DIY Network

Evaluating the Situation Evaluating the Situation From "Grounds for Improvement" episode DGFI-111

Regina Rizzi and Scott Scheinbaum face quite a few problems with their yard: Much of it is so overgrown that you can't tell the grass from the weeds from the plants! The side fence can't close because the area isn't level, and the steep front yard poses a possible erosion problem.

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Not to worry! Jackie Taylor and Dean Hill, the intrepid Grounds for Improvement duo, are stepping in to put their problem-solving skills to the test in the Rizzi-Scheinbaum yard.

Tools
2 chainsaws with gas mix
Circular saw
Shovels
Wheelbarrows
Gloves
Safety goggles
Trowel
Sledgehammer
Mallet
Drill
Hose
Tarps
Portable concrete mixer
Edging tool

Materials
30 (6"x6"x8') composite timbers
Ton chip stone
6 (80#) bags Quikrete
4 (8') sections metal edging
4 cubic yards hardwood mulch
6 (24"x24") flagstone
2 (20#) boxes 12" timber spikes
3 tubes exterior silicone caulk
8' section 1-1.2" PVC pipe

Plants
5 Wardii yew
1 serviceberry
3 miscanthus
1 flat English ivy
3 caryopteris
3 butterfly bush
3 red chokeberry
27 assorted perennials

Figure A

For a sloping yard, a retaining wall is a great choice to help control erosion and create a more leveled area. Use landscape marking paint to outline the area where you'll be building the retaining wall. If you plan to have your new retaining wall terraced, you'll need to create reference lines to show where each level begins. After the reference lines have been marked, the digging can begin (figure A)! At the bottom of the wall there will be a walkway, so the area needs to be completely level. If you run into a buried drainpipe while digging, there's a simple solution that won't put your plans to a halt. Simply dig around the exposed pipe and figure out where your new leveled ground is going to be. After you've reached the appropriate depth, cut the pipe and install a 90-degree elbow pipe so the drainpipe will sit on the newly leveled ground. You can then reconnect the old pipe to the new elbow pipe and cover it with dirt to make way for the new retaining wall. These pipe connectors can be found at most home-improvement stores.

If you have overgrown spots in your yard that you want to turn into flowerbeds, start by weeding out the area.