"HomeSkills: Landscaping" will make your lawn space the envy of your neighborhood. Take a quick glance outside your window. What do you see, if it's a sprawling panorama of flawless landscaping design, if it looks uncannily like a postcard, then you're all set. But if, like most of us, your yard is just a bit lacking, then this is your how-to guide to finally achieving the outdoor space you've always wanted. "HomeSkills: Landscaping" offers a complete look at every aspect of landscaping, from early design to project execution. First, you'll gain an overview of the many options at your disposal, exclusively featuring popular DIY products that are readily available and affordable. You'll learn which design effect will best fit your particular home landscape, be it a flagstone patio, a vinyl fence or a healthy row of perfectly situated arbor vitae. And no matter which direction you take, this hardworking book will seamlessly bring you there by covering all the essential landscaping skills, from proper excavation and boulder transportation to planting shrubs and sand-setting interlocking pavers. Patios, walkways, overhead arbors, windbreaks, fences and gates, you'll learn the best techniques for creating all of the beautiful planted and built elements that define any successful home landscape. Best of all, your new space will be cherished by family and friends alike and the neighbors will quickly forget their jealousy when they're enjoying it alongside you.
Complete self-sufficiency may seem out of reach, but for more and more of us, increasing our self-reliance as much as possible is the order of the day. Incorporating dairy goats as the centerpiece of a diversified homestead can be the key to achieving this goal, and "Raising Goats Naturally" will show you how. By working with nature, you can raise dairy goats and produce your own milk, cheese, meat, fertilizer, leather, fiber, and soap all without relying on drugs or following the factory farm model. By observing your own animals closely and educating yourself about their specific needs, you can create an individualized plan for keeping them healthy and maximizing their productivity. This unique, fully-illustrated guide will teach you to help your herd thrive with: breed-specific descriptions to help you choose the right goats for your goals and life style, detailed information on housing, fencing, breeding, health, milking, and nutrition, complete recipes and instructions for making your own cheese, dairy products, and soap, as well as cooking with goat meat. Packed with personal experiences backed up by expert veterinary advice and scientific studies, "Raising Goats Naturally" brings together a wealth of practical information on raising goats for the love of it and using their milk and meat to become more self-reliant. Deborah Niemann is a homesteader, writer, and self-sufficiency expert who has raised livestock for over ten years.