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LAWN & GARDEN: LANDSCAPING

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Flowering Climbers: 8 Cures for the Common Garden
Grow your garden from ordinary to extraordinary with flowering vines that add a beautiful new level of interest to your landscape.
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Be Dark Sky-Compliant When Lighting Up the Night
Warmer weather encourages us to spend more time on the deck, porch, or patio. Of course, lighting can extend outdoor ...
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Fresh Flowers: 10 New Annuals for 2013
Mix and match these new-to-market annuals to ensure an unforgettable garden this year.
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Bob Vila Radio: Solar Garden Lights
Outdoor lighting looks great along a walkway or in the garden, but it can be a pain to install the wiring for it. Sol...
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On the Edge: 11 Garden Borders You Can Make
Put some imagination—and recycled products—to good use in your landscape with inventive DIY garden edging.
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10 New Perennials to Perk Up Your Garden
Add excitement to your flower beds this spring by planting standout varieties from 2013's crop of new perennials.
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8 Reasons to Love Azaleas
From Southern roots, azaleas have grown into a countrywide favorite, prized for their beautiful blooms in so many colors.
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Fences 101
Pros and cons define and differentiate the most popular fence types chosen by homeowners today.
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5 Spring Garden Favorites to Plant Right Now
The time to dream about your spring planting has passed. Now is the time to get going in the garden. So here are five...
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5 Ways to Use Bamboo in Your Landscape
Bamboo is one of the most exotic and eco-friendly materials used in construction. Long associated with Asian cultures...
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Deck the Halls: Holly Bushes
As your home decor becomes festive inside, it’s nice to see a little of that color scheme reflected outside as well. ...
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Bob Vila Radio: Gardening Online
Nothing's more heartening in the depths of winter than leafing through a bulb catalog or shopping for next season’s g...
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5 Fiery Fall Bushes
Finding your garden lacking when it comes to fall color? Our favorite fall bushes will not only add a bright spot of ...
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Don’t Forget to Plant These Bulbs!
It’s the season to be planting bulbs. Many gardeners get fixated on the old standards—tulips and daffodils. Yes, ther...
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Adding Ornamental Grasses to Your Garden
Ornamental grasses bring more than just bulk to your garden—they add various textures, movement, and color, and they ...
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5 Plants to Divide in Fall
October is a great month to look over your property and determine which perennials are in need of dividing. Splitting...
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5 Fall Plants to Plant Right Now
Now that the temperature has dropped, it’s the time to replace those fading summer blooms with plants that thrive in ...
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Dreaming of Daffodils
I’m a beginning gardener. I have lots of ideas but little experience. The basic landscaping package that came with ou...
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Mums: Hardy, Colorful, and Fall-tastic!
Boldly colored mums on porches or planted in garden beds are wonderful harbingers of fall, going hand in hand with th...
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How To: Plant an Apple Tree
Since moving to the 'burbs, I’ve been slowly trying to convert on this fantasy I have of backyard sustainability. I p...
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Landscape Edging: 10 Easy Ways to Set Your Garden Beds Apart
Set your garden beds apart from walkways, paths, and lawn areas with easy-to-install decorative landscape edging products.
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Creating Privacy and Beauty with Hedgerows
Whether you’re looking to create a privacy enclosure, windbreak, or wildlife deterrent, or simply bring some traditio...
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Boxwoods: Maintaining Structure in Your Garden
Boxwood hedges might look formal, but they are a workhorse in the garden. The evergreens can define areas and be the ...
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DIY Deals: Outdoor Lighting
Even though summer just started, many retailers have already put their outdoor and landscaping products on sale. With...
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Summer Stars: Hydrangeas
Native to Japan where hydrangeas are beloved not just for their full, lush blooms, but also for the tea made from the...
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How To: Install Landscape Edging
You can add a decorative border to your garden or landscape easily with today's crop of DIY-friendly landscape edgers.
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Bob Vila Radio: Cooling Plants
Most people know that planting a tree to shade your house is a great way to keep it cool. But actually, the south-fac...
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Top Tips for Creating Lovely Outdoor Environments
The perception people have of your home begins well before visitors reach your front door. Whether it’s a simple wild...
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5 Natural Outdoor Lighting Bargains
Natural outdoor lighting is the rage in backyard renovation, offering an easy and environmentally friendly way to she...
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Top Tips for Adding a Garden Fountain
I don’t meditate and I don’t go for weekly massages to unwind. Years ago, I discovered something much more cost-effec...
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Blend Your Deck into the Landscape
Plantings and other techniques create a seamless flow between deck and landscape.
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Landscaping: A Good Investment
A good design can add 20% to the value of your property.
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Creating Privacy Through Landscaping
A screen of greenery is a friendly yet effective to establish privacy landscaping in your outdoor space.
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Cool Your House with Smart Landscaping
Trees, shrubs and vines can cut your AC bill.
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Landscaping Ideas
Here are some aesthetically pleasing, and often quite practical, landscaping ideas to consider.
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Xeriscaping
Xeriscaping and water-friendly landscaping offer several benefits.
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Landscape Lighting 101
Add beauty and security to your home exterior with planned landscape lighting.
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Landscaping Made Easy
Beautify your yard with our five simple landscaping ideas that add distinctive structure, easy-growing color, and notable curb appeal.
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Smart New Choices for Outdoor Lighting
Use new LED light bulbs and solar powered lamps as energy-efficient ways to light your landscape.
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Checklist: A Safe and Insurable Yard
To be sure that the outside of your home is safe and insurable, review the exterior for overall safety.
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Bob Vila Radio: Garden Planning
A little garden design and planning before you spend any money or pull on the gloves can give you a better garden eve...
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Easy Ground Covers: 7 Varieties to Enhance Any Landscape
A great solution to those patchy parts of your landscape, 'ground cover' is a general term for perennials that are kn...
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7 Eye-Catching New Annuals
While there’s no need to dismiss those hardworking favorites with which you fill your garden year in and year out, he...
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Quick Tip: Tree Care
Tree care starts with the health of the roots and the soil in which they grow.
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It's Bulb-Planting Time!
For gardeners in areas where the weather has cooled, it’s time to plant bulbs for spring tulips and daffodils. Bulbs ...
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Martha Stewart and Bob
You may remember Bob's blog post a couple weeks ago in which he shared a photo of himself with Charlie Sheen on the s...
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Quick Tip: Design a "Green" Garden
Making some simple changes in what you plant and how you care for your garden can create a healthier space the whole family can enjoy.
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Quick Tip: Your Plants Can Cool Your House
Cut down on air conditioning costs by planting to provide shade.
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Laying Out and Framing the Deck
Bob checks in with carpenter Bob Ryley as he lays out and begins to frame the deck.
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Building a Redwood Deck and a Redwood-and-Cedar Fence
Bob helps carpenter Bob Ryley build a redwood deck. Carpenter Danny Ruffini installs a custom-made redwood-and-cedar fence on the perimeter.
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Installing a Retaining Wall
Bob reviews the Allen Block retaining wall that is being installed in the backyard. This secondary terrace will serve to transition from the wood deck to the big ...
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Installing Bluestone Pavers on the Terrace
Bob meets with Mark Marini of Schumacher Landscaping to discuss the installation of the bluestone pavers on the lower terrace.
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Reviewing the Landscaping Plans
Landscaping architects Rick and Nancy Lamb present their ideas to Bob for converting the landscape and creating urban spaces.
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Revising the Landscaping Plan
Bob talks with landscape architect Rick Lamb about revisions to the plan. Bob points out the redesigned parking area and the plan for magically melting the snow.
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Beginning the Landscaping
Bob meets with landscape architects Rick and Nancy Lamb to assess the back yard. Arborist Charley Cummings trims some Hemlock trees.
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Hardscaping, Selecting Plants, Installing Artificial Grass in the Backyard, and Preventing Weed Growth
Backyard landscaping has progressed with the completion of stone work, new plantings, weed control, and the installation of artificial grass.
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Installing a Fence on a Sloped Site
Bob talks with a fencing expert about installing a white-cedar fence in sloped areas at the Melrose house.
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Building a Retaining Wall, Front Steps, and Backyard Patio With Stone
Stone workers install a granite retaining wall, replace a front walkway, and build a backyard patio.
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Replacing the Gutters, Trimming a Tree, and Creating a Low-Maintenance Front Yard
Old gutters are replaced and external landscaping continues with the trimming of a tree, installing a front garden, and creating steps from recycled granite.
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Removing a Hazardous Tree
A large rotted tree is removed for safety reasons.
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Installing Exterior Lighting
Landscape lighting is installed in the front and back yards.
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Sustainable Landscaping in Florida
Angela Polo and Ken Micklow shows Bob how to work with native plants, discuses fertilizers and pest control. They also discuss how to plant to protect from high w...
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Natural Fertilizers and Non-Toxic Pesticides
Angela Polo and Ken Micklow shows Bob dwarf planting ideas and install a raised vegetable garden which requires soil enhancement, Craig Harmer shows Bob natural p...
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Custom Bamboo Garden
Kalo joins Bob to create a Zen bamboo garden.
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Sustainable Planting for Florida Landscape
Ken Micklow and Trent Culleny talk with Bob about native, storm-resistant gardening. Then Carm DiBella shows Bob an environmentally friendly termite protection s...
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A Sustainable Yard and Landscape
Bob does a walkthrough of the finished Punta Gorda home. He discusses sustainable gardening, water conservation and low-maintenance plants. Then he joins Leslie...
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Tour of the Gardens at The Mount
Bob visits the Sunken Gardens at The Mount, where Stephanie Copeland, president of the Edith Wharton Restoration Foundation, serves as guide.
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Recreating a Colonial Garden
Bob and landscape designer Ruth Foster tour Mahoney's Garden Center to discuss landscape elements for the project house.
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Designing an Elizabethan Garden and Naturalistic Landscaping
Bob rejoins Ruth Foster to look over the landscape work in progress and to see how Foster's design has come to life.
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Shrub Planting Techniques
Landscape designer Ruth Foster offers a brief lesson about planting techniques
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Garden Irrigation System Installation
Jack Walters from Just Irrigation is on-site putting in a RainBird sprinkler system.
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Discussing the Landscape Design and Living Amenities
Bob talks with landscape architect David Raphael of Landworks about his approach to designing the grounds surrounding the Vermont farmhouse. General contractor Te...
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Discussing the Plantings on the Property
Bob, alongside architect Kristian Fenderson and Tom Strangfeld (from Weston Nurseries), walks the property, focusing on the planting selected for this home.
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Discussing the Home's Landscaping and Hardscaping
Bob discusses the home's landscaping and hardscaping with general contractor Kevin Kalman and landscaper Josh Gavin.
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Lamp Making and Landscaping
Bob explores the practice of custom lamp making and learns more about the outdoor fireplace.
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Reviewing the Landscape Design
Bob and general contractor Sam Daniel discuss the landscaping of the Virginia governor's mansion.
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Planting Trees and Shrubs in the Front Yard
Landscape contractor Janet Cox explains her approach to the plantings for Roxbury development homes.
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Landscaping Plan
Bob reviews the existing landscape with landscape architect Juan Capote, and the two discuss Juan's plans to improve it.
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Creating a Tropical Sinkhole Garden
Bob meets with landscape architect Juan Capote to discuss planting a feature garden.
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Installing a Sod Lawn
Bob meets with landscape architect Juan Capote to discuss the installation of a sod lawn. Juan talks about the types and grading of sod used in this project.
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Discussing the Zen Garden Design
Bob meets with Donald Young for a tour of the home's Zen garden. Donald discusses the plant choices and lighting requirements in a garden of this size. Slate tile...
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Budget Landscaping
Landscape designer Ruth Foster explains her choices for the foundation plantings and her cost-saving measures.
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Landscaping for Energy Efficiency
Landscape designer Ruth Foster explains her selection of plant material and flowering shrubs for the backyard and directs the planting of a Sephora Japonica shade...
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Plant Shopping With Martha Stewart
When shopping for plants at Haskell's Nursery, the homeowner gets some professional help from Martha Stewart, who transforms the greenhouse into an elegant settin...
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Stone Patio, Landscaping, and Outdoor Lighting
Bob joins landscape designer Ruth Foster to discuss her plan for a stone patio and hot tub. Low-voltage outdoor lighting will also be installed.
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Planting Palm Trees in the Courtyard
Bob and the landscaper discuss planting five fully grown Queen Palm trees in the courtyard, partly in order to hide unsightly features of a neighbor's home.
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Landscaping Plans
Landscape designer Ruth Foster explains a few techniques for promoting drainage and keeping weeds under control, respectively. She also discusses the plants she h...
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Removing Trees from the Project Site
Bob joins contractor Bob Ryley and the tree removal specialist to discuss clearing the site. Special tips on chainsaw use and safety are provided.
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Victorian House Landscaping
Landscape designer Ruth Foster visits the project site to explain her choice of plantings for the formal courtyard garden.
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Landscape Design
Bob talks with landscape architect Clara Bachelor about the condition of the yard and the final landscape design.
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Garden Nursery Visit
Bob visits Weston Wholesale Nursery with landscape architect Clara Bachelor.
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Planting a Shrub
Bob, landscape architect Clara Bachelor, and contractor Bob Marzilli review how to plant a balled and burlapped shrub.
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Touring the Exterior and Entry
Bob tours the exterior of the project home, focusing on the architectural detail and final landscape design. He then moves inside to review the custom stair raili...
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Reviewing the Landscape
Bob meets with a landscaper to discuss the existing plantings, some of which will be removed or cut back to maximize the amount of interior light. Trees, shrubs, ...
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Building a Trellis
A trellis-- the frame and lattice of which have been built in the workshop-- is installed in the front yard.
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Altering Landscape Plans
With Bob having decided to alter the landscape design, shrubs are transplanted and perennials are planted. Plus, sodding goes down to create a grass lawn.
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Landscaping the Property
Bob meets with landscape contractor John Wall to talk over removing existing plant material.
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Discussing Swimming Pool Design
Bob discusses the addition of a swimming pool with the project architect.
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Plans and Preparations for Landscaping
Bob visits Joanne, a landscape designer, at a local nursery to find plants for the project house's outdoor space.
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Plans for the Swimming Pool
Bob and Pete, the foreman of the swimming pool construction crew, survey the property and review the installation plans.
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Landscape Design With a New Fence
Bob has a discussion the landscape architect, Joanne Smallwood, and new wooden fence is installed.
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Landscape Tour of the Cracker Cottage
Remodeling of the cracker cottage is complete. Bob tours the home, starting with the exterior and the landscape.
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Discussing the Landscaping
Bob discusses landscaping with specialist Susan Hofer. Topics include sod, a gravel driveway, brickwork, fences, and perennials.
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Landscaping the Front Garden
Gardener John Rasthenis landscapes the front garden.
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Landscaping the Coach House
Bob goes outside to observe a tree being planted and to see the little garden beyond the entryway landscaped.
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Landscape Design on a Sloping Bank
A sloping bank descends from deck level to the yard. Landscape designer Ruth Foster explains her choice of plantings for this garden: It will be green, with junip...
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Landscaping with Hedges, Trees, and Perennials
Landscape designer Ruth Foster joins Bob to review the landscaping plan. Foster has selected a hedge and evergreens to screen the yard from street traffic and ne...
 
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