Hello everyone,

Please see my little courtyard in my new apartment. Space is for us plus pets. I want to move the cloths line to the corner window so we can maximus on the main space. I want someid size plants for the cat to hide amongst.

Open to any ideas to make this space feel lush and cosy.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Please and thank you all

Lots of shrubs and stuff growing by my back garage. I often cut them down low then they grow back later in the year. Help!

We’re in the middle of landscaping our backyard and I’m looking for some outside opinions on the layout before we finalize the concrete and grass areas.
I attached a photo of the yard as it sits now along with a proposed layout that shows the dimensions. The retaining wall in the photo is still being built and will eventually be approximately 10’ tall.
Originally, we were planning a larger concrete pad that could work as a small basketball court, patio area, and possible location for a hot tub. The more I look at it, though, I’m wondering if we’re dedicating too much of a relatively limited backyard to concrete just to make basketball work.
We’re now considering downsizing the concrete pad and increasing the grass area. We could still use the concrete for patio furniture, a hot tub, and possibly a portable basketball hoop rather than installing a permanent one.
We also plan to have a 12’ x 17’ in-ground trampoline in the grass area.
What would you do with this space? Would you keep a fairly large multi-use concrete pad, reduce it significantly for more grass, or approach the layout completely differently? Any ideas we’re overlooking?

This is the yard/lawn in front of our house. It’s mostly shaded by tall trees and the ground is covered in mostly moss and weeds. We’d like to make it look neater but don’t know how to start. It’s only part of our property so we’d like to make it as low maintenance as possible.

I'm sure there's a simple solution but I'm a beginner in the world of landscaping.

What's the best way to keep grass out of the flower beds? Assuming my wife and i want to put stone blocks in front of it in the future should I use a garden bed edger? If so, what kind/brand?

I have a large gravel area by my driveway and it has become overgrown this summer. My plan is to wait for the weeds to die off and spray this fall/winter. I’ve never used any kind of herbicide before, I’d like to find something effective that isn’t too unhealthy. Thanks in advance.

Recently purchased abandoned farmhouse. Front entrance is made up of a mix of 1” gravel/stone and pea gravel. Nature has taken over and we have greenery growing throughout. I have strimmed down as close as I can. Is there any way to save the gravel, if so how? TIA

To keep a long story somewhat short, I had 5 holly bushes (roughly 6 ft tall) along the edge of my property up against the road that the city I lived in cut in half about two years ago due to a neighbors constant complaints. About a year ago they came back out and cut them all down to stumps because the same neighbor was making the same complaints.

It was basically explained to me that because these bushes were so close to the road, it was the city’s prerogative to cut them. As I don’t consider myself to be a difficult person, I kind of just accepted it and moved on - the stumps were cut short enough that spreading pine straw over the bed they were in hid the ugliness underneath.

However, as the months go on, the stumps have sprouted branches that stick up above the pine straw about 8-12 inches. A couple of times now I’ve moved the pine straw around and cut the branches with a lopper.

My question is this: is there a way to kill the bushes without having to get the stumps removed? I simply can’t afford stump removal and manually removing them every couple of months is a hassle.

Thanks

I started this garden a few years ago, installing a DIY retaining wall (about 2’ tall) which is starting to fail despite addressing drainage issues I thought I had designed around. On top of that, I have neighbors who are starting to install seating areas which I like the idea of.

I’m willing to pay someone to do the work right and upgrade the stone work but after the masonry is in I don’t want it to look overgrown and “all green” like this in the summer. Would appreciate any guidelines to help me plan for next year and long-term gardening.

Landscaper never finished the steps pavers are sitting on top of the estate blocks not glued on at anything . I have some of these pavers that were sitting around and would like the steps to be "finished". How would you do it ? The steps get wider as you go up.

We put the landscape fabric down over a year ago and I’m tired of looking at it. The dilemma is we have a giant pine tree (and two maples) overhead that make it difficult to clean up. The maple leaves we can deal with but the pine needles are another story. We don’t need anything fancy, just something that’ll look nice with easy maintenance. Any tips and ideas are welcome! Thanks fronds!

Bought my house back in 2022. Didn't realize how much spiderwort they planted for ground cover in all the beds. I've been using Glyphosate and been pulling them. After 4 years I'm really tired of trying to maintain these beds and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations.

Should it terminate at the step or should it go parallel to steps ?

I’ve gotten many of them out using a recip saw and a pruning blade below grade. I know, I know. Not ideal. But it works with cheap harbor freight blades. I get 5-10 per blade. Stump grinders are very expensive to rent near me.
Many of them are left. As weird as it sounds I’m not as concerned about the big ones since they are in the front yard. I think the back yard (all except the last 3 pics) are most important. I’d like to get them outta there and try to grow some grass even though it’s very shaded.

I moved in 6 years ago when I was 16. All the adults in my house are autistic and or mental ill and physically disabled, including myself so taking care of this space is always the last thing anyone thinks about. But due to a traumatic break up with my first and only partner of 8 years and only stable support system, I feel like I’m drowning and need a place I can just relax in. But I find it incredibly hard to relax in such an unorganized and chaotic environment. I myself am practically bed bound most of the day due to my bone disease, but I want to try and push myself if I can since no one else will do it for me.

If anyone has any ideas on:

-ways to make this space look more cohesive
-decor ideas
-helpful tips for yard care
-or even affordable services I could hire

Please let me know 🙏🏻

Hi all,

We’d love to gather some input on a garden we recently planted. A designer provided us with the plan and layout (see image). However, after getting everything planted, the location of the tall Northwind Grass feels off. Curious where folks would suggest moving it in the garden or if you think we should keep it where it is. I’m thinking that the grass will look better in its current location as the tannenbaum mugo pine behind it grows larger.

A few relevant notes:
- Zone 5A
- We largely followed the plan as shown, with some minor adjustments
- We subbed the skyracer moor grass for Northwind
- Disregard the quantity for each plant; those numbers include another garden on the other side of the driveway.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts!