Gardening How To & DIY

Improve the value of your home by discovering our gardening step-by-step tips & ideas.

Backyard with raised garden area

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Using Garlic as Pest Control

Looking for a natural way to get rid of destructive garden pests? Banish aphids, mites, caterpillars, and more—and repel insects indoors too—with the pungent power of this common supermarket ingredient.
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How To Grow Tropical Plants Indoors

Learn how to cultivate tropical plants indoors with our guide on plant selection, proper potting techniques, and maintaining optimal conditions.
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Fall Fertilizing: Essential Tips to Make Your Yard Grow

Read this guide to learn why autumn is the best time of year to fertilize your yard.
S22 E23: Lee Gilliam gives new life to a garden bed
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How to Revive a Garden Bed

Landscape expert Lee Gilliam helps a homeowner give their backyard a fresh look by amending the soil and adding some drip irrigation.
S22 E21: Jenn Nawada plants a garden bed
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How To Replace Grass with a Garden Bed

Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada helps a couple redesign, repurpose, and restore their front yard’s design after removing two mature but rotten oak trees, exposing the yard to full sun.
A variety of pumpkins in different colors

How To Grow and Care for Pumpkins in 4 Simple Steps

Growing your own pumpkins is a great way to save money and enjoy autumn flavors all year long. Here's everything you need to know.
S22 E7: Jann Nawada creates a rain garden
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How to Create and Maintain an Eco-Friendly Rain Garden

Rain gardens are eco-friendly landscaping solutions that manage stormwater and add natural beauty to yards. Learn how to create your own in our step-by-step guide.
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How to Build a Potting Bench

This handy piece of outdoor furniture will serve as headquarters for your gardening gear.
S21 E21, Jenn Nawada plants a full sun garden
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How to Create a Full-Sun Garden

Learn how to design a full-sun garden that thrives in bright light and heat. From plant selection to soil preparation, we cover all the bases.
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How to Create a Woodland Garden With Native Plants

Landscape contractor Jenn Nawada helps a homeowner create privacy with a stunning woodland garden created from native plants.
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How to Build a Compost Bin

Want to enrich your gardening and promote a healthy environment? Building a compost bin is a simple DIY project that can be very rewarding.
Self-watering planter built by Sal Vaglica
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How To Build a Self-Watering Planter in 10 Simple Steps

Read our guide to learn how to build a self-watering planter that keeps your plants hydrated and healthy with minimal effort.
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All About At-Home Soil Test Kits

If your garden or lawn is looking scraggly, you may want to test your soil. Here are a few ways to do so at home.
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How To Design a Kitchen Garden

Get inspired with some fresh kitchen garden ideas from Nicole Burke, founder of Rooted Garden, in our detailed kitchen garden guide.
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How to Build Window Flower Boxes

This Old House carpenter Nathan Gilbert and landscape contractor Jenn Nawada build custom window boxes for a colorful touch of curb appeal.
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How To Build a Space-Saving 3-Tiered Planter

This Old House DIY Expert and House One Editor Jenn Largesse shows how to build a tiered planter using rot-resistant lumber.
House One's Jenn Largesse builds tall, tapered planters for an entryway
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How To Make a Tall, Tapered Planter

This Old House DIY Expert & House One’s Jenn Largesse shows use a miter saw to create a tall, tapered planter for under $30.
House One's Jenn Largesse makes geometric planters
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How to Make Geometric Planters

This Old House DIY Expert & House One editor Jenn Largesse shows how to set up a miter saw to create geometric planter, shelves, and more.
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How To Build a Self-Watering Vegetable Garden

In this DIY Smarts project, Ask This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada travels to Raleigh, North Carolina, to help a couple build and plant a self-watering vegetable garden.
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How to Build a Raised Garden Bed | This Old House: Live

Watch as This Old House landscape expert Jenn Nawada demonstrates how to build a raised garden bed in her backyard.
A blue garden bench in front of several potted plants.
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Step By Step Guide To Building the Perfect DIY Garden Bench

House One’s Jenn Largesse demonstrates how to build a DIY bench for your garden in this informative and quick video.
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How To Plant an Indoor Garden and Troubleshoot Issues

Growing your own herbs and flowers can be easy if you plan correctly. Learn how to plant an indoor garden in our step-by-step guide.
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How To Plant Hardier Foundation Plantings

Landscape expert Jenn Nawada will show you how to create resilient foundation plantings that can withstand snow piles and seasonal changes.
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How To Install Winter-Proof Planters

In this DIY Smarts, Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada installs a front entry planter that will last through the winter.
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How To Choose and Use Pruners

Discover tips for choosing and using pruners, including the best types for your garden needs and how to apply precision in your pruning tasks.
Several Lucifer Crocosmia plants in a garden.

Deer-Resistant Plants You Can Use To Protect Your Garden

In this guide, we examine over a dozen plants you can use in your garden to keep it safe from invasive animals like deer.
A series of raised garden beds.

All About Raised-Bed Gardens for Growing Vegetables

You can easily create an ideal habitat for growing vegetables in your yard with little more than a few boards, a shovel, and some soil.
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How To Create a Vertical Garden for Small Spaces

Watch as Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada installs a vertical garden to maximize space for a homeowner.
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How To Create Bonsai from Regular Trees

Watch as Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook learns about the ancient art of creating a bonsai from a regular tree.
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How to Plant Authentic Dutch Flower Bulbs

Watch as This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner originally from Holland plant authentic Dutch bulbs.
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How to Plant Edible Foundation Plants

A homeowner selects foundation plantings that include edible varieties for both people and wildlife.
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How to Install a Self-Watering Garden

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook shows a homeowner in Orlando how to plant a low-maintenance vegetable garden using hydroponics.
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How To Replace a Lawn With Shade Perennials

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook offers alternatives to grass in a shady spot, including perennials, ferns, and more.