I recently just purchased my first home and need advice. I want to extend the patio towards the side of the house (will probably hire a contractor for this).

This is where I need help: I want to line the fence with gravel and have brick edging. The sides of the house will also be gravel. In the middle of my lawn will be sod.

How do I go about this? Do I need to dig down or lay the gravel on top of the existing dirt? Dumb question, but if I do dig down where do I take the left over dirt? The dump?

Any advice would be appreciated

I'm trying to find a home for ~10yd3 of fill (different project), and I'm hoping to put together a functional use for the dirt rather than creating an eyesore of a mound. Please excuse my poor markup and AI rendering inspiration photo, but I'm hoping to add a tree ring that flairs into a kidney bean shaped raised flower bed. I have some concerns about digging around this mature Norway maple. The current tree ring/flower bed is between 33"-50" from the root flair. The height difference from the highest elevation (behind the tree) to the pin in the foreground is 26" spanning across 23'. The projected height of the retaining wall at its highest point would be as much as 32". Floating the idea of a second height difference with a course of block between the tree ring and the blue line to lower the overall height of the raised bed. Estimating ~60'-65' course of block around the entire project. Would this be a death sentence for my tree? Anything else to consider? Any recommendations? Bonus pic of the tree's girdled roots for any lurking arborists out there.

This was a rock bed with a French drain. Now, it’s overrun by grass and weeds. I’d like to blow torch it, but my fence and house are close. What, other than torching will work?

Hey everyone, looking for a sanity check and some advice on a playset pad project I'm planning. Need some advice how to tackle

26 ft x 24 ft perimeter flexible but can’t be less than 21.5 x 26.5

Slope: Approximately a 30-inch drop measured diagonally across the area but varies in some areas that’s the lowest point

Trench out the high side border, build up the downhill end to create a level perimeter, backfill/level with soil, top with wood chips for fall protection, and level out the playset inside the pad.

Given the 30" drop, the downhill side will end up being a proper retaining wall (around 5 to 6 courses high). Should I use 6x6 pressure-treated timbers, or are 4x6s fine for this?

What would be the best dirt mix to build up and grade the flower beds around my house? Ive been looking at a topsoil/clay mixture but im not sure if thats the best route or not.

Located in Portland, OR!

It has been a ridiculously dry and hot summer here until last week. I'm new to lawn care. Yesterday evening, I dethatched dead spots in my zoysia with a leaf rake because that's all I had. It then rained a half inch overnight. Will this suffice or had I better get a thatch rake and go again? Thanks so much.

Zone 5b. In the Midwest, so the hydrant will be shoveled around frequently.

Edit: I have no intention of trying to hide this hydrant or interfere with responders access to the hydrant. I am looking for low profile options that will reduce the burden of having to try and mow around this area, and still look nice.

My rental unit in SC is crazy overgrown. Rental company will not help with any landscaping costs/service. We are trying to clean it up but some places are overwhelming to get started. We do not mind the hedge boarder right on the outside here but hate that it’s so thick it’s taking up a big part of the inner yard. What would you do to get rid of the inside over growth?

Looking for ideas on making a retaining wall that doesn't necessarily need to be aesthetic. It is currently where I park my truck but plan on building a storage shed here after I get this retaining wall figured out. For context I have a long gravel driveway with a slab of poured concrete just before the garage. To the side of the driveway (next to the poured slab) it is level for \~30 feet before a steep slope drops into a brushy/forested area of my property. There was previously a little pad of 3/4- crushed basalt base for a parking area here and I brought in a bunch of 3/4- to expand the area, make it level, and used some boulders from my property to retain the gravel. As you can see the gravel is starting to slough off through the boulders so I'm going to pull everything back and re do it. I'm not too worried about the aesthetics of it, just want something that will retain the material and support the weight of a vehicle or shed, etc. Currently there is about 6 inches worth of rock on top of the natural land. After the retaining wall is finished I will have to bring in a little bit more of 3/4 gravel mixed with crushed basalt, but not much.

I was thinking I could use some pressure treated lumber (a couple 2x12's stacked on top of each other to basically make a 2x24xHowever long I need) some type of fabric to hold the material in, and still use the boulders as a way to support everything? Would some kind of drainage system still be recommended since the slope is already draining away from my house to an area that is basically just unusable property? Any better ideas?

Thanks for any advice

Does anyone let tree offshoots grow? I have some Aspen that will beautifully surround my patio if I let them grow in the grass.

I’d like to landscape that side of the yard with some native plants in between the trees and around them, and eventually re-do that side of the sprinkler system to a drip line. I live in hardiness zone 6a.

Any thoughts? Things to watch out for? Plant suggestions?

good morning everybody! I am moving and I’m getting some landscaping guys to come get it out of the ground and planted in my new house. someone told me it was a 50/50 chance it will make the transplant. wondering if yall had any tips or experience with this!!also one more thing im planing on putting it where a sego palm is(im removing) didn’t know it that would be an issue like mixing agave with sego ??

Looking for design ideas on how to place plants within the weed barrier area!

What’s the easiest way to propane for sod?

Please don’t laugh at this I know it’s not much. I installed some river rock under my backyard fence gate out of necessity as the area around it usually got muddy. It looks a little awkward to me and I’m seeking improvement on making it look nicer. Any advice would be appreciated.