A beautiful green lawn requires regular watering to keep it looking great. The trick is to use enough water to keep your lawn thick and healthy, but not so much that you waste any of it.

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One easy way to avoid waste is to make sure you’re not watering the sidewalk or pathways – check the position of your sprinklers to be certain they’re targeting grass, not pavement. If you have sprinklers on a timer, make sure they don’t operate in the rain! And don’t water every day. In most climates a deep, thorough watering twice a week should be enough to keep your lawn happy. More frequent watering ends up wasted, as water simply runs off a lawn that can’t absorb any more moisture. Of course, in dry climates you may need to water more often.

You might also consider having a little less lawn to water in the first place. Giving over some of your lawn space to planting beds filled with drought-tolerant shrubs and ground cover is a smart and ecologically sound way to reduce your water consumption, without sacrificing a beautiful landscape.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 75 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

For more on lawn care, consider:

5 Common Lawn Care Problems— And How to Fix Them
How To: Choose a Lawn Mower
Top Tips for Watering Your Lawn

Late spring is the time to sit back and admire those azaleas as they bloom – azaleas add a veritable explosion of color to any garden this time of year. If you didn’t prune your plants back before they bloomed, you have another chance to do some trimming now.

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Pruning while an azalea is in bloom gives you beautiful cuttings to bring inside, and prepares your plant for a better bloom next year.

To start, take a critical look at the azalea and identify dead or woody branches, branches that don’t get enough sun, and branches that stick out at odd angles from the main plant. Those should come off right away. Then trim branches to create a pleasing shape. Cutting long branches back to the base will force new growth next year from the bottom, ensuring that your plant continues to develop a lush, full shape.

Be sure your pruner is clean and sharp to avoid jagged cuts. And if you miss the spring pruning season, don’t be tempted to cut back the plant later in the summer. Cutting an azalea too late in the year makes it vulnerable to damage over the winter.

Bob Vila Radio is a newly launched daily radio spot carried on more than 75 stations around the country (and growing). You can get your daily dose here, by listening to—or reading—Bob’s 60-second home improvement radio tip of the day.

For more on gardening, consider:

Bob Vila Radio: Cleaning Plant Containers
Fresh Flowers: 10 New Annuals for 2013
We Heart Azaleas: Top Tips on Care

Window boxes can really amp up a home’s curb appeal by adding color and a sense of welcome. Here are some tips for creating eye-catching cascades of color all season long.

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If you’re like a lot of people, you have a stack of old pots in your garage or shed just waiting for the next time you need a container for the house or garden. Before you pop in a plant, though, it’s important to clean those old pots.

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