tractors generally have engines of between 10 to 20-horsepower, a hydraulic clutch, a 5-6 gallon fuel tank, the options of a power take-off (to harness the power off the tractor engine to drive a variety of machines), and optional 4-wheel drive. Garden tractors can be used with a variety of attachments ranging from an aerator to a plow and they cost between $1,000 to $10,000.

Here are some tips to consider on how to buy a garden tractor:

How To Find Used Dozers

Tonya249 — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 09:18:00 -0500

If you're starting your own construction business, one of the first items of heavy equipment that you will need is a bulldozer. The most practical way to purchase a dozer is to locate a used one in good condition, which can save you as much as $200,000 over buying new. Locating used dozers can be a bit tricky, though. You can't exactly head over to the bulldozer dealership downtown, as you canwhen buying a car. Here are a few places to begin your search:

How To Choose a Lawn Sprinkler System

Tonya249 — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 18:19:00 -0500

A lush, green, perfectly manicured lawn is the ultimate goal of many homeowners. However, unless you are fortunate enough to live in an area which receives abundant rainfall each year (Seattle, anyone?), you'll probably need a little help with the "green" part. A lawn sprinkler system can ensure that your grass receives the proper amount of moisture throughout the year.

How To Choose and Buy Garden Art

Tonya249 — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 18:20:00 -0500

It used to be that gardens were simply a way to add color to otherwise unused portions of a yard. Now, gardens are considered an extension of your home. In some cases, gardens are even designed as outdoor rooms. In order to maximize the potential of these outdoor spaces, you'll want to add some garden art to accentuate its features. In choosing garden art, there are four questions you'll want to ask yourself.

How To Choose Garden Lighting

Tonya249 — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 10:57:00 -0500

Deciding what kind of lighting to use in your garden can be difficult. To make it easier, narrow it down by asking yourself a few basic questions.

How To Choose a Garden Shed

Tonya249 — Sat, 07 Oct 2006 10:18:00 -0500

If the last time that you opened your garage door was weeks ago, and things fell on you when you did, it's a sure sign that you need a garden shed! A shed can add extra storage space for your outdoor items, as well as serving many other uses.

How To Build a Gazebo

Staff468 — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 12:18:00 -0500

So you're planning to build a gazebo...thanks to the Internet, blueprints for a variety of designs are only a few clicks away. Let's review the basic steps:

How To Buy Garden Accessories

Tonya249 — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 19:13:00 -0500

As any gardener knows, the plants are the most important part of a garden, but they're not the only part. Garden accessories give your garden character, add interest, and can even be functional. Just look at any of Claude Monet's paintings of his gardens at Giverny. Would they be as beautiful without the bridge arching over the pond or the picturesque iron bench inviting you to rest alongside the path? Whether you have several acres of gardens, or just a small flower patch in your backyard, adding a few accessories will make the space yours.

How To Choose an Outdoor Fireplace

Staff468 — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:10:00 -0500

Are you tired of lighting a fire in a rusty old trash can and huddling around it for warmth? Do you feel that the trash can isn't really in harmony with a well-groomed English Garden, or those Celtic wind chimes, or the chic birdhouses you've built, or your miniature replica of Michelangelo's David? Why not burn things in style by purchasing an outdoor fireplace? There are very few things more meditative than sitting before a fire in the serenity of your backyard, watching the flames flicker. And you'll discover that there's an outdoor fireplace tailor-made for just about every backyard motif, available in a wide array of prices.

How To Buy Greenhouse Supplies

Bryan344 — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 16:07:00 -0500

Greenhouses can make growing plants an easy experience regardless of the season. Before you get started, there are many items that you need to keep your greenhouse working at its peak. Remember that greenhouses are contained and controlled environments, so they are best suited for temperamental and greenhouse-specific plants such as orchids.

You're going to need to control the overall temperature of the greenhouse by selecting the appropriate heater and fan. Colder climates will require a larger heater than fan, while warmer regions will benefit from a fan that outsizes the heater.
Vents are important for circulating air throughout your greenhouse. If your greenhouse didn't come with vents, you'll need to purchase and install them.

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How To Repair Sprinkler Systems

Bryan344 — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 14:00:00 -0500

Sprinkler systems are a necessity for anyone with a lawn. They'll save you time, money and headaches. However, repairing a broken sprinkler system is less than desirable. There are plenty of factors that go into repairing a sprinkler system, but the first step is determining what is in need of repair and where the problem lies. Once the initial assessment is done, the rest is relatively simple -- it just takes a little work to accomplish. Essentially, there are two places that you can break a sprinkler system: a main line (possibly when aerating) or a sprinkler head (usually when mowing a lawn). Breaking sprinkler heads is common, so don't feel bad if you do.

Repairing a Main Line

Determine where the line is broken. This is usually done by locating the puddle of water in the lawn or simply the geyser that's now in the lawn.

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How To Choose Garden Tractors

Bryan344 — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 11:37:00 -0500

If you're in the process of choosing a lawn tractor, you must make sure that you actually have a need for one. Lawn tractors are not only expensive, but they're bulky as well; storing one could create a problem for some of you. Also, if your yard is less than half an acre, you may not want to consider buying a tractor because the costs can often outweigh the benefits.

Each lawn tractor has different engine size, deck size (size of the cutting area), transmission types, possible accessory attachments and brand name.

How To Build a Garden Trellis

Tonya249 — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 18:35:00 -0500

A trellis is a frame that provides a place for climbing plants to climb. It can be as simple or complex as you like. Building your own trellis can be very rewarding, and it's much easier than you might think!

How To Design a Roof Garden

Tonya249 — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 12:56:00 -0500

If you live in an urban area, you may think that having a garden is a goal that will never be realized. If so, you're just not thinking high enough! More and more communities are encouraging their residents to plant roof gardens, or green roofs, as they're sometimes called. The psychological and environmental benefits of roof gardens are numerous. Gardening can be calming and relaxing, which in turn decreases the incidence of stress-related illnesses. It's also beneficial to the environment, particularly in urban areas. Adding a green roof to your house or apartment building can decrease storm water runoff, reduce fire risks, help decrease heating and cooling costs, and control pollutants from rain water. In addition, a roof garden can improve the aesthetic quality of a building. In fact, many communities now have ordinances which require a certain percentage of new construction to have green roofs.

How To Design a Herb Garden

Tonya249 — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 18:31:00 -0500

If you've ever marveled at the difference in taste between dried and fresh herbs, you know that it's worth the time and effort to plant your own herb garden. You may be surprised to learn that herbs are some of the easiest plants to grow. Planning an herb garden design is just as easy--and lots of fun!

How To Design and Plan a Garden

Tonya249 — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 19:20:00 -0500

Designing a garden should be easy, right? Just wander around the garden store, pick out the plants that you like, take them home and plop them in the ground. Unfortunately, unless you have a really excellent eye for design, your garden probably isn't going to turn out quite like you hoped it would. You'll need to start with a basic knowledge of how design in the landscape works.

How To Choose a Garden Water Fountain

Tonya249 — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 19:34:00 -0500

There is nothing quite like a water fountain to make your garden seem peaceful and idyllic, no matter what lies just outside its borders. There is a dizzying array of water fountains from which to choose, but after considering the following questions, you should be well-prepared to decide which one is right for you.

How To Choose a Garden Gazebo

Tonya249 — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 12:26:00 -0500

In Victorian times, a garden gazebo was a place for the ladies to retreat from the sun so as not to mar their perfect, porcelain skin. Today, gazebos can be used in a multitude of ways and can be designed to fit into any landscape. If you are thinking of adding a gazebo to your yard, there are some basic questions you will need to consider.

How To Decorate a Garden

Katina247 — Wed, 24 May 2006 12:41:00 -0500

It is inherently rewarding to have a vegetable, flower and/or herb garden: The garden can be a real sanctuary for the gardener. But perhaps you want even more out of your garden. Personal taste dictates how you start decorating a garden. You may want to add color or perhaps you relish statues or a certain style of art. Of course personal taste will help you decide how to decorate your garden, but here are some ideas to get you started:

Garden Flags and Banners: Garden flags add a decorative flair to any part of the garden. Garden flags come in many sizes, from small flags you place in between rows and around beds, to banner size flags that announce the entrance to a garden area.

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How To Design a Vegetable and Herb Garden

Katina247 — Mon, 22 May 2006 17:34:00 -0500

Growing a vegetable and herb garden is a rewarding task. When designing your vegetable and herb garden, here are some factors to keep in mind:

Determine Reasons for the Vegetable and Herb Garden: There are many reasons for growing a vegetable and herb garden, including ornamental purposes and practical purposes such as self-sustenance and growing organic foods. Knowing why you want to grow a vegetable and herb garden can help determine your design in terms of space, size and types of vegetables and herbs grown. If you want it for ornamental purposes, the design might be to include a color schematic or theme. Planting vegetables and herbs that flower or that bear some sort of color can brighten an otherwise dull landscape.

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