The Dean of Home Renovation & Repair Advice

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Bob Vila Radio: Watering the Lawn
A beautiful green lawn requires regular watering to keep it looking great. The trick is to use enough water to keep y...
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A Second Home for Sod: Top Tips for Transplanting
It’s been about 18 months since we moved into our house, but only recently have we begun to landscape beyond the basi...
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5 Common Lawn Care Problems—And How to Fix Them
Overcome common lawn blights and return your grass to its former green glory.
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Need a New Lawn Mower? 10 Top-Rated Grass Guzzlers
These mighty mowers made the cut by earning high marks from consumer and testing sites around the web.
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Keep Off the Grass: 5 Traditional Lawn Alternatives
Grass. It’s easy to plant, covers most types of terrain, and feels good under bare feet in the summer. It’s also. . ....
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Top Tips for Watering Your Lawn
Now that spring has arrived, it’s time to think about lawn maintenance again. Go ahead and tune up your mower and sta...
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Bob Vila Radio: Spring Lawn Preparation
There’s nothing like a beautiful green lawn to make your house look great. Now that spring is here, it’s time to get ...
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To Fertilize or Not to Fertilize?
As the growing season picks up, so does the drive to fertilize. Surely, your lawn could use a little help as it gets ...
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How To: Choose a Lawn Mower
If your current lawn mower was built to last, it's probably been a while since you've shopped for a new one! When you...
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Bob Vila Radio: Winterize Your Lawn
If you haven’t done it already, this is the time to winterize your yard!  Make a list of the things you need to do to...
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Bob Vila Radio: Lawn Prep
Fall lawn care is as important as what you do in the spring, because encouraging deep roots will help your lawn resis...
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3 Essential Fall Lawn Maintenance Tasks
As you start putting your lawn to bed, you must take care of three fall lawn maintenance tasks now to secure healthy ...
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Bob Vila Radio: Fall Lawn Care
Summer is a tough time for lawns, and this summer was especially tough on some. But every year we get a do-over in th...
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Zen and the Art of Weed Whacking
Since moving from the city to the 'burbs, I’ve gotten reacquainted with one of my weekly teenage chores (for which I ...
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Should You Buy a Used Riding Mower?
When we moved from New York City to a beach town in Southern, DE, we suddenly went from having zero lawn to caring fo...
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Bob Vila Radio: Irrigating Sustainably
Irrigating your yard can really be wasteful and expensive; clean water is a precious commodity, and not just in deser...
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So, What Is Your Local Extension Office, Anyway?
I’m a novice gardener. We moved to Southern Delaware after living 20 years in New York City. I struggled there to kee...
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In Search of the Ultimate Garden Hose Storage
Since moving from a small NYC apartment a little over a year ago, we have been slowly acquiring all of the suburban h...
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Bob Vila Radio: Lawn Care Hell
It’s the great american obsession, and we spend about twenty-five billion dollars a year on it, but if lawn care is e...
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How To: Mow Your Lawn Properly
A chore though it may be, mowing your lawn properly will do more than just improve its appearance.
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Mower Safety Tips from John Deere
Mowing accidents lead to 68,000 trips to the emergency room every year, according to the American Academy of Pediatri...
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Bob Vila Radio: Lawn Tractors
If you’ve got a half-acre or more of lawn to mow, a riding lawnmower or a garden tractor is a great tool to have. LIS...
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Top 5 Tips for a Greener Lawn
Using these five lawn tips will help you maintain a greener lawn throughout the spring and summer.
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Artificial Turf: 7 Reasons to Consider the New "Grass" Alternative
There's more to today's artificial turf products than just good looks. Here are seven reasons to consider one of the new "grass" products.
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5 Ways to a Greener Lawn
Here are five tips for achieving a fertilizer-free, greener lawn this spring.
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Lawn Care Tips from Pennington Seed
Pennington Seed has been cultivating and improving lawn seed for more than 60 years, so I was delighted to have the o...
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An Instant, Low-Maintenance Lawn
Having a lawn doesn’t always mean you can grow grass. Some places are simply too shady or too wet for any variety of ...
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Look Ma—No Wheels: The Hovering Mower
I had the pleasure of touring the Husqvarna Research & Development headquarters in Charlotte, NC a few weeks ago ...
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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Shrub Planting Techniques
Landscape designer Ruth Foster offers a brief lesson about planting techniques
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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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Reviewing the Landscape Design
Bob and general contractor Sam Daniel discuss the landscaping of the Virginia governor's mansion.
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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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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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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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Landscape Design
Bob talks with landscape architect Clara Bachelor about the condition of the yard and the final landscape design.
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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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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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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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Planting Bulbs and Seeding the Lawn
Bob meets with landscape designer Ruth Foster, who explains the correct method of planting bulbs. For turf, Foster suggests a relaxed approach, with perennial rye...
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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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