DIY Life

I am not a weed vigilante. I do not obsessively seek to control the weeds in my yard. "Live and let live" is usually my philosophy.

Some weeds, however, are just begging for a fight. They spread everywhere and are super-tough to eradicate. Crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) has to be one of the top weeds on most gardeners' lists. It's pretty harmless-looking, pretty even. But it spreads relentlessly by seed, taking over patches of lawn and spreading into garden beds.

Got a crabgrass problem? Check out the following tips and reign it in!

Dreaming of a Mediterranean-style oasis in your own yard? Me too! Okay, let's get inspired!

So, what makes certain gardens "Mediterranean," anyway? Well, for starters, they're designed to withstand both lots of heat and irregular rainfall. The garden designs are visually appealing, true. But they're also low-care and eco-friendly. Because plants are selected for toughness, and lawns are absent or insignificant, there's less need for chemicals and watering.

1. It's all about contrast.
Mediterranean styling is pretty easy to imitate. The essential element? Contrast. That is, contrasting hard, structured surfaces with soft, unstructured foliage and blooms. Think tumbling vines atop high stone walls. Think paved walkways next to climbing roses. Think clipped hedges fronting tall, slender cypress trees. You get the picture.

At an upscale garden center the other day I saw the cutest UFO-style toad house for sale. For, like, $90. Ack!! Really nice if you have the money for something like that. However, you can actually encourage toads for just pennies down. Any small, toad-sized container offers toads the shelter they need to feel safe. Meanwhile, something more elaborate need only set you back a few bucks.

Need inspiration? Check out these photos of toad villages posted by readers of About.com. These are so cute, aren't they? Personally, though, I'm into a more naturalistic look, something I think might be more likely to attract wildlife, too. In the photo above you can see the toad house I made using polished stones. I'll talk more about that in a bit, but also be sure to check out my gallery for step-by-step photos!

Before going any further with the toad houses, however, let's backtrack a little. Why encourage toads in the first place? Well, first of all, toads are suffering as human habitats (cities and suburbs) suck up more and more land. Second, toads are also being harmed by exposure to chemicals used in landscape maintenance. By giving a toad or two a safe place to hang out, you're helping boost their numbers.

Got a big ugly space in your yard that needs filling? Adding yet another evergreen shrub seem boring? Consider pampas grass! It's a big beauty of a plant, one that -- like all ornamental grasses -- is frequently overlooked by home landscapers.

Here are a few reasons why I love pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana):

1. It grows fairly fast, so is an ideal choice for filling in large, barren landscapes.

2. It grows nice and thick, creating an effective privacy screen, wind break or sound barrier.

3. Its long, graceful blades and delightfully fluffy pannicles (flower plumes) are beautiful.

4. Its vertical angles evoke the tropics, bringing an exotic feel to suburban yards and otherwise drab mall parking lots. Its long blades also create a dramatic and pleasing visual contrast with other garden shrubs and trees. Meanwhile, its rounded and slightly wild shape makes it an excellent softener of hard urban surfaces, like brick walls or metal signs. (See the photo above for a perfect example of this.)

Want colorful flowers this spring? No time to read that 500-page gardening book you got for Christmas? Well, time-pressed gardener, here's how to grow masses of beautiful pansies in 10 easy steps.

1. Know your zone. Is now a good time to plant? The answer depends upon your zone. Check the USDA's plant hardiness map. Pansies are grown as annuals in zones 2 to 11 (i.e. most of the US) during spring and fall. From zone 9 south to zone 11 (south Texas and most of Florida), they will grow right through winter. North of zone 9, they may die down during winter, but come back in Spring. Further north, the cold will kill them stone dead. Bottom line: if the weather is warming up for Spring and you don't expect any really hot weather anytime soon, you're probably good to go.

2. Buy smart. Don't be sucked in by the brightest blooms. Instead, buy dense, sturdy-looking plants with lots of healthy, green leaves and buds. These will give you more blooms in the long run once they get established. Another buying tip: it's better value to buy whole trays of baby pansies rather than pint-sized pots of mature ones. Be patient and those tiny plants will soon grow to full size.

Looking at the prices of lamps kind of makes my stomach queasy. Even the cheap ones are too expensive. My lamps are in desperate need of being upgraded. It isn't that I don't like them anymore, it's just that the lamp shades have to be fixed. Oh, and I don't like them.

Over on Instructables, bekathwia has made a lamp from an old champagne-like bottle. She recommends using a bottle that is heavier on the bottom, since a top-heavy lamp would be a fire hazard. I think you could weigh the bottle down with some colored sand to avoid the issue of it toppling over.

You can purchase your lamp parts at the hardware store, but what fun would that be? Why not gather up the parts you've been saving just for this special lamp making day. A rubber stopper, a short threaded bar (which in my opinion could be a bolt with the head cut off), a bulb socket with cap, switch, and shell, some electrical wire and of course, a wall plug. You know you have all of it stashed somewhere.

In any case, you should be able to follow the easy step by step instructions, and in no time flat, you'll have made your very own table lamp from a bottle. If this idea isn't up your alley, then check out these other lamp making ideas from DIY Life, and you'll be sure to find something to suit your lamp tastes.

Are you tired of getting into a 150 degree vehicle after a long day at work? Are you sick of grabbing your sun glasses off your vehicle console only to have them melt into your nose when you put them on? Have those vinyl burns on the backs of your thighs healed up yet? There's a simple solution to vehicle interior overheat that will take you about 10 minutes to make and the chances are that you already have what you need to make it right at your finger tips. It's simple, cheap and easy to store when not in use.