Outdoor Living
Hardwood vs Softwood Mulch: Which Is Better for Your Garden?
If you are standing in the garden center staring at bags labeled “hardwood” and “softwood” mulch and wondering whether the difference actually…
Outdoor Living
Your backyard can be the most-used room in your home. This section is about turning ordinary yards into places you actually want to spend time — patios and decks, fire features, lighting, shade, low-maintenance lawns and the planting that ties it all together. Expect practical ideas for every budget, whether you’re starting from a bare slab or refreshing a tired garden.Begin with our pillar guide to outdoor living and backyard landscaping, then browse the projects and gear that make the space inviting after dark and easy to maintain.Popular guides in this category:Backyard landscaping & outdoor living ideasThe best fire pitsThe best solar outdoor lightsSmall backyard ideas on a budget
Outdoor Living
How to Overwinter Vegetables in the Garden
Overwintering vegetables means leaving hardy crops in the ground through the cold months and harvesting them fresh as you need them, instead…
Outdoor Living
How to Use Row Covers in the Garden
A floating row cover is a lightweight sheet of spunbonded fabric — usually polypropylene — laid over a bed to shelter crops…
Outdoor Living
How to Build a Low Tunnel (Hoop House)
A low tunnel is the workhorse of season extension: a row of arched hoops covered with clear plastic or garden fleece, forming…
Outdoor Living
How to Use a Cold Frame to Extend the Season
A cold frame is the simplest, cheapest season-extension tool in the garden — a low, bottomless box with a clear sloping lid…
Outdoor Living
Reel vs Rotary Mower: Which Is Right for You?
Most homeowners never give the cutting mechanism of their mower a second thought — they buy whatever rotary model is on sale…
Outdoor Living
Fall vs Spring Planting: When Is Best?
“When should I plant this?” is one of the most consequential questions in gardening, and the answer surprises a lot of people:…
Outdoor Living
Compost vs Topsoil: What’s the Difference?
Walk into any garden center in spring and you will find pallets of bagged “topsoil” stacked right next to bins of “compost,”…
Outdoor Living
Mulch vs Landscape Fabric: Which Is Better?
Walk down any garden-center aisle and you will see two competing promises for weed-free beds: bags of mulch and rolls of landscape…
Outdoor Living
Clay vs Sandy Soil: How to Tell & Improve Each
The fastest way to know which soil you are fighting is to grab a damp handful and squeeze. If it ribbons out…