Great Outdoors | Home Improvement Center

Home > Home Improvement Center > Great Outdoors

Great Outdoors

Attracting Birds (segment #5730) Avid bird watchers live here. What they'd like me to do is put in a garden for them that'll help to attract birds to their yard. It's not too difficult to do.... Read More >>		Bare Spot (segment #6742) There's very little that is more unsightly than a place in your lawn where there is no lawn where there is supposed to be lawn. Your yard is suffering from baldness, but thankfully there's something y... Read More >>

Bat Houses (segment #6738) Bats eat up to 1000 mosquitoes an hour every night during the summer. Attracting bats to your yard is as easy as building a Bat House, which provides them a warm, dry place to roost and brood.... Read More >>		Berm Building (segment #5724) What we're going to do today is build a stone drywall, a natural wall with no mortar in it. And we're going to backfill that wall with this good topsoil that we've brought in. ... Read More >>

Bird Bath (segment #6725) If you've recently lost a tree to storm damage, you now have the problem of an unsightly stump. A tree stump birdbath is a good alternative to removing the stump. ... Read More >>		Bird House (segment #9712) Every time it’s a rainy day, I think that all of us need a little bit of shelter. And I think about birds. I’m a big fan of birds. And today what I’d like to do is build a bluebird house – Eastern Blu... Read More >>

Bog Garden (segment #6739) Are you interested in creating a unique environment to enhance your landscape that brings a little of the Deep South into your world? Consider a Bog Garden. ... Read More >>		Carnivorous Plant Terrarium (segment #9711) Terrariums were originally used to transport plants. Now they are a fun and easy way to display plants and decorate your home.... Read More >>

Cat Proof Sand Box (segment #6747) A sandbox is an area where a child can play for hours with toy trucks, army men, and shovels. They're sort of a place of refuge for a lot of kids - a place where they can use their imagination to crea... Read More >>		Chemical Safety (segment #6719) Today we're going to be talking about chemical safety in the great outdoors. ... Read More >>

Chip Carving (segment #6750) Old world ideas for your new house... steps for chip carving a small recipe box... Read More >>		Composting (segment #9710) The fact of the matter is, that compost, like some other things, just happens. You pile up some organic matter, whether it’s leaves or lawn clippings or kitchen wastes, and it becomes, eventually, hum... Read More >>

Controlling Mosquitoes (segment #9701) Ow! Mosquitoes! They spread Yellow Fever, Malaria, Dengue Fever and now West Nile Virus. Joe Sherinski shares four means of attack that he uses to fight mosquitoes.... Read More >>		Core Aeration (segment #6749) When is the best time to fertilize a lawn? It depends on what kind of grass you've got and what the season is. ... Read More >>

Create a Bonsai (segment #6734) I love trees, tall trees, short trees, ugly twisted gnarly trees, blooming trees, graceful trees. I love them all. Only thing about trees - you can't bring them indoors, but with the ancient and gentl... Read More >>		Day Lillies (segment #6729) I love day lilies. They're easy to grow and they bloom in the hottest part of the summer. This particular day lily is an old-fashioned variety that's terrific for this bed because it spreads vigorousl... Read More >>

Decorative Stepping Stones (segment #5755) A perfectly good ceramic floor tile, and here's a great way to break it. Cover it with a towel so that you don't have shards flying around and smack it with a hammer. Why would we want to break a perf... Read More >>		Dividing Plants (segment #5748) I went to a sale at the garden center today and got this - Hosta Kikuttii. I've had my eye on it all season, but it was $20. Which I think is a bit steep for a Hosta, but at the end of the season, I ... Read More >>

Drainage Problems (segment #6701) The family spends a good deal of time in this room, and why not? It's a very comfortable room. In fact, we'd like to redecorate it. But we've got a bit of a problem. The carpet is damp and when we pul... Read More >>		Drainage Problems (segment #5731) We've got a bit of a problem here. I'm down in a hole, and so are these air conditioning units. And that means that when it rains water drains this way toward the house. We don't want that. We want wa... Read More >>

Edging Ideas (segment #5729) When the people moved in here they inherited this rose garden, and it's not doing as well as it should be. It's got a couple of problems, and we're going to solve them with new edging. We're going to ... Read More >>		Ergonomic Garden Tools (segment #5721) Gardening is a lifelong hobby, and it's one that we should be able to enjoy for a long time. Unfortunately, as we get older things get a little more difficult, a little hard on us. There are a number... Read More >>

Felling a Tree (segment #5710) First and foremost determine whether you can fell the tree yourself, or if it would be better to call a professional tree service. Possible reasons to call professionals may include: The tree is to... Read More >>		Firewood (segment #5747) When it comes to cutting firewood, most of us don't think about it, until it's time to burn it. But the fact of the matter is, there's a good deal to know about firewood before you burn it.... Read More >>

Fleas & Ticks (segment #6722) Fleas and ticks - two of my least favorite characters in the great outdoors. And in fact, they're two guys that I don't want in the indoors at all. And this is the kind of place that ticks like to liv... Read More >>		Frogarium (segment #6710) Today, I've got a great project for you to involve your kids with. I call it the "frogarium" and it's a great habitat for the world's most photographed frog - the Red-Eyed Tree Frog. Isn't he beautifu... Read More >>

Gallon Water Feature (segment #6731) Steps for installing a 5-gallon water feature... Read More >>		Garden Bench (segment #5714) I'd like to show you how to make a really nifty garden bench. I call it Mike's bench because Mike Miller is a long-time friend of my father's and one of the better landscapers I've ever met. And he ca... Read More >>

Garden Hose Care (segment #5722) If you spend anytime in the great outdoors at all, sooner or later you're going to be using a hose, and I've got a few ideas on how to take care of your hose.... Read More >>		Garden Tool Shed (segment #6726) What this tool shed needs is a little organizational magic, a quick trip down to the hardware store and we can get everything we need to have a place for everything and then put everything in its plac... Read More >>

Ground Sundial (segment #6703) Add charm to your garden by creating a ground sundial. ... Read More >>		Hanging Things (segment #5736) What we're doing today is hanging a squirrel-proof feeder. The people who live here like to feed birds and they've got plenty of birds. Unfortunately, they've also got plenty of squirrels.... Read More >>

Herb Garden (segment #6706) Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs. I love the smell of it on my hands. I like it in hamburger too. And today I'm going to be planting some herbs. ... Read More >>		Hiding the Uglies (segment #6714) Hiding some of the uglies around your new house.... Read More >>

Hillside Bed (segment #6711) A great addition to any home is a hillside level, raised bed. ... Read More >>		Hinged Trellis (segment #5745) It may seem an odd way to begin, but I'm going to attract birds to my yard and step one, is to dig a posthole. What I want to do is mount the trellis up against this shed. It'll not only make the sh... Read More >>

Hot Bed/Cold Frame (segment #6702) I've decided I want to have the first tomato in my neighborhood. I'm going to kind of cheat on it. I'm going to build a hot box, or actually a cold frame. What I'm going to do is build an open bottome... Read More >>		House Trellis (segment #6716) Today we're going to plant a white Clematis climbing up a trellis on this wall.... Read More >>

How to Attract Birds to Your Yard (segment #9703) When it comes to attracting birds to your yard, water - a birdbath - is certainly a good idea. But there are really four things that birds need. The first, water, the second, food, the third, nesting ... Read More >>		Hydraulic Mining (segment #5733) A brand new home could be your new house. Everything is complete. You've moved in. The contractor has left, only he's left one thing out, and that is he hasn't put a pipe under the sidewalk to carry t... Read More >>

Indoor Greenhouse (segment #6715) Here's a great way that you can have an indoor greenhouse.... Read More >>		Landscape Security (segment #5740) Today we'll give you a few ideas on how you can improve the home security at your new house.... Read More >>

Lawn Mower Maintenance (segment #5708) Mowing the lawn on a Saturday afternoon is not my idea of a good time. But mowing the lawn on a Saturday afternoon with a mower that won't cooperate is not really a good time either. A little pre-plan... Read More >>		Laying Sod (segment #5723) When I'm laying sod, I like to start early. It's an all day affair, and it's a backbreaking job. But very rewarding. When they built the house next door, they tore up this soil, and now I've got t... Read More >>

Leveling a Lawn (segment #5741) During the construction phase of your new house, one of the last things on your mind is likely to be your lawn. But after you've moved in, and start mowing it, you may find that you've got high spots.... Read More >>		Live Wall Decoration (segment #5728) Today, I'm going to show you how to make a living wreath, another kind of wall decoration.... Read More >>

Living Boulder (segment #5720) I went down to my local nursery the other day and picked up a feather rock. Not exactly literally picked it up. I mean, I bought it. They offered to deliver it. It cost me about 40 cents a pound. Bu... Read More >>		Low Maintenance Yard (segment #5716) Planning for low maintenance starts at the very beginning with the shape of the bed. Scalloped curves - hard to mow around. Make nice smooth curves, and laying out a garden hose as I have done here ... Read More >>

Make a Garden Stool (segment #5746) When we work in the garden we know our back gets to hurt, we know our knees get to hurt, and it was the same thing four or five hundred years ago when people were making cobblestone streets. And that... Read More >>		Making a Terrarium (segment #5739) Transporting plants today is simple, but in the Victorian era, people were wild for exotic plants. They wanted them from all four corners of the earth and they couldn't get them there on sailing ship... Read More >>

Making Compost (segment #5749) Making compost is what we're talking about today - how to turn ordinary organic matter like leaves and grass clippings, even kitchen refuse, into black, rich organic humus, good stuff for the garden.... Read More >>		Making Wind Chimes (segment #5744) Here's a simple and inexpensive way to make music in the great outdoors in your home, but I'll warn you, you'll need a piece of paper and a pencil to take directions. It's very specific. Let me show y... Read More >>

Mole Control (segment #6709) Most people would keep fish in a fish tank, but I've got a live mole in this one. So if you've got runs like this one all over your yard, it's because you've got a mole who's hunting down those bad gr... Read More >>		Moving Your Landscape (segment #6740) Time to move into your new house and you want to take along some of your landscape with you? Well, ripping up shrubs, flowers and trees is not the answer. We, however, do have some answers. Transferri... Read More >>

Mulch (segment #5704) The final touch on any landscape includes the application of mulch. Mulch is anything you cover the soil surface with, whether it's a woven polypropylene fabric like this one or one of the other new l... Read More >>		Mum's the Word (segment #6744) The fall is a great time to spruce up your property with a little maintenance and planting. Seeking out bothersome pests and adding a dash of color to accent your property is something that needs to b... Read More >>

One-Legged Stool (segment #9708) Working in the garden can be a rewarding experience, but it can also cause your back and knees to hurt. Hundreds of years ago, the bricklayers who made cobblestone streets came up with an ingenious wa... Read More >>		Outdoor Lighting (segment #9707) We’ll be talking low-voltage lighting today. I’ll need the ladder because what I want to do is down lighting where we go up into a tree and shine the light down. It creates a really nice moonlit effec... Read More >>

Overseeding (segment #5709) And the first step in having a nice looking lawn is getting rid of the existing vegetation. I'm using a selective post-emergent herbicide. It'll kill only the weeds. There are other chemicals, of cour... Read More >>		Patio Pond (segment #5725) I'm going to make a patio pond. I'm going to use this big clay pot. Of course, in order to do that I have to seal it, both inside and out - inside so it doesn't leak - outside so it doesn't sweat.... Read More >>

Patio Water Feature (segment #9702) There’s no doubt that water gardening is gaining in popularity in America, and why not? Today I’d like to show you a way to bring the sound of splashing water and the plants and the fish to your patio... Read More >>		Pet Containment (segment #5702) Do you want your dog to have the free run of the entire yard? Installing an electronic pet containment system can keep your dog from getting into the neighbor's yard or into traffic.... Read More >>

Plant a Tree (segment #9705) Whether you are planting a tree to provide shade, erosion control, fruit, or a branch for a swing, here are the steps to make your planting successful.... Read More >>		Plant Press (segment #6741) A Plant Press can help you make great looking stickers with Dried Flowers. This is a great project to do with Kids!... Read More >>

Plant Propagation (segment #6727) Not all of us have the time, the space or the inclination to produce a garden like this around our homes. But we all have room inside our homes to grow a few houseplants, and what I'd like to talk abo... Read More >>		Planting a Tree (segment #5703) Planting trees is fun and good for the environment. But, there are some things about the mechanics of digging and planting a tree that you need to know about to help the tree survive the ordeal.... Read More >>

Planting Bulbs (segment #6746) Laying your bulbs within the soil in a particular pattern can be a fun way to be creative with your landscape. Any design can be created that will flourish in the coming season. It just takes a little... Read More >>		Planting Mint (segment #6718) This is variegated Bishop's Weed. It's also known as Egopodium and it's a terrific ground cover plant for shady locations. I got it because I thought it was attractive. I planted one little four-inch ... Read More >>

Planting Trees (segment #5732) The first thing you do when you move into your new home is plant trees. This house has plenty of room to plant trees. But trees have a purpose. They can serve as shade trees of course. They can als... Read More >>		Poison Control (segment #6748) As any pet owner knows, they can rummage and get into just about anything. Sometimes they get into something fairly innocuous like a rib roast left unattended on the kitchen counter. But sometimes the... Read More >>

Poison Ivy (segment #6721) "Leaves of three, let it be." That's the old saying about poison ivy. Properly identifying poison ivy is the first step to removing it from your yard. If you discover you have poison ivy in your yard,... Read More >>		Potted Plants (segment #5737) Even though they're still blooming, and even actively growing, it's time to start thinking about bringing in our houseplants for winter. We've had them out here in the great outdoors, and they've don... Read More >>

Pruning a Tree (segment #5715) A lot of us like to grow vegetables in our back yard, and that's a good thing, but some of us like to grow fruit trees too. Only thing is, a lot of us don't know how to prune fruit trees. There's no... Read More >>		Pruning a Tree (segment #9709) Pruning can rejuvenate trees and shrubs, making them healthier and more beautiful. The proper time of year to prune will vary between types of plants. Check with your local nursery. Here are a few tip... Read More >>

Putting Green (segment #6736) The short game is the downfall of many golfers. Practicing your chipping and putting can be as simple as stepping into your backyard and enjoying your own artificial putting green. There are numerous ... Read More >>		Rain Barrel (segment #6717) Collecting rain water for your indoor plants is easy and it provides the purest water without any chemicals.... Read More >>

Rainwater Collection (segment #9704) As a landscaper, one of the most frequent problems I’m asked to help solve involves water, and right here we have all the signs of severe water problem. What we need to do is get that water into that ... Read More >>		Raised Bed (segment #5718) What we're looking at here is a failed attempt at a raised bed. It was going to be a vegetable garden, but it was poorly constructed, strength was not a factor here, and really, the point of a rais... Read More >>

Rebuilding a Rose Bed (segment #6705) Some of the roses in this rose garden were doing pretty well. Some of them weren't. And what we'd like to do today is improve the soil so that all the roses do better. ... Read More >>		Recycling Yards (segment #5754) When we build a new home, we move a lot of topsoil around. It's unavoidable. Unfortunately, a great many of us don't return any materials to the topsoil. Today, I'd like to talk to you about recycling... Read More >>

Removing a Tree (segment #9706) Today we’re going to cut down a tree. We’re going to use a chainsaw. Now I don’t know about you, but when I was younger it seemed like nobody I knew owned a chainsaw. And now, with people using firewo... Read More >>		Repelling Animals (segment #5753) Today, I'd like to show you a variety of ways to keep small animals like squirrels and rabbits from becoming a nuisance in your landscape. Even cats and dogs can become a problem in your garden.... Read More >>

Repelling Birds (segment #6737) Most of the time, birds are a welcome addition to our yards and landscape, however they can be pests when it comes to vegetable gardens. Here are a few simple tips on repelling birds from your garden.... Read More >>		Replacing a Post (segment #6730) One rotten support post on your deck can create an unsafe platform for you and your family. Do not take chances. Replacing a deck post is a quick and simple process. Here are a few steps to follow.... Read More >>

Setting a Post (segment #6707) Joe Sherinski shows us how to properly set a post in the ground. And he also shares three common mistakes that are made.... Read More >>		Shishi Odoshi (segment #6732) The Shishi Odoshi is an ancient deer frightening device found in Japanese gardens. However, if you don't have a Japanese garden, the Shishi Odoshi is a perfect addition to any water garden.... Read More >>

Soil Preparation (segment #5719) I've finished my raised bed. And now what I'm going to do is get ready to plant vegetables in it. But if you're going to do something like this, a good and an intelligent place to start is with a ... Read More >>		Spring Garden (segment #6745) As fall approaches, it's a great time to go out and collect seeds to store over the winter. ... Read More >>

Spring Maintenance (segment #6708) Here are a few tips for sprucing up your landscape this spring. ... Read More >>		Stag Horn Ferns (segment #5743) Not all ferns grow in soil. Some, like this one, are epithetic, like orchids and certain bromeliads. It grows in trees, its roots never touching soil. In fact, in grows in organic matter that build... Read More >>

Starting From Seed (segment #6704) Starting your own plants from seed can be a challenge. Joe Sherinski can show you how to grow your favorite plants starting from seed.... Read More >>		Stone Stairway (segment #5712) What we've got here is an old staircase that's no longer functional. Railroad ties were used as the risers, and these bricks were used as the treads. The bricks have settled. The railroad ties ar... Read More >>

Storm Clean-up (segment #6720) Cleaning up after a storm, can often involve cleaning up debris and parts of broken trees. ... Read More >>		Stump Removal (segment #5717) This tree stump is decomposing. We've got these fungus over here that are proof-positive that there is decomposition going on here, so this stump will rot out. But if we drill some holes through the t... Read More >>

Sun-Dried Tomatoes (segment #6728) Sun-drying your own fruits and vegetables saves you money at the supermarket and is a great way to preserve this season's bounty for the rest of the year. ... Read More >>		Table Top Fountain (segment #6735) You've seen them in all the stores lately, $50 to $200 apiece for a little bowl of water with a pump in it. You can make one and I'll show you how. ... Read More >>

Tool Maintenance (segment #5700) Sometimes the first stop for a new garden tool is not the garden. It's the workshop and the reason for that is that a lot of manufacturers produce factory dull tools. I don't think of a spade as being... Read More >>		Topiary Dog (segment #6743) Have you ever wanted a dog that won't keep the neighbors up at night, shed all over your house, or lick every guest that walks into your home? Maybe you should consider investing in a topiary dog.... Read More >>

Topiary Sphere (segment #6733) We've all seen topiary shrubs, shrubs that are carved into geometrical shapes or into fanciful animals. We've all seen Edward Scissorhands. But in my search around nurseries and garden centers, I'm al... Read More >>		Trimming Hedges (segment #5706) There's a lot of dead wood in this hedge, and the reason for it is vertical sides. This hedge has been trimmed with vertical sides for years and years, and as a result, all the foliage at the bottom n... Read More >>

Tufa (segment #6713) I'm going to make a birdbath out of a trashcan. We'll make a square planter with a cardboard box. All you need, plastic bags, the correct ingredients - sand, Portland cement, and peat moss.... Read More >>		Turf Seat (segment #5750) I'm going to go up this slope behind me and build a turf seat, right up in here. What I'm going to be doing is digging down into the ground about 15" or 18" and building the backrest of my bench.... Read More >>

Upsidedown Tomato (segment #6723) There's a great deal of joy and pleasure in gardening. And eating that first fresh tomato out of your own vegetable garden, it's a hard thing to beat.... Read More >>		Veggie Garden (segment #5726) We've worked with this soil. We've added humus and cow manure. We've added peat moss and sand and worked it up really well and what we have now is a nice, loose loamy rich bed for a garden.... Read More >>

Vine Pole (segment #6712) Now here's a simple and worthless space that somebody built into this deck - for whatever reason - I don't know. And I've been looking at it for quite a while and thinking, "Now how can I make better ... Read More >>		Walkway Lighting (segment #5701) You've finally moved into your new house. You've even planted an all-new landscape. Tomorrow night's the big housewarming party. And while these steps are great during the day, at night they may pose ... Read More >>

Weed Control (segment #5705) With a lawn seeder like this one, we can now apply herbicides to our lawns. They'll knock out all the weeds and fertilize the lawn at the same time - weed and feed products. But if we're going to use ... Read More >>		Wind Chimes (segment #9713) Wind chimes can bring music to the great outdoors. Here are step by step instructions for building wind chimes from materials found at any hardware store.... Read More >>

Winterizing Garden Produce (segment #5752) Well, the frost is on the pumpkin, the broccoli has bolted and it's time to put the garden to bed for winter. But I'm not going to waste any of the produce. Even though they're green I know a way to r... Read More >>		Winterizing Roses (segment #5751) One of the things that you need to know to grow roses successfully is how to properly winterize roses. Now that simply means hardening them off and getting them ready to stand the rigors of the winter... Read More >>

Winterizing Tools (segment #5742) When it starts getting to be fall, and we feel that first bit of cool air, it's time to start thinking about winterizing our lawn and garden equipment. Our rotor tillers, lawn mowers, string trimmers... Read More >>