The GardenOwl Audits
Deep-dive diagnostics, design critiques, and visual master plans to solve your toughest landscape challenges.
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Exterior Makeover: Taming the 'High-Lumen Focal Trap' on a Stone Facade
Is your garage door the brightest thing on your house? Learn how to pick paint colors that work with stone veneer and fix disjointed landscaping.
Why Mulch Slides Down Your Hill (And How to Lock It in Place)
Stop watching your mulch wash away in every rainstorm. Learn why standard chips fail on slopes and how to use jute netting and groundcovers for a permanent fix.
Reclaiming a Driveway: Why Simply Dumping Topsoil Will Kill Your New Lawn
Removing an asphalt driveway to expand your yard? Learn why 'Substrate Denial Syndrome' kills new grass and how to fix the soil sub-base correctly.
Why Your DIY Garden Steps Will Slide Away (And How to Fix Them)
Placing pavers directly on soil is a recipe for disaster. Learn why 'Migratory Riser Syndrome' happens and how to build stable, long-lasting garden steps.
Why Neighborhood Cats Use Your Garden as a Toilet (And How to Stop It)
Is your flower bed a neighborhood litter box? Learn why cats target bare soil and how to use mechanical barriers and smart planting to stop them.
Why Grass Won't Grow Under Your Big Tree (And Why Sod Will Fail)
Stop trying to force a lawn in 'dry shade.' Learn why that muddy strip under your tree kills sod and how to fix it with the right groundcover.