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How to Design a Backyard That Fits the Way You Live | Exmark

by Exmark

Most homeowners don’t have a problem with their backyard, they have a problem crafting a yard that fits their lifestyle. They walk outside, look at the space, and feel the weight of every possible decision and project hit them all at once. Grading issues, overgrown beds, the patio they say they’ll eventually get to rebuilding, the list goes on. Before they’ve even done a single thing, they’re already overwhelmed.

Here’s the thing: that feeling usually isn’t about their yard. It’s about where they’re trying to start. In this Done-In-A-Weekend Projects episode, Doug Scott of Redeem Your Ground helps you do just that. Because a backyard that works for your family doesn’t always begin with plants, patios, or Pinterest boards. It begins with your life.

Front Yard vs. Backyard: Two Different Design Goals

Before diving into design, it helps to understand that your front and back yards have fundamentally different jobs.

Your front yard is largely about the street: drawing the eye to the front door, creating a welcoming arrival for guests. The design decisions there are more formal, more about first impressions.

Your backyard? That’s where things get personal. It’s the space that can most reflect who you are and how your family spends their time outdoors. The back is where you have room to be creative, expressive, and intentional in a way the front yard rarely allows. Everything that follows is about getting that right.

Start With Life, Not Landscape

The first question Doug asks every new client has nothing to do with plants. It doesn’t have anything to do with grade, drainage, or existing hardscape either. It’s this: how do you actually want to live outside?

It tends to surprise people, but the answer shapes everything.

Some families want to gather: a yard built around long evenings with people they love, a fire pit that’s always ready, a dining area close enough to the kitchen that nobody thinks twice about eating outside. Others want to grow things, whether that’s food for the table or a cut garden that produces beautiful bouquets. Some want room to play. And some just want a beautiful place to look at.

And some want all of it, which is fine. What matters is knowing which of those things matters most, and in what order. That’s where every good backyard design plan begins.

A few questions Doug says are worth considering before going any further:

  • What do you love about your current yard? These are the things that stay no matter what.
  • What do you dislike? That view of the neighbor’s driveway. That corner that never drains. Name it.
  • Do you have pets? Dogs especially change the calculus. Fencing, traffic patterns, dedicated relief areas, and surface durability all factor into the plan.
  • How long do you plan to stay? There’s no sense building an expensive master plan if you’re moving in three years.
  • Is there a yard from your past you’ve always wanted to recreate? A grandparent’s garden, a childhood home, a place that just felt right? That kind of memory can quietly shape a design.

One more thing: give yourself permission to forget. What you saw on social media, or what your neighbor just had installed, might be perfect for them. Be inspired, sure. But your backyard plan should reflect your life, not someone else’s.

Know What You’re Working With

Once you’re clear on how you want to live outside, then look at what you’re dealing with.

Walk the yard and pay attention to the realities. Where does the sun hit, and for how long? Where does shade fall during the hours you’re most likely to be outside? Are there grading or drainage issues that need to be addressed before anything else happens? What’s the soil like?

Get those right and everything else falls into place.

A few more realities worth knowing before anything gets built:

  • Property lines, setbacks, and easements. If you’re adding any structure or hardscape, a property survey is worth every cent.
  • Material costs. A pea gravel patio costs a fraction of what bluestone runs. The bones of the design can stay the same; the materials determine what you can do now versus later.

Think of Your Backyard as a Floor Plan

Here’s the shift that tends to make everything click for Doug’s clients. Instead of looking at your backyard as a lawn with some stuff in it, think of it the way you think about the inside of your home: different rooms, each with a purpose, arranged around how you move through your life.

You have a dining room, a living room, a playroom. You just need to come up with an outdoor floor plan that matches how you live.

Your dining space belongs close to the back door. Every extra step between the kitchen and where you eat is a reason not to eat outside. Convenience almost always wins, don’t overcomplicate it.

Your living spaces (a fire pit, seating area, wherever people naturally end up) are more flexible in placement, but you need to think about how people get there. In a home, a hallway tells you where to go. Outside, that’s the job of your paths. Without a clear one, there’s no clear invitation.

A kids’ play area, especially for younger children, needs to be visible from wherever the adults are going to be—be it the kitchen window or the back porch. And make sure there’s a comfortable spot nearby for you to sit. You’re more likely to go outside, and a lot more likely to stay.

Don’t forget access and storage as you lay out each zone. If the wood for the fire pit is on the other side of the yard, you’ll use the fire pit less. If the garden tools are in a garage that’s a trek away, gardening becomes a chore. Every room needs what it needs to function—storage, access, and whatever utilities make the space work.

The View From Inside Counts

Here’s something most homeowners never think to do as part of their backyard design: go back inside. And look out.

Walk every window and door you use regularly, especially where you spend your mornings or evenings. Then, ask yourself what you want to see. What’s your first thought when you look out the back door? What would make that view better every single day?

That view is one of the most important design decisions you’ll make. And it also helps you prioritize. If you see something every day, it needs to move up on the list. The thing that bothers you every morning should get fixed before the corner of the yard you see much less often.

Think about what deserves to be featured and what deserves to disappear. A beautiful tree, a well-designed garden, an interesting focal point? Feature it. A utility box, a neighbor’s garage, an HVAC unit? That’s exactly what plants, screening, and smart placement are for.

What Makes an Outdoor Space Livable?

Most landscape designers start and end the conversation with plants. Doug’s approach is different, because plants aren’t what make a space livable.

What makes it livable is making sure each zone has what it needs to function. That means planning for storage near each area, so you’re not running back to the garage every time you need something. And, it means mapping out water, electricity, and lighting before anything gets built, not after.

It also means thinking about how the outdoor space connects to the indoor one. When you walk out the back door, the yard should feel like an extension of your home. Not a separate world you have to mentally gear up for.

Work the functional details in from the beginning, and you avoid spending money twice. Skip them, and you’ll almost certainly be tearing something up later to get it right.

Right Plant, Right Place

Once your rooms are defined, your paths are mapped, and your utilities are planned, then you start thinking about plants.

Think first about growing conditions: sun exposure, soil health, and how much room a plant needs at maturity, not just the day you bring it home. Then think in layers.

Background plants give the yard structure and give you something to look at year-round; these are typically taller, evergreen, and carry the space when nothing else is blooming. Mid-layer plants sit in front of those, a mix of perennials and other material that add seasonal interest without the background going bare when they’re not in bloom. Finally, the foreground is where you place your smallest plants, groundcovers, and spots of color.

One more rule worth following: don’t impulse buy plants. A great specimen in the wrong place, or five of them scattered randomly, creates a distracting yard instead of a designed one. Choose a few standout plants for visual interest and let everything else play a supporting role.

One Room at a Time

Doug says you don’t have to solve your entire backyard in a single weekend. And honestly, you probably shouldn’t try.

A master concept is useful because it gives the whole design somewhere to go and keeps the phases from working against each other. But if budget or time doesn’t allow you to do it all at once, pick one room that would make the biggest difference in how you use the yard right now. Get that right, then move to the next one.

Every great backyard starts the same way: with a clear picture of how you want to live in it. Spend some time thinking and dreaming about what that could look like. Come up with a plan. Then build it, one room at a time, until your outdoor spaces feel as much like home as everything inside.

Frequently Asked Questions About Backyard Design

Start with how you want to live outside, not with what’s currently in your yard. Before thinking about plants, patios, or hardscaping, get clear on how you and your family want to use the space. Do you want to gather, grow, play, or all three? Knowing your priorities first makes every decision that follows easier to sequence.

Think of your backyard the way you think of the inside of your home: different rooms arranged around how you move through your life. Your dining space belongs close to the back door for convenience. Living areas (fire pits, seating zones) are more flexible but need clear paths leading to them. A kids’ play area should be visible from wherever the adults will be spending their time. Once those zones are placed, the layout tends to fall into place around them.

Start with what you see every day. Walk every frequently used window and door and ask yourself what’s bothering you. Fix that first. After that, prioritize the structural and infrastructure elements: drainage, paths, irrigation, and any hardscaping that other things will be built around. Once the bones are right, the planting and finishing details layer in naturally.

Pets, especially dogs, change the layout calculus considerably. Think through traffic patterns (where do they run, and what surfaces can handle it?), fencing requirements, and whether a dedicated area makes sense for your yard. Gravel, mulch, and certain plants don’t hold up as well under heavy pet traffic, so surface and plant choices matter as much as placement.

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Joe Thomas’ Dream Yard: A 40-Acre Hunt-and-Fish Property | Exmark

by Exmark

Joe Thomas has lived to hunt and fish for as long as he can remember. And for him, it was never really about the fish in the livewell or the big buck on the ground—it’s the anticipation that hooks him. But as much as he loves being out there in the moment, he knows one thing is always waiting back home: the grass never stops growing. So follow along as we visit Joe’s 40-acre dream yard and see how he built a place that fits his hunt-and-fish property to a T.

The Inspiration Behind a 40-Acre Dream Yard

Believe it or not, his whole property used to be a cornfield. Years before they ever lived here, Joe would look out at that open ground and think what a cool place it’d be to build a house someday. So he made himself a promise: if the opportunity ever arose, he’d build right here and own a piece of it. And that’s exactly what he did. He started with six acres and, slowly but surely, kept adding on over the years as the budget allowed. These days, the place has grown to a full 40 acres.

A Bass Pond in His Own Backyard

Ask Joe to name his favorite part of the property and he doesn’t have to think about it—it’s the bass pond. Sure, he fishes for a living, but that doesn’t stop him from grabbing a rod out of the boat, wandering down to the dock, and firing off a few casts whenever the mood strikes. Some days he’ll slide the little pond boat in and paddle around instead. Having his own water right there in the backyard, ready whenever he is? That’s always meant a lot to him.

Why He Built a Yard Without Fences

Take a look around and you’ll spot something you won’t find on most properties: no fences. And that’s no accident. Joe grew up in your typical suburban neighborhood, where every yard was boxed off from the next. He decided way back then that if he ever got out of the city and built his own place, he’d skip the fences altogether. He’s held to that policy ever since—and he’s convinced it’s a big reason the property looks as good as it does.

Two Trails, Two Totally Different Worlds

Two main trails tie most of the property together, each one running a half to three-quarters of a mile long. The first heads down through the woods, and getting it there took plenty of chainsaw work and cleanup to open up a path that wraps the whole wooded edge of the property. It turned out so pretty that Joe’s wife put her foot down: they had to have a bench out there, a spot to sit and kick back whenever they wander down. The second trail is a whole different animal. It cuts through a CRP field Joe manages as bedding and habitat for the deer and other wildlife, and he uses his Exmark to keep a mowed path running the far perimeter.

Keeping 4.2 Acres Looking Sharp

Here’s the thing about cutting 4.2 acres every single week and keeping it perfect: it’s a monumental task. And Joe travels a lot, so things have got to get done fast. He found that out the hard way. When he first moved in, he took on the whole place with a tractor—in sessions that lasted eight hours and fifteen minutes, stopping only to top off the gas. That was the day it hit him: he needed an Exmark. Now, with a 60-inch deck on his Lazer Z zero-turn mower under him, a job that used to swallow an entire day gets knocked out in a fraction of the time. “Game changer” doesn’t quite cover it.

A Partnership Rooted in the Outdoors

Joe’s history with Exmark goes back a ways—all the way to Bramble Mower, his local dealer for a generation now. Any time he’s had a question or needed a hand with service, they’ve been there. He’s also tight with the folks over at Power Equipment Distributors (PED), the big Exmark distributor in his part of the country. It’s that whole family atmosphere, he says, that keeps him coming back. Exmark just seems to have bred it—and it doesn’t hurt that everybody involved loves the outdoors as much as he does.

At the end of the day, Joe will tell you his dream yard is really just a reflection of how his family lives. They hunt, they fish, they chase shed antlers, and his daughter’s an avid birder. If you can do it outdoors, chances are they’re doing it. This property is where they find their value, and folks always love it when they come to visit.

Frequently Asked Questions About Building a Rural Dream Yard

It really comes down to the right equipment. A large rural property—Joe’s runs about 4.2 mowed acres—can eat up eight-plus hours behind a garden tractor, but a commercial-grade zero-turn with a wide cutting deck (Joe runs a 60-inch model) can cut that time way down. Matching your deck size and mower type to your acreage is the trick to keeping weekly upkeep from taking over your life.

CRP stands for the Conservation Reserve Program, which encourages landowners to keep certain acreage in natural habitat instead of farming it. On a dream yard, a managed CRP-style field makes great bedding and cover for deer, turkey, and other wildlife—basically turning part of the property into a little nature preserve, while still leaving room to mow a walking trail through it.

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How to Create a Dedicated Backyard Game Space

by Exmark

What separates a good backyard gathering from a great one? Sure, food matters. And of course, the company. But more often than not, there’s something else going on—a game. A little friendly competition. A reason everyone wants to stick around just a little bit longer. From cornhole and bocce to games like Kubb, the right setup can turn a simple yard into the center of every get-together. So, tune into this episode of Done-In-A-Weekend Projects, as Doug Scott of Redeem Your Ground breaks down the most common considerations for designing and building a versatile backyard game space. And, learn how to set up and play your next favorite yard game: Kubb.

Learn how to play Kubb: Download

Choosing the Right Location for Your Backyard Game Space

Location is the decision that makes or breaks everything else. Get it right, and your game space invites people in without saying a word. Get it wrong, and it becomes just another stretch of grass in your yard.

Flat Ground

Most yard games simply don’t work on a slope. A slight grade might be manageable, but a steep hill guarantees way more chasing than playing. Before you commit to a spot, walk it and trust your feet. If something feels off, keep on looking.

Sun and Shade

An east-west-facing space can become miserable during peak playtime on a summer afternoon. Ideally, your game area gets natural shade from trees or a nearby structure between 2 and 6 p.m.—the hours when the heat is at its worst and the games are usually at their best. Not every yard can pull this off, and that’s okay. As Doug points out, work with what you’ve got, and let the lighting and seating compensate for what the shade can’t.

Size It Right

Kubb only requires a 16 by 26-foot footprint, making it one of the most space-efficient options out there. If you want room for larger games like cornhole, a casual game of catch, or a little backyard football, aim for a 40 by 60-foot area. Even if you’re starting small, knowing the ceiling helps you plan for what’s next.

Distance, Flow, and Hazards

Your game space should sit close enough to the house that nobody’s making a long trek for a drink or a bathroom break—but far enough that a late-night game doesn’t carry into any bedrooms (or your neighbor’s peace and quiet).

Also pay attention to where people naturally congregate in your yard. Your space should feel like a natural extension of that, not an afterthought shoved into a back corner. When the placement is right, it does the inviting for you. And before you finalize anything, watch for overhead utility lines, exposed tree roots, and fences that could cut the fun short.

What Is Kubb?

Kubb is a Scandinavian lawn game with roots often linked to Viking-era traditions in Sweden, where it’s still widely played today. Sometimes referred to as “Viking chess,” the game is played on a rectangular field between two teams, each taking turns throwing wooden batons to knock down their opponent’s wooden blocks, called kubbs.

Once all field kubbs are knocked down, players aim for the central “king” to win the game. Kubb has grown in popularity as a backyard game because it’s easy to learn, highly social, and adaptable to different yard sizes and surfaces, making it an ideal choice for casual gatherings and outdoor game spaces.

Learn how to play Kubb: Download

Seating: Make it Comfortable for Players and Fans

What’s a sport without fans? Giving spectators a comfortable place to hang out improves the experience for everyone—and keeps the energy going between rounds.

Flexible seating options to consider:

  • Adirondack chairs with a side table. A cluster of two or three chairs gives you a movable conversation spot that adapts to wherever the shade is or where guests want to settle. Just orient them so the sun is behind your spectators during prime playing hours—nobody wants to watch a Kubb match while squinting into the afternoon glare.
  • Built-in benches. For a more permanent setup, a simple L- or U-shaped bench along the perimeter is hard to beat. It frames the space, doubles as a border, and can be topped with cushions for comfort.
  • Picnic table. Positioned just outside the playing area, a picnic table pulls triple duty: seating, a surface for food and drinks, and a natural gathering point between games.
  • Fire pit circle. Just outside the perimeter, a fire pit with surrounding seating serves double duty. It’s the perfect pre- and post-game hangout, and a spot for the crowd to pull in when the weather cools. The fire pit extends your space’s usable hours into fall the same way good lighting extends them into the night.

Storage: The Secret to a Spontaneous Game

Any game space is only as good as its organization—and the real key is accessibility. If your Kubb set is stuffed in a bag under the porch, the game just doesn’t happen spontaneously. But when everything is right there, ready to go? Game on.

Storage ideas:

  • 40-gallon outdoor storage bench. If your space is more laid-back, this is hard to beat. It’s practical, it keeps everything right where you need it, and the lid doubles as extra seating. A Kubb set, bocce balls, and a lawn darts set all fit with room to spare.
  • Storage that matches your style. If your backyard has a more defined look, choose storage that fits it. A cedar box on casters, a weatherproof cabinet, or a custom-built bin locker can all do the job while looking the part.
  • Pegboard and hooks on a shed wall. Before adding anything new, look at what you already have. Some pegboard, wall hooks, or a few shelves can create free storage out of thin air—especially useful for long-handled equipment like croquet mallets or nets. A small awning or overhang keeps it weatherproofed.

The common thread with all of these: proximity. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s close enough to your game space to actually be convenient.

Lighting: Extend the Fun into the Night

Good lighting is what separates a space that’s useless after sundown from one that keeps the energy going all night. Even a simple string of lights or a few solar lanterns around the perimeter can make a huge difference.

Whatever you choose, keep two things in mind: keep the light warm, and keep it out of players’ eyes. If you go with string lights overhead, make sure they’re at least 10 feet up and won’t interfere with the games being played below.

A simple layered approach works:

  • Warm string lights overhead at 10 feet or higher
  • Solar lanterns around the perimeter to define the space
  • A lit path connecting the game area back to the main patio

That last one matters more than you might think. It’s a safety feature, yes—but it’s also an invitation. A lit path that leads from the patio to the game space says, “something’s happening over there.” Get that right, and the space is just as inviting after dark as it is at high noon.

Landscaping: Turn a Patch of Grass Into an Outdoor Room

Landscaping is what takes the space from “a patch of grass with some game equipment” to an actual outdoor room. The goal here is framing the space—not filling it.

What to plant:

  • Low shrubs or ornamental grasses along the sides. Plant them well outside the playing area. They define the space, add a little privacy, and frame the action without blocking sightlines.
  • Edging and borders. Natural stone, timber borders, pavers, or bricks give the court a clean, defined edge that tells everyone exactly where the play space begins and ends. It’s a small detail with a big visual payoff.
  • Shade trees at the perimeter. If your site needs shade that doesn’t exist yet, planting a tree at the southwest corner is a long-term investment worth considering. It won’t help you this summer or next, but it might be the best decision you make for every summer after.
  • Rain garden or dry creek bed (if drainage is a concern). Both are functional and attractive, and they help keep the play surface from becoming muddy and washed out after a heavy rain.

Two things to avoid:

  • Mulch adjacent to the playing surface. It migrates. Give it a hard border or keep it further back.
  • Thorny shrubs along the perimeter. Trust this one. You don’t want a ball—or a guest—rolling into a rose bush.

You Don’t Have to Do It All at Once

This is probably the most important point of all: plan for the full vision from the start, but build it over time as you get a feel for how you actually use the space. Start with the location and the flat ground. Add seating, storage, layer in the lighting, and let the landscaping grow.

The best backyard game spaces aren’t built in a single weekend—they’re dialed in over a few seasons. Each addition makes the space more inviting, more functional, and more yours.

Once you’ve built it? There’s only one thing left to do: Play on.

Frequently Asked Questions About Building a Backyard Game Space

Kubb—one of the most versatile and popular yard games—only requires a 16 by 26-foot footprint, making it one of the most space-efficient options available. If you want to accommodate larger games like cornhole or a casual game of catch, plan for at least 40 by 60 feet. Even in a smaller yard, you can build a functional game space—you may just need to be intentional about which games you prioritize.

A level, well-maintained lawn is the most versatile and popular surface for yard games. Short, dense turf plays well for nearly every game type. Avoid mulch, loose gravel, or heavily sloped areas—these create uneven play surfaces, cause balls to roll unpredictably, and generally lead to more frustration than fun. If drainage is a recurring issue in your yard, consider incorporating a rain garden or dry creek bed at the perimeter to keep the playing surface from getting muddy after rain.

The best game space isn’t designed around a single game—it’s a platform for many. Cornhole, bocce, croquet, lawn darts, and casual games of catch or football all play well in the same space with minimal adjustment. The goal is to build the stage; the games are just the show.

Regular cutting with an Exmark mower at the right height keeps the playing surface consistent and clean. During active growing seasons, maintaining a shorter cut promotes a dense, even turf that plays well for yard games. Clear debris before play, address any drainage issues before they create low spots, and edge around any border materials to keep the playing area defined. A little proactive maintenance goes a long way toward keeping the space ready to go whenever the mood strikes.

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Seasonal Yard Maintenance Checklist

by Exmark

If you’re a homeowner who loves your lawn but feels like you’re always playing catchup, you’re not alone. Between mowing, weeding, feeding, pruning, work, travel, and everything else life throws your way, it’s hard to stay ahead. But what if there’s a better way? That’s where a strategic approach to seasonal yard maintenance comes in, so you can keep your lawn healthy and weekends free.

So, follow along in this episode of Done-In-A-Weekend Projects as host Doug Scott and Exmark ambassador, lawn care expert, and MLF bass pro Brian Latimer break down a proactive maintenance plan that works around your life.

Download the checklist.

Why Seasonal Backyard Maintenance Matters

Most homeowners approach yard work as a week-to-week battle. You mow when the grass is tall, prune when things are overgrown, and constantly react to any problems that might pop up. But a proactive approach ensures your lawn has what it needs before it needs it.

Spring: Setting the Pace

Spring is where you set the foundation for the rest of the year. If you do the right things at the right time, everything else gets easier. Focusing on these key tasks will help you stay ahead.

  • Mower Maintenance: Before beginning your cutting journey, make sure to inspect tire pressure, belts, and oil—and sharpen or replace blades, as needed.
  • Mowing Height: When grass is actively growing in the spring, drop your mower deck about half an inch lower than your normal summer cutting height. This encourages a thick, healthy, weed-free canopy. Remember the Golden Rule: never cut more than one-third of the grass blade at a time. Gradually work your way down to your desired height to avoid shocking your lawn.
  • Pre-emergent Application: Apply pre-emergent herbicide before soil temperatures hit 55°F to stop weeds before they have a chance to germinate.
  • Fertilization: Warm-season lawns need a light early feeding. Cool-season lawns should be fertilized at this time if you didn’t get to it in the fall.
  • Pruning and Cleanup: Handle seasonal pruning for summer-flowering shrubs and ornamental grasses. Remove winter debris, broken branches, and damaged plants from beds. But don’t prune spring bloomers until after they’ve finished flowering.
  • Mulch Refresh: A fresh layer of mulch or pine straw gives beds a clean look and helps retain moisture as temperatures rise.

Summer: Protecting Your Investment

Summer is when your spring plan pays off. If you put the right work in early enough in the year, this season is all about protecting and maintaining what you built.

  • Raise Mowing Height: Raise your deck back up to the higher end of your grass type’s recommended range. For cool-season grasses, that’s between 2½ to 4 inches. Warm-season grasses stay between 1 and 2 inches. This extra length shades the soil, helping your lawn withstand summer heat and drought.
  • Water Deeply: Deep watering encourages strong root development. If you don’t have an irrigation system up and running, water one to two times per week, adjusting based on rainfall. If Mother Nature does the work, you (or your irrigation system) can take the day off.
  • Spot-treat Weeds: Address weeds immediately with post-emergent treatments, but avoid application during bouts of extreme heat.
  • Monitor for Stress: Keep an eye out for heat stress, disease, and fungal patches. Catching these problems early prevents bigger headaches later.
  • Gardening: Stay on top of garden beds by pulling weeds early, checking for pests, and refreshing flowers or vegetables as needed. Summer heat can quickly wipe out weaker plants, so focus on consistent watering, deadheading blooms, and keeping beds clean to prevent disease.
  • Pruning: Light pruning in summer helps keep shrubs and plants under control, but avoid heavy trimming during extreme heat. Focus on removing dead or damaged branches, shaping fast-growing plants, and trimming back anything blocking airflow—better airflow helps reduce disease and fungal issues.

Fall: The Fix-it Season

Many homeowners think that fall signals the end of their lawn care road, but it’s one of the most important seasons for backyard maintenance. If summer beats up your lawn, this is where you heal it.

  • Cool-season Lawns: This is prime growing time. Increase your cutting frequency until growth stops. Dethatch, aerate, and overseed to repair thin or damaged areas. And, make sure to hit your lawn with fertilizer focused on root development.
  • Warm-season Lawns: Maintain your summer cutting height, then lower the final cut (right before full dormancy) by half an inch. And feed lightly before your lawn goes to sleep.
  • Bed Reset: Remove old annuals, cut back perennials as needed, add compost, and plant bulbs that will bloom in spring. Water trees and shrubs the day before a hard freeze to help them through winter.
  • Leaf and Weed Management: Mulch or bag leaves to prevent them from smothering your lawn. Apply pre-emergent for winter weeds to stay ahead of the game.

Winter: Set Yourself Up to Win

When the lawn goes dormant, smart homeowners get ahead. Winter is your opportunity to prepare for success next year.

  • Equipment Care: Winterize your mower, unless you’re in a warmer climate. Fully clean it, change out oil, spark plugs, and air filters. Add fuel stabilizer, slightly relieve tire pressure, and cover with a tarp. Also take time to prep and store other lawn and garden equipment. Care for your tools now, and they’ll care for you in the spring.
  • Major Pruning: Remove dead, damaged, and hazardous branches, and perform major pruning for structure and health on dormant trees and shrubs.
  • Planning: Review the past year’s performance, evaluate what worked and what didn’t. Note problem areas and plan layout changes or additions. Order seed, fertilizer, and materials for next year.

Your Year-Round Maintenance Blueprint

A seasonal backyard maintenance plan is all about doing the right work, at the right time, so your lawn is on your schedule. With a proactive approach, you’re never interrupted or losing time—which means you can spend even more time enjoying the best of the backyard life. So, start with spring, stay ahead, and watch your lawn thrive, all year long.

Just download this PDF checklist to enjoy an even greener backyard life.

Frequently Asked Questions About Seasonal Backyard Maintenance

Once or twice a week, deeply. You want roots growing down, not out. And if it rains, let nature do the work. There’s no need to run your irrigation system on a wet week.

Heat stress tends to look uniform, a general browning or blue-gray cast that bounces back with water. Disease and fungus show up in patches, rings, or unusual discoloration. Catch either one early and it’s manageable. Let it go, and you’ll be doing a lot more work in the fall.

While your lawn is resting, winterize your equipment, sharpen your tools, prune dormant trees and shrubs, and plan for the year ahead. Get organized now so you’re not scrambling when spring hits.

It’s one of the most important seasons of the year, especially if summer was rough on your lawn. Aerate, dethatch, overseed the thin spots, and feed for root development. The work you put in now is what your lawn shows off next spring.

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Lawn Irrigation 101

by Exmark

The only thing better than a healthy lawn and garden? A healthy lawn and garden that’s given just the right amount of water at just the right time. All without having to lift a finger. Enter: smart lawn irrigation systems. Tune into this episode of Done-In-A-Weekend Projects as host Doug Scott teams up with irrigation expert Tom Tootle from Toro Irrigation to unpack the basics, and benefits, of everything irrigation. So you can keep your lawn green, and garden pristine, all season-long.

Why Lawn Irrigation Matters

Doug puts it simply: “If you’ve ever lived through a drought or maybe forgotten to water your lawn, you know just how much everything relies on water.” And, with all the countless hours and dollars you’ve put into perfecting your backyard spaces, forgetting a few days of watering can put your biggest home investment in serious peril.

Which is where an irrigation system comes into play. As Tom points out, because every living thing outside your home depends on water, it’s like insurance for your landscape. You’d protect every room in your home with an insurance policy. So, it’s just as wise to protect the biggest “room” of your home: your yard.

Irrigation System Breakdown

When people think “irrigation system,” they tend to think of underground pipes and sprinkler heads—which is half the truth. In fact, it all starts with a controller—or the “brains” of the operation—which uses low voltage wiring to direct a series of electrical valves and zones throughout your yard. This enables you to tailor your watering schedules based on the specific needs of different areas, such as wide-open patches of lawn or garden beds in ample shade.

And, those patches of lawn are typically kept watered by rotors, which rotate to cover large areas. Allowing you to cover your lawn with a minimal number of heads. Then, for smaller areas (like your gardens), sprinklers are used. You can adjust them to spray from one foot up to eight feet—meaning you never waste water.

For gardens that need a gentler touch? Drip irrigation (or similar low volume systems) deliver slow, steady water right at the base of the plants. Reducing evaporation and keeping foliage dry—a must for disease prevention.

Saving Nature… And Money

Irrigation systems aren’t all about convenience, they’re friendly for the environment (and your wallet). Today’s smart irrigation systems utilize sensors that detect rainfall, optimizing the schedules and water usage for each zone. As Tom puts it, “If Mother Nature does the work, your irrigation system takes the day off.”

Meaning, the system waters only when it needs to, saving water and cutting down on your utility bills. And, helping your lawn and garden thrive.

Upgrades, Maintenance, and Additional Considerations

If you already have an irrigation system in place, good news: many systems can be upgraded without having to rip everything out and starting over. To that point, Tom says it’s always best to have a professional service your system at least annually. They’ll check for leaks, re-calibrate rotors, and winterize systems in colder climates.

It’s also important to consider growth. If your system hasn’t been updated in a few years, you’ll find that plants or trees have grown to the point where zones need to be reprogrammed for optimal coverage.

Installation: DIY or Pro?

If you’re looking at installing a system of your own, Tom says it’s best to look to the professionals for help. Fortunately, the install process won’t make a big mess of your lawn. Thanks to today’s trenchers, the installation impact will be minimal.

But before Doug and Tom sign off, Tom parts with one final tip: schedule your install for when your lawn is in its peak growing phase. For warm-season grasses, that’s May through August. For cool-season grasses, that’s early spring or fall.

A modern irrigation system is one of the best investments you can make for your lawn, helping improve the health and beauty of your lawn and gardens. All while saving money, helping Mother Nature, and protecting the time and energy you’ve poured into your landscape in the process.

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Common Lawn Weeds & What To Do About Them

by Exmark

Every backyard warrior knows how quickly a weed infestation can turn a dream yard into a nightmare. So how do you get ahead? Exmark pro ambassador, weed expert, and owner of Alabama Lawn Pros, Jason Creel, is on the weed-fighting case. Follow along in this episode of Done-In-A-Weekend Projects as Creel joins host Doug Scott to help homeowners better understand the common lawn weeds in their yard. So you can develop a prevention strategy that keeps them at bay and enjoy a weed-free backyard life.

Weed Control Basics

Before Doug and Jason dive into the wide world of weed control, there are a few pointers to consider first. Namely, as Jason says, weed control isn’t a one-and-done process. Across the country, or even across the road, every yard has its own mixed bag of weeds. So work and research are needed to ensure that you have the right product at the right amount—and at the right time.

And before you can even consider herbicides, you have to win the first half of the battle: identifying the weeds in your lawn.

Identifying Common Lawn Weeds

As you’ve probably guessed, not all weeds grow the same—which can make formulating your weed control approach slightly overwhelming. Thankfully, they fall into three categories, grassy weeds, broadleaf weeds, and sedges, making control slightly easier.

Crabgrass growing in a lawn
Crabgrass by pollyalida on Flickr

Grassy weeds, such as crabgrass and goosegrass, can be difficult to identify, as they boast long, flat, and pointed blades that look very much like those in your lawn. Unlike turfgrass, these weeds grow in clumps or bunches, have visible seedheads, hollow stems, and are slightly off-color from the surrounding lawn. They also grow both taller and more quickly than your lawn, giving you a slight advantage in the identification game.  

Dandelions growing in a lawn
Lawn covered in dandelion flowers by Mike Mozart on Flickr

Broadleaf weeds are easier to identify than their grassy counterparts, owing to their wide, flat (and broad) leaves. Their leaves are typically veiny as well, possessing one large vein that bisects the center of the leaf with countless smaller ones branching off it. These weeds also tend to sprout bright flowers and seedheads (dandelions and clover being two of the most common types) and grow a deep taproot that’s tough to root out.

Nutsedge growing in lawn
Nutsedge by Jkadavoor (Jee) on Flickr

Finally, sedges—like nutsedge—look a whole lot like turfgrasses and grassy weeds. That’s where a deeper look comes into play. Unlike grassy weeds, which have hollow stems and leaf nodes, sedges have solid, triangular stems.

The Life Cycle of Weeds

As Jason says, before you can start “spraying and praying” herbicide, you also have to first understand the life cycles of weeds found in your yard.

Some weeds, like common ragweed and spurge, are annuals. Meaning, they germinate, grow, and die all within a single season. Others, like oxalis and nutsedge, are perennials, returning year after year, requiring constant maintenance and vigilance to hold them at bay. And that’s not to mention biennial weeds, such as wild carrot and musk thistle, which have a two-year life cycle. They experience vegetative growth in the first, followed by flowering and seed production in the second, before finally dying.

Like the grass in your lawn, these three weed life cycles are further characterized by their seasonal growth cycles. Warm-season weeds germinate in the spring, thrive in the summer, and die off in the fall. Whereas cool-season weeds germinate in the fall, mature in the spring, and die in the scorching summer sun.

Herbicide Application and Timing

The various weed types and life cycles mean that weed control is way more than a one-and-done, or even twice a year, effort. It requires year-round strategy and application to effectively nip them in the bud.

It all starts with a pre-emergent herbicide application in both the spring and fall as the first line of defense. However, timing is key, as soil temperature dictates when seeds germinate, making it essential to monitor your local weather. Some varieties, like crabgrass, germinate when soil temperature hit 55º F. So, depending on your climate, an early spring (or even winter) application is a must.

While settling into a routine is nice, you can’t always stick to the same schedule you’ve followed in the past. The weather shifts every year, giving us cooler springs or warmer falls, so you need to adjust your application timing for the best results.

Even the best plan doesn’t keep 100% of weeds from slipping through—which is where post-emergents come in. Simply put, apply post-emergents whenever weeds rear their invasive heads. For even better results, Jason states you can mix pre- and post-emergents together to control existing weeds while fighting back against future ones.

As always, make sure to follow the instructions on your product label. Different products have different application and temperature restrictions, so it’s best to know everything before you get spraying.

Herbicide Selection

Unfortunately, there’s no one-product-prevents-all when it comes to weed control. Some weeds develop resistance to certain products through generational exposure, and others require different types of treatments. So rotating herbicides with different active ingredients is your best bet to ensuring long-term success.

Additional Weed Control Considerations

While herbicide use does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to weed control, a healthy, thick lawn goes far. And part of that lawn health starts with mowing—a healthy lawn fights weeds more easily, so sharp blades and varied mowing patterns are a must.

Mowing frequency matters too: lawns cut weekly tend to have fewer weeds than those cut every other. If you let your grass grow too tall and cut off a large chunk to save time, you risk stressing and weakening your lawn. So, make sure to mow at the ideal height according to your grass type and stick to the “Golden Rule” if hopping on the mower after a long break.

At the end of the day, weed control boils down to three main points: identification, application, and consistency. If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to getting ahead of the spread or fighting back against a potential infestation. Oh, and enjoying a green and pristine backyard life, of course!

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