The GardenOwl Audits
Deep-dive diagnostics, design critiques, and visual master plans to solve your toughest landscape challenges.
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The 'Red Mulch' Trap: How to Prep Your Garden for Real Estate Photos
Selling your home? Discover why red mulch is a mistake, why you must remove construction debris, and the cheap planting trick that adds instant curb appeal.
West-Facing Yards and Vegetable Gardens: How to Avoid a Low-Light Disaster
Planning a veggie garden in a shady west-facing yard? Read this before building raised beds to avoid leggy plants and wasted money.
Fixing the 'Spongy' Lawn: Why Kikuyu Needs Tough Love (and Better Edging)
Recovering from a Kikuyu lawn renovation? Learn why your grass got spongy, why the 'red dirt' phase is normal, and how to stop runners from taking over.
The "Gravel to Grass" Trap: Why You Should Keep the Rocks and Fix the Path Instead
Thinking of replacing your gravel side yard with a lawn? Here is why that is a budget-busting mistake and how to fix your drainage and design for under $800.
Taming the Beast: How to Thin an Overgrown Bougainvillea (and Evict the Wasps)
Is your Bougainvillea a dense wasp fortress? Learn why 'hedging' makes it worse and how to perform thinning cuts to open up airflow and save your patio.
Ditching the Fake Grass: How to Build a Cool, Edible Garden in a Hot West-Facing Yard
Turning a hot artificial turf yard into a kid-friendly edible garden. Learn why weed fabric fails, how to design shade tunnels, and safe raised bed layouts.