GARDENING Index
Diseases & Weeds
Flowers
Fruits & Vegetables
General Information
Container Gardening
Insects & Pests
Kids Gardening
Lawns & Landscaping
Landscaping, Arranging & Mulching
Raised Beds
Structures, Walls & Walkways
Other

Plants & Foliage
Public Gardens
Seasons & Zones
Services & Associations
Shrubs & Trees
Soil & Water
Structures & Ornaments
Tools
Water Gardening
Wildlife

SPONSOR LINKS

  • Desperate Landscape: Bachelor Pad
    		•
    A bachelor with a busy schedule and a rather embarrassing home exterior gets some help with the yard he's been neglecting.
    From "Desperate Landscapes"
    episode DDSL-101


    (Continued from page 1)

    Removing Wisteria

    Brandon had a very invasive wisteria growing up the side of his house. The wisteria can grow more than 10 feet each year. It became entangled in the electrical lines and can be blamed for much of the damage to the porch. Here are some tips for removing invasive wisteria:

    • Carefully untangle it from any structures.
    • Prune off branches.
    • Dig up the any many wisteria roots as possible to prevent re-sprouting.
    • If a stump is left in the ground, paint it with herbicide to kill it.

    advertisement


    PHOTO

    Figure F
    Painting Shutters

    Brandon's shutters need a paint job. Jason decided that a deep cherry color would look good with the house. Normally, Jason likes to remove the shutters before painting, but Brandon's were difficult to remove so we left them in place (figure F).

    • Scrape away any chipping paint.
    • Clean shutters and allow to dry.
    • If paint is in bad condition, use a quality primer.
    • We're using a dark color and decided to go with multiple coats instead of a primer.

    PHOTO

    Figure G
    Replace Sidewalk with Paver Walkway

    Brandon's sidewalk was uneven and a definite tripping hazard (figure G).

    Jason's solution to the problem is to break up the broken sidewalk and replace it with a new paver walkway. Here are the basic steps:

    PHOTO

    Figure H
    PHOTO

    Figure I
    PHOTO

    Figure J
    PHOTO

    Figure K

    • Wearing safety glasses and boots or heavy shoes, Brandon uses a sledge hammer to bust up the existing concrete walkway where it has buckled to create a level working surface (figure H).

    • Install plastic edging to form the outline of the walkway (figure I).

    • Spread about one inch of concrete sand on the walkway surface. Do not use playground sand. You'll want concrete sand because it is grittier and will hold the pavers in place.

    • Use a level to check the grade of the sand. We created a slight slope in the walkway to allow water to runoff into the yard (figure J).

    • Install pavers in the pattern of your choice.

    • You may want to use a wet saw to cut any end pieces to the appropriate length. Rentals for wet saws typically cost about $50 to $75 per day.

      Safety Alert: Follow relevant safety measures and precautions, and wear appropriate protective gear, any time that you use a wet saw or any power tools.

    • Finish by sweeping another layer of concrete sand over the top of the pavers to further lock them in place (figure K).

    WEB-EXTRA: New Gutter