The GardenOwl Audits

Deep-dive diagnostics, design critiques, and visual master plans to solve your toughest landscape challenges.

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Curb Appeal

Overgrown Foundation Shrubs: How to Open Up Your Front Yard and Restore Curb Appeal

Are overgrown, spherical shrubs hiding your home's best features? Learn why sheared foundation plants ruin curb appeal and how to fix your front yard layout.

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Retaining Walls

How to Turn a Weedy, Swampy Slope Into a Level Backyard With a Retaining Wall

Planning to level a sloping, weedy yard with fill dirt? Learn why burying organic matter causes sinkholes and how to properly prep for a retaining wall.

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Curb Appeal

Why Your House Looks Like a Dropped Monopoly Piece (And How to Anchor It)

Does your home look like it was dropped into a pasture? Learn how to fix The Floating Facade Syndrome with deep foundation beds and structural walkways.

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Lawn Care

Why Topsoil Over Clay Kills New Lawns (And How to Fix It)

Removing artificial turf to plant a real lawn? Learn why dumping topsoil over compacted clay creates a bathtub effect, and how to prep the soil correctly.

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Drainage

Why You Should Never Bury a Catch Basin (And How to Stop the Mud)

Thinking about covering your yard drain with rocks? Stop. Learn why burying a catch basin causes underground clogs and how to properly frame it to stop mud.

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Lawn Care

Why Leveling Your Lawn With Compost Is a Trap (And How to Fix It)

Trying to level your lawn with homemade compost? Learn why pure organic matter sinks, why wet compost clumps, and how to mix sand for a permanent structural fix.

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