The GardenOwl Audits
Deep-dive diagnostics, design critiques, and visual master plans to solve your toughest landscape challenges.
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Slope vs. Steps: Solving the 8% Grade Dilemma (And Why Your Path Cracked)
Deciding between a sloped path or garden steps? We analyze the 8% grade rule, fix cracking flagstone, and help you choose the right hardscape for your waterfront.
From Mud Pit to Beer Garden: Fixing the 'Flatline' Allotment
Is your allotment productive but ugly? Learn how to add vertical structure, fix muddy paths, and create a relaxing 'garden room' before spring starts.
The 'Fishbowl' Deck: How to Fix Privacy Without Building a Sauna
New deck feeling exposed? Stop waiting for tiny shrubs to grow. Learn how to cure the 'Polka-Dot Virus' and use timber slats for instant privacy and airflow.
Privacy Trees in Zone 9: How to Fix the 'Fishbowl' Effect Without Creating a Maintenance Nightmare
Stop neighbors from staring into your yard. Learn why Podocarpus 'Maki' is the perfect privacy screen and why planting on the fence line is a mistake.
The "Dead Zone" Under Your Trees: Solving the Dry Shade Dilemma
Struggling to plant under large conifers? Learn why "Hydraulic Competition" kills your garden and how to build a lush woodland slope using native drifts.
The "Surface Conduit" Trap: Why Wildflowers Can't Fix Bad Drainage
Thinking of planting a wildflower garden? Stop. If you have exposed drain pipes, you need to fix the infrastructure first. Here is how to bury the pipe and plant "structured chaos."