New website for do-it-yourselfers

By Holly Hayes

RISMEDIA,--Bryan Powell turned to the Internet two years ago in search of ideas for a built-in barbecue, bar and a slate tile patio he wanted to construct in his back yard in Castro Valley, Calif.

Instead of finding ideas to inspire his project, he found frustration.

“There was not one single place on the Internet where I could go to view pictures of people’s yards and projects,” Powell says.

So he created one.


The site, www.yardshare.com, launched in February and has some 130 user-submitted yard and garden projects featuring more than 3,000 photos. Powell says the site attracts 75 to 100 visitors a day.

Powell, 29, works by day as a client relationship manager at a finance company in San Francisco. Before creating YardShare, he had no experience building a website.

So he taught himself.

“I bought a book and some software,” Powell says. It took him seven months of working 18-hour days-combined with his “real” job-to get the site to the point where it was ready to be launched to the public.

Powell designed the site to be a place where homeowners can share pictures, stories, advice and information in an interactive way. Most of the projects posted online are from homeowners who have done the work themselves, but some have had professional help for part or the entire job.

Powell also invites landscape professionals to post photos of their work; San Anselmo’s Avant Garden has put up several.

Projects on the site are clustered by type: large and small yards, front and back gardens, hardscape, lighting, pools, patios, water features, etc. Call up the outdoor kitchen section, for example, and you can see 87 photos that chronicle the step-by-step progress of Mike and Leslie’s kitchen-it’s not done yet-that includes a cooler, sink, four-burner propane grill, stainless steel open-air wood grill and bar seating for six.

Visitors to the site may view the projects as slide shows or look at individual photos as thumbnails. They also can ask questions and post comments. Those wishing to add photos of their own projects must go through a simple registration process.

“Some people just go in and post a few pictures of a completed project, but others treat it as an ongoing portfolio so they can show family and friends how their project is coming along,” Powell says. Weekend warriors, he says, post a rush of new photos each Monday.

What about his own backyard project? It’s chronicled on the website.

© 2008, San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.).
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Transplanting perennials

Here's some more useful gardening advice from our friend Mike McGroarty.

Today we're going to learn how and when to transplant garden perennials. Just thinking about moving a favorite plant from one spot to another might make you nervous, but don't fret. It's really a simple process.


Timing is key to successfully transplanting perennials. Here's a general rule of thumb that will help you determine the best time to transplant any perennial:

If the plant blooms in the spring, move it in the fall - early September or later. If a plant blooms in the summer or fall, move it in the spring.

When transplanting in the spring, start when the plant's new growth begins to appear so you'll know where and how much to dig. Plants that are being transplanted in the fall can be cut back by half just prior to moving. This will make the move easier on you and the plant.

The first step in transplanting is to prepare the new home for the plant. Clear the area of any weeds, dig a hole appropriate for the plant and add some compost to the soil.

Now it's time to go back and dig up the plant. I know, this is the part that can be scary. You can do it! Start by digging all around the plant with a the spade beneath the clump and lift the plant and its rootball out of the ground.

Next, plant the perennial in its new home. Always replant your plants at the same depth they were at originally. Refill the hole with loose soil and tamp it down a bit to eliminate any air pockets. Then give your plant a good drink to help it settle in, and keep the soil moist - but not soggy- as the plant reestablishes itself. A transplanted plant may look a bit bedraggled for awhile, but it will come back the next season strong and happy.

There are a few perennials that simply do not like to be moved. Peonies and tree peonies, bleeding hearts, foxtail lilies, butterfly weed and goatsbeard do not like to be transplanted. Move these plants only when it is absolutely necessary. If you must move a peony, do so in late fall after a hard freeze while the plant is dormant.

(more personal stuff about Mike and Pam)
http://www.freeplants.com/stuff.htm