Garden & landscaping guides
How-to guides for mulching, filling beds, gravel, pavers, lawns and rainwater — each links to the calculators you’ll need.
- Mulch coverage chart: how far a yard or a bag goes, and how deep to spread itHow many square feet a cubic yard or a 1.5, 2 or 3 cu ft bag of mulch covers at 1–4 in deep, how deep to spread it, and how to measure odd beds.
- Bagged vs bulk mulch: how to find your break-even pointBulk mulch is cheaper per yard, but delivery fees and minimums change the math. How to work out the break-even point for your job with your own prices.
- How to fill a raised bed cheaply (without ruining it)Cut the cost of filling raised beds: bulk soil, log layers, lasagna layering and cardboard — what works, what settles, and what to avoid.
- Gravel types for driveways and paths: #57, crusher run, pea gravel and moreWhat #57 stone, crusher run, #3, #411, pea gravel, river rock and decomposed granite are, what each is used for, and how much a yard weighs.
- How to lay a paver patio, step by stepPlan, excavate, build a compacted gravel base, screed sand, lay and cut pavers, and lock the joints. Materials list and quantities for a DIY paver patio.
- Overseeding vs sod: which fixes your lawn better?Compare overseeding, seeding a new lawn and laying sod: cost, time to a usable lawn, best season, water needs and when each one makes sense.
- How to read a fertilizer bag (N-P-K) and work out how much to applyWhat the three N-P-K numbers mean, how to convert a nitrogen recommendation into pounds of product, and how slow-release nitrogen changes the rate.
- Rainwater harvesting basics: how much you can collect and how to store itHow much rain a roof sheds (0.623 gallons per sq ft per inch), sizing rain barrels and tanks, first-flush diverters, mosquitoes, and checking local rules.
- How much a cubic yard weighs: gravel, dirt, sand, mulch and stoneTypical weight of a cubic yard of gravel, topsoil, fill dirt, sand, river rock and mulch, in tons and pounds — and what that means for your truck.
- Words you’ll hear at the yard: landscaping terms explainedCubic yard, bulk, crusher run, #57 stone, compaction, topdressing, overseeding, N-P-K, CCE, drip line and more — plain-English meanings for first-timers.