Yards
How To Help Prevent Melanoma While Working Outside
In this guide, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook explains the importance of using sunscreen on the job site to prevent melanoma.
How to Install a Water Feature that Reuses Rainwater
Ask This Old House landscape designer Jenn Nawada installs a water feature that collects and reuses rainwater.
All About Fire Pits
From lightweight metal bowls that set up anywhere to fixed masonry wells that are a gather-round feature on a patio or a patch of grass, fire pits extend the outdoor-living season in style. Here’s how to choose one for your own space.
Idea House 2017 | Outdoor Living Reveal
The TOH Beach House features multiple spaces for outdoor living, each with its own distinct look and all easily accessed from inside. With plenty of colorful, coastal-inspired furnishings and accessories, we’ve created unique spaces from the front porch to the backyard, perfect for entertaining, relaxing, and dining. Let’s take a stroll
How to Harvest Honey from a Beehive
Landscaper Roger Cook and a professional beekeeper harvest honey, talk about hive health and show you how to maintain and grow your hive.
How To Set Up a Beehive: A 12 Step Guide to Beekeeping
In this guide, This Old House’s Roger Cook takes you through everything you need to plan and install a beehive in your backyard.
A Steeply Sloped Yard Becomes a Hillside Oasis
Terraced areas and added plantings that go with the flow in a welcoming family retreat
42 Ideas for the Perfect Outdoor Space
It’s time to throw open your doors and enjoy life alfresco. Turn even the simplest patio, porch, or deck into an inviting open-air retreat
7 Giant Yard Games You Can DIY
Get ready for a summer of big fun with these oversized DIY yard game projects that are sure to be a hit with your family.
The Ultimate Checklist for Hosting a Perfect Backyard Party
If you're planning an outdoor get-together, you have a lot of work ahead. Thankfully we can help you sort through your list. Read our step-by-step guide to learn the best ways to assemble guest lists, choose the right music, and more.
Build It | How to Build a Chicken Coop
A DIY chicken coop is a charming way to welcome feathered friends into your backyard - and provide a source of fresh eggs for you.
How to Build a Fire Pit Patio
On their own, handsome stone pavers expand a home’s entertaining space, but add a fire pit and your yard becomes a destination
Secrets to Better BBQ
Rubs, sauces, relishes, and bastes are essential additions that give grilled food its character, personality, and soul
DIY Pool, Pond, and Fountain Ideas for Your Yard
Check out this comprehensive guide to installing and maintaining water features in your yard, from ponds to pools.
7 Shed Designs You’ll Love
Explore these 7 unique shed designs using LP® Outdoor Building Solutions and find inspiration for your outdoor space.
Everything You Need to Know to Restore a Green, Healthy Lawn
Ask this old house landscaping contractor Roger Cook heads to Kentucky to show a homeowner revive his lawn step by step.
Cordless Lawn Mowers That Won’t Quit
We’re living in the golden age of cordless lawn mowers. Not long ago, these quiet, smokeless cutters had anemic batteries that made you wish you were mowing with gas.
How to Put Your Snow Blower to Bed
Here’s what to do now to ensure that your snow blower is ready for action next winter.
How To Maintain Fruit Trees
Read these care tips from Tom Spellman of Dave Wilson Nursery to learn how to properly maintain fruit trees, from fertilization to pruning.
How to Run Electricity to a Shed
Electrician Scott Caron shows us how he powers an outbuilding—which takes wiring knowledge as well as lots of digging.
How to Shovel Snow Safely: Expert Tips and Tools for Winter
Shoveling snow doesn't have to be hard. Here are the best ways to shovel different kinds of snow, prevent injury, and lessen your workload.
A Green and Serene Water-Thrifty Landscape
Sculptural shrubs, verdant groundcovers, and dappled sunlight create the magic in this canyon-hugging property in Los Angeles.
Prep Your Yard for Fall
Cooler temperatures and abundant rainfall are an invitation to tend to what’s green and growing. Here are 3 things you need to tackle this fall
How to Build a Tree House
Kevin O’Connor and Tom Silva build a great backyard treehouse using special hardware that will allow the tree to continue to grow for many years
How To Build a Tree Fort
Use specialty hardware and a mix of lumber and branches to create a tree fort sturdy enough to support your kids’ wildest imaginations.
How To Build a High-Tunnel Greenhouse for Your Plants
Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook helps a homeowner build a simple, affordable backyard greenhouse.
How to Install a Frost-Proof Hose Spigot
In this guide, Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey explains how to install a frost-proof spigot for your home.
How To Install a House Hydrant
In this guide, Ask This Old House plumbing expert Richard Trethewey shows you how to install a house hydrant to replace a leaky spigot.
A Suburban Lot Turns into Magical Garden Rooms
Here's how an ordinary suburban lot became a nature playground for kid and adults alike—with ideas anyone can use
How To Hand-Prune Trees
In this guide, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook demonstrates how to properly hand-prune trees using the three-cut method.
Unbelievable Front Yard Renovations
See how these unbelievable front yard transformations reveal the power of paint, plantings, and facade face-lifts.
Build It | How to Build a Chicken Coop
Ask This Old House general contractor Tom Silva creates a backyard chicken coop for a homeowner in Connecticut in "Build It."