Lawn and garden builds are the projects that define the yard's structure — the bones that everything planted around them makes sense against.
01Garden shed — basic framing
A simple garden shed is a 2x4 stud frame on a pressure-treated skid foundation or a concrete block foundation. The skid foundation is two or three 4x6 or 6x6 pressure-treated timbers laid level in gravel, with the shed frame built on top. Frame the walls, sheath with T1-11 or OSB, and apply felt and roofing. A 10x12 shed takes a weekend with two people and costs $1,500–$3,000 in materials depending on roofing and door choice.
02Retaining wall — dry-stack stone
A dry-stack retaining wall holds soil without mortar — gravity and batter (backward tilt into the slope) do the structural work. The first course is set in a level trench below grade. Each subsequent course sets back 1 inch per foot of height from the face below. Backfill behind the wall with gravel as you build each course for drainage. A dry-stack wall is limited to about 3 feet in height without additional engineering. Above that, a battered block or mortared wall with a drain pipe is the right approach.
03Compost bin build
A three-bin compost system is three open-front boxes side by side, each 3x3 feet, made from 2x6 horizontal boards on 4x4 corner posts. The front boards are removable — set them in channels made from 2x4 vertical pieces screwed to the front of the corner posts. This allows front access for turning and removal. The three-bin system allows one bin filling, one bin curing, and one bin finished compost in rotation.
04Fire pit — dry-laid block
A dry-laid fire pit is a ring of retaining wall block or fire brick stacked two or three courses high. Excavate the center 6 inches deep and fill with gravel for drainage. Stack the blocks in a ring without mortar — the gaps between blocks provide combustion air. A 3-foot diameter pit is functional and appropriately scaled for most yards. Leave a gravel border of at least 2 feet around the exterior perimeter.
Marcus Webb is a general contractor and home maintenance writer based in Columbus, Ohio. He writes about the repairs and installs that come up every year in every house — the practical, repeating work that keeps a home livable.