10 backyard blunders and how to fix them

The grass is not greener
If your grass is suffering due to lack of care, it may be time to evaluate your fertilizing, watering, and mowing schedule. But another alternative is to replace it all together. Alternative ground covers can provide greenery without all the drudgery. Clover can be a remarkably easy alternative, and in shady areas moss may well be the logical choice. Other ground covers include thyme and periwinkle. Ask for advice at your local nursery.

Don't miss out on fall foliage
Although many of our Canadian trees, including the iconic maple, don't lack for fall impact, some planning can add even more colour to your garden over the fall. Try sumach (the non-poison kind of course), red chokeberry and tor spirea. Another approach is to replace container plants with displays of dried flowers, gourds, and other fall ornaments.

Winter blahs
When planning a garden don't forget to incorporate some evergreen and other plants of winter interest. Also plan for height: if all your foliage is low-lying enough to be covered by snow, it doesn't matter which colour it is. Ornamental grasses, plants which leave interesting fruit such as (bayberry plants) and plants with coloured barks (such as red osier dogwood) are great additions to the more traditional conifer plants to keep gardens vibrant.

Grey and faded decks and fencing
As long as the wood is still sound, you can clean and revive your deck and fencing. First, inspect the area to see whether there is a stain or sealer on the wood. Although deck cleaners are made to clean stained or sealed surfaces (and will in fact remove the sealer), a stained section will make the wood look “blotchy” if the rest has worn away. If you can see stain left in low-traffic areas, use a stripper in the area to get rid of it, following the manufacturer's instructions.