Home & Garden
Projects rooted in real life.
DIY plans, seasonal maintenance, useful planting, and the costs and lessons we learn along the way.
Best lumber for raised beds: cedar vs. pine vs. composite
Compare price, durability, modern treated-lumber guidance, fasteners, and the material we would choose for two 3×8 beds.
Compare bed materials →Best fencing for deer, rabbits and groundhogs
Compare deer mesh, welded wire, hardware cloth, posts, gates, winter durability, and the layered system we would choose.
Compare fencing →How to build a 20×10-foot hillside garden
Our step-by-step sequence for layout, level bed pads, raised beds, fencing, paths, soil, irrigation, and planting.
Follow the build →Native flowers for a part-sun garden
Ten native choices, spring-to-fall bloom coverage, moisture zones, spacing, wildlife value, and a realistic budget.
Plan the border →Best vegetables for 4–6 hours of sun
Our realistic crop list, Cleveland-area planting windows, and a layout for two 3-by-8-foot raised beds.
Plan the beds →Complete shopping list for our 20-by-10-foot hillside garden
Quantities, realistic price ranges, what to buy first, and where we can save without making the garden flimsy.
See the complete list →Our $1,250 plan for a 20-by-10-foot hillside garden
A realistic starting budget for raised beds, wildlife protection, soil, paths, irrigation, and native plants.
Read the full plan →