Scotch Pine Berm

What does one do with extra dirt? Why, build a berm, of course!

Trips to Home Improvement Centers: 4

This project started when they dug the hole for our patio. We had a couple of loads of dirt dumped in the back corner of the lot and the berm was born.

It was nothing more than a pile of dirt for most of the summer. We started buying mulch to keep the weeds down and then bought the pine tree in the fall - big tree sales then, you know. It still needs some work, but this is where it stands now.

The berm is approximately 8'x12' and about 2' high at it's highest point. The scotch pine was listed at 8-10' when we bought it but once the root ball was in the ground, it's only about 5' tall. 25 linear feet of edging was required to keep the twelve (so far) 40-pound bags of mulch in place. Other than a shovel, the only tool required was a utility knife.

Hicks Yew Hedge

Quarter acre lot + backyard patio = privacy hedge

Trips to Home Improvement Centers: 6

We started this project after we'd relaxed on the patio for a couple of months. We slowly started putting mulch down around the patio and waited for the big fall sales at the nurseries.

We actually bought the yews in two phases. The first phase included the Scotch Pine while the second was just yews. The purchases were about 3 weeks apart. We figured that would give the neighbors time to ponder whether or not we had a particular dislike for them alone or if we were actually going to complete the hedge on the other side as well.

The hedge is comprised of eighteen 24" tall yews. It basically has two stretches, each 21' long. 60 linear feet of edging was required to keep the twenty-five 40-pound bags of mulch contained. Tool requirements were simple: a shovel and utility knife.

Brick Paver Patio

Who wants the simplicity of a concrete patio when you can revel in the complexity of a brick paver patio?

Trips to Home Improvement Centers: 20

First, some specs... The patio is approximately 15' x 22' (330 square feet) and required 1,320 bricks, 6 cubic yards of gravel, 3.5 cubic yards of sand, the rental of a plate compactor & a wet saw, and a minimum of 20 trips to home improvement centers.

About 15 friends and neighbors chipped in on the all-day project. Rubber mallets and knee pads were appropriate attire.

About 10:00 a.m. we had to get another ton of sand (in 50 pound bags) from Home Depot. Then, at about 3:00 p.m. we had to get another 300 bricks from Menards. What would a Broke Homeowners home-improvement project be without extra trips to the store?