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  • Tuning Up the Landscape
    		•
    Solutions for this desperate landscape: Remove an ugly awning, hide an unattractive garage door and fill up the garden with plenty of low-maintenance flowers.
    From "Desperate Landscapes"
    episode DDSL-207


    (Continued from page 1)

    Project 1: Remove an awning

    Hyesun and her neighbors agree that one of the most desperate parts of her landscape is the ugly awning over her porch. It hides the beautiful stone work on her house. Jason plans to remove it.

    Steps for removing an awning:

  • Use a power drill to remove the screws that attach to the porch and the posts (figures A and B).

    Photo

    Figure A
    		Photo

    Figure B

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    PHOTO

    Figure C

  • Where the awning is attached to the house, the screws have been painted over making them tricky to loosen. Jason uses an 18-volt impact driver to help remove the screws without stripping them (figure C).
  • Remove awning with help.
  • Check with local community for proper disposal.

    Project 2: Build a planter

    Jason's plans call for a planter to hide the unusual garage door at Hyesun's house. The planter was custom-built to fit into the space between Hyesun's driveway and garage. This planter can be built to any measurements. The front, back and bottom of the planter were cut to the same length. The two sides were cut to the same length.

    How to build a planter:

  • Cut 45-degree angles on each corner.
  • Use wood glue or construction adhesive to join each corner together.
  • Use a finishing nail gun to secure them.
  • For extra support, glue 2' x 2' cedar blocks in each corner.

    PHOTO

    Figure D
    PHOTO

    Figure E
    Jason's plan calls for adding some trim to give the planter a cottage-like feel to match the style of Hyesun's house. He bought an eight-foot section of picket fence at a home improvement center.

    How to apply pickets to the planter:

  • Pop the pickets off the fence (figure D).
  • Remove nails from pickets.
  • Use table saw to cut pickets down to size (figure E). We decided ours should be 33 inches. Jason lined up three or four pickets at a time for cutting to save time.
  • Use a 16"-pneumatic nail gun to attach the pickets to the planter.
  • Finish with paint or stain.

    PHOTO

    Figure F
    Jason lines the planter with a butyl rubber liner. Liners are often used for ponds, but can also make a perfect liner for the planter.

  • Cut liner to size.
  • Use staple gun to attach liner to planter (figure F).
  • Use a utility knife to cut X's on the bottom of the liner to allow for drainage.
  • Fill liner with plants.




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  • RELATED PROJECTS:
  		• Installing an Awning
  		• Low-Maintenance Plants
  		• Garden Watering 101
  		• Lawn-Watering Basics
  		• Watering Container Plants

  • ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  		• Tuning Up the Landscape
    		•