Landscaping: The DIY Guide to Planning, Planting, and Building a Better Yard [Paperback]

From growing lawns and planting trees, to putting in stone walkways or water elements, readers will discover the right way to do it in straight-forward steps that anyone can follow to realize their dreams.This comprehensive reference provides practical guidance for any homeowner who wants to create a more attractive yard. Written by landscaping experts, it provides time-tested, easy-to-follow instructions for designing and shaping an effective landscape plan. Whether renovating an existing landscape or completely starting from scratch, readers will learn to make the best use of the space that they currently have, while thinking ahead about how they might improve their grounds in the future.From growing lawns and planting trees, to putting in stone walkways or water elements, readers will discover the right way to do it in straight-forward steps that anyone can follow to realize their dreams. City dwellers, suburbanites, and rural homesteaders alike will find a wealth of useful ideas for landscaping their properties, accompanied by clear step-by-step illustrations.This all-you-need-to-know reference will prove indispensable for both amateur and professional landscapers. Readers will get useful tips on correcting drainage and preparing soil for planting, plus great information on planting and caring for newly planted growth. A section on hardscaping shows how to build patios, fences, walls and gates, with advice on working with pavers, brick, concrete and stone. A final section covers finishing touches, including planting and caring for newly planted flowers, bulbs, and trellises.1 Making plansdesigning the landscapeCorrecting DrainagePreparing Soil for Planting2 Planting a LawnGrowing a New LawnMaintaining a Healthy LawnUsing Ground Cover instead3 Shrubs and TreesShrubsMoving TreesPlanting TreesKeeping Trees Healthy4: HardscapingPavers for patiosOption with BrickPouring ConcreteEdging5 Fences and WallsBasic SurveyingWooden FencesStone/BrickGates6 Finishing TouchesSel³Q