I have been digging a hole in my yard for a water garden that I am going to construct, but the soil is rock hard and in-organic and because of the hole’s location in between two huge trees there are thousands of roots from small grass roots to huge 6" thick or bigger roots from the trees. I’ve been using a hoe to loosen the dirt for shoveling and to cut the roots, but it’s becoming an extreme physically enduring project. Are there any other low-budget methods to get a hole dug? Remember, I need to dig a hole to match my measurements and designs for a water garden, not just a big hole.

Note: A water garden, in my case, is a small man-made pond with fish, aquatic plants, frogs, etc.

Will it be safe to eat the stuff we are going to grow? It seems weird to me. We are doing a veggie/fruit garden over my mom’s house and she wants to put "organic fertilizer" (POOP!) in the dirt. What is the proper way to do this? This is the first time I’ve grown anything so any tips would be helpful! Thanks!

Do you know any sites that has good landscaping pictures to get ideas? I have planted 6 fruit trees, and now need to do the landscaping and the ground work to cover the dirt and make it look nice.

If i don’t cover the dirt, weed keeps growing and dried grass. Pls help, thanks!

I am planning to have a concrete patio poured at my new house. How can I be sure the contractor is properly preparing the "underlayment" before pouring the concrete? I know that a certain amount of dirt should be removed (about 8"), that 3/4" gravel and fine gravel should add back about 4" when compacted, and that there should be a pre-soil treatment as well as a vapor barrier installed before the rebar goes down, but what else should I be sure gets done before the 4" thick concrete gets poured?

Also, what PSI rating should the concrete be for this type of application?

I am in the Southern California area, in case weather is a concern.

I am asking this question for my mother. Our family cat of 16 years had to be put to sleep a few months ago and in her old age she started not wanting to brave the cold outside to toilet and instead was using the indoor garden. Now 3 or 4 months later mum has got a new kitten for the family but she is trying to use the same spot inside as our old cat. I read that cats do this because the smell of previous animals is really strong to them even though it has been cleaned. So Mum wants to stop this behavior ASAP. The kitten is really good and goes outside, she has a cat door and is really good about using it and gets lots and lots of praise when she goes outside, but she still tries to use the indoor garden as well. It is full of alive plants and is a big stone planter box so it can’t be removed. Any ideas on how to stop this or anything we can spray around live plants that will deter kitty? Oh one more thing, mum has tried one thing that you sprinkle around, not sure of the name of it I think its some sort of orange crystals but its not helping, and she has tried putting pebbles on top of the dirt but kitty still just tries to dig the pebbles out of the way to get to the dirt.

I have a terra cotta pot in it that my pets like to swim through. I wanna get dark-brown gravel to make it look like dirt. Oh, and a lot of plants.

Any suggestions on species of plant/other decor? Any help is needed.

Thanks!

I have about 6 feet of space between the house and the fence and I want to create a little patio or sitting area out there. There is nothing but dirt right now and there is a good 1 foot difference between the hight of the ground at the house and the height at the fence. What is the best method for flattening the ground, then paving over with stone or brick? And should I leave some slope for drainage purposes? Any other drainage issues to consider?

My boyfriend just cut out a piece of our wooden patio to plant grass for our dog. The wooden deck is not original to the house, it originally came with just dirt. Does cutting the wooden deck to put in grass bring down the value of the home?

our grassy areas have become dirt areas… any suggestions are appreciated.
should we plant a hardier grass? artifical grass is to costly..

Ok Kids, while you are off today see what you can make me with the following…..
A glass Jar
water
dirt
6 Red Roses
paper airplane
glass beads
wind chime
potatoe salad
bacon
bread
mayo
Cd Player
Barry White Cd

have fun with that. The most interesting wins. Off to work!