Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Get To Know Daffodils - HGTV



Planning on planting daffodils in your garden? Here's everything you need to know first.

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Thursday, May 25, 2017

How To Make Outdoor Concrete And Wood Bench



My parents wanted a bench to go with the concrete fire pit I made for them. I decided to reuse the wooden forms from that project to make a bench. The bench consists of 2 blocks of concrete made from Quikrete 5000 and three 8-foot long 4x6s that I got from home depot. Four 4x4s would have worked just as well. I did this project in southern California so frost heave isn’t a problem, which is why I was able to do it without digging deeper. The wood isn’t actually attached to the concrete but rather sits within recesses in the concrete blocks. I am thinking about making the bench L-shaped in the future so I wanted to be able to disassemble it if needed.

Monday, May 22, 2017

How To Make An Outdoor Sofa



This DIY sofa can be made with basic power tools in less than 5 hours. Modern outdoor sofas can be quite expensive and this project can provide a more affordable alternative. I made this couch out of 4x8s, 2x8s, and some outdoor sofa cushions that I bought from IKEA. It is a sturdy DIY sofa made from solid wood. I used a grey Minwax wood stain to finish it.

Friday, May 19, 2017

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

How To Build A Concrete Raised Planter Bed Part 1



In this video we show you how to form and build a raised planter bed! This is kind of a 3 part video and this being the 1st part so stayed turned for the next 2 videos we will be uploading on how to form a cantilever ledge and placing stone under the ledge!

Saturday, May 13, 2017

DIY Modern Outdoor Bench | Modern Builds | EP. 31



Today I'm building a set of modern outdoor benches using an awesome 2x4 box joint configuration. These benches were originally designed by DIY Candy, and because they had everything in a written article, I thought a video would be cool too.

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Sunday, May 7, 2017

How To Build a Retaining Wall (Step-by-Step)



In this video I show you exactly how to build a retaining wall with landscape blocks.

You'll learn how to design your retaining wall, the tools you need, how to build it step by step, and even some retaining wall design ideas.

First, I'll walk you through how to design your retaining wall, and the critical components you need to include so your retaining wall doesn't fail.

Most people skip critical steps, like digging deep enough for a 6" packed gravel base - which is critical for the structural integrity of your wall.

You'll also learn the importance of using 3/4" gravel behind your retaining wall blocks so excess moisture doesn't cause your wall to tip over.

Then, I'll demonstrate how wide to dig the trench before building your wall, and what to consider when planning it out.

Then, we'll go right into building it, starting with the first row of blocks. I'll share some tips for making this much easier so you can save time.

This home improvement project will have a dramatic impact on your landscape, and it doesn't cost that much. In fact, this 50' long wall, that is 3' tall, only cost me about $1,000 in materials. That's pretty amazing considering the transformation it made to my yard.

I think you'll like this video, because it includes a time-lapse of building the wall as well - so you can get an idea of exactly how much work goes into installing a retaining wall.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

How To Install In-Ground Sprinklers - This Old House



This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows how to water your lawn and garden—automatically.