Home & Garden
Projects rooted in real life.
DIY plans, seasonal maintenance, useful planting, and the costs and lessons we learn along the way.
Why our new Speed Queen smelled on the first drain
The hidden water behind the odor and the overnight hot-water cleaning cycle our repairman recommended.
Read what worked →
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 →