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Home & Garden Guides

Short, practical reads that answer the questions people ask most before starting a project — how deep to go, which material to choose, and the mistakes that cost time and money.

A wooden raised garden bed filled with rich soil and growing vegetables Raised beds

How deep should a raised garden bed be?

Root depth by crop, plus how deep is deep enough without wasting soil.

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Topsoil and compost side by side ready to fill a raised garden bedSoil

Topsoil vs. compost for raised beds

What each one does, the right ratio to mix, and which to buy in bulk.

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A tree with a wide, flat ring of mulch and the trunk base left exposedMulch

How much mulch should I put around a tree?

The right depth, the gap to leave at the trunk, and how to avoid mulch volcanoes.

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Worker finishing a freshly poured residential concrete slab with a bull floatConcrete

How thick should a concrete slab be?

The right thickness by project, and why the base matters as much.

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Control joints dividing a large concrete slab into even panels, seen at a low angle Concrete

How far apart should concrete control joints be?

The spacing rule by thickness, the 15-foot cap, cut depth and timing.

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Cross-section diagram of a fence post set in concrete over a gravel base, with the frost line marked and the 36 inch post depth, 6 inch gravel base and 42 inch hole dimensioned Fences

How deep should a fence post be?

The one-third rule, why the published depths disagree, and the frost line that overrides them.

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Cross-section diagram of a block retaining wall showing the 14 inches of levelling pad and buried course below grade, and the same wall measured as 2 ft 10 in from grade or 4 ft 0 in from the footing Walls

How tall can a retaining wall be without a permit?

Four feet — but measured from the bottom of the footing, which is 14 inches you cannot see.

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Cross-section diagram of a retaining wall showing water draining through the free-draining stone into a perforated pipe at the base and out to daylight Walls

Why retaining walls fail

Water, not weak blocks — and the gravel behind the wall is not the drainage path.

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Laying concrete pavers on a screeded bedding sand layerSand

How much sand do I need for pavers?

Bedding vs. jointing sand, how much of each, and the base underneath.

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A compacted gravel base being prepared before a concrete pourGravel

How much gravel under a concrete slab?

The 3-step calculation, depth by project, and the right gravel to use.

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A paver patio being laid out and measured Pavers

How many pavers do I need?

Step-by-step calculation, paver sizes, waste allowance, and joint gaps.

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A tidy flower bed topped with fresh mulchMulch

How much mulch for a flower bed?

A simple formula, a coverage chart, and worked examples for any bed size.

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Concrete pavers being laid in a running bond pattern on a screeded sand bed Pavers

How to build a paver patio

The full build sequence, from excavation depth to locking the joints.

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Segmental concrete blocks stacked on a compacted gravel base with drainage stone behind Retaining walls

How to build a retaining wall

Base trench depth, gravel backfill, and the drainage that keeps it standing.

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Drainage trench lined with fabric, perforated pipe bedded in clean stone Drainage

How to install a French drain

Trench depth, the 1% fall rule, and why it has to be clean stone.

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How to use these guides

Each guide is written to answer one specific question clearly and quickly, with the practical detail you actually need before you buy or dig. Where it helps, a guide links to the matching calculator so you can turn the advice into an exact amount — for example, deciding on a raised bed depth and then working out the soil to fill it. Start with whichever question matches your project; you don't need to read them in order.

More guides coming soon

We're steadily adding guides covering soil, mulch, gravel, and the wider home and garden projects these calculators support. If there's a question you'd like answered, the contact page is the place to suggest it.

Know what you need? Get the exact amount

Once a guide has helped you decide, our free calculators turn it into the precise quantity of soil, mulch, or gravel to buy.

Open the calculators