Yard Coach | DIY Landscaping Mastery & Professional Advice
Yard Coach helps DIY homeowners plan smarter, avoid costly mistakes, and create beautiful, functional landscapes with confidence. Drawing on decades of hands-on landscaping and construction experience, Coach Matt shares practical guidance you can apply to your own property—without confusing jargon or expensive guesswork. Learn about landscape planning and design, drainage and grading, functional hardscaping, plant selection, irrigation, lawn improvement, and the common DIY mistakes that can cost you time and money. Whether you’re improving one garden bed or planning your entire property, Yard Coach will help you understand what to do, why it matters, and how to get started. NO AI-GENERATED PODCASTS, VIDEOS OR PRODUCTS.
Episodes
VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/mslUPM_z87U
Our pond was nearly 90% gone after an unusually dry stretch, creating a rare opportunity to bring in an excavator and tackle some much-needed pond work.
In this episode, Coach Matt shares what the pond looked like during the drought, why we decided this was the right time to excavate, and what we hoped to accomplish before the water returned. It’s a real-world look at res...
That dream property with acres of space can quickly become a nightmare if you’re not realistic about the time, money, and effort it takes to maintain it.
VIDEO VERSION HERE https://youtu.be/UakoG7E_ExM
In this episode, Coach shares real stories from nearly 40 years in the landscaping industry—including a beautiful five-acre property that fell apart just two years aft...
Episode: Landscape Designing for Continuous Color All Season Long
VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/IsceTOOf5eI
Yard Coach COLOR CONTINUUM GUIDE: https://www.youryardcoach.com/continuous-color-guide
Does your yard look amazing for a few weeks… and then fade into a whole lot of green?
In this episode, Coach explains how to think like a landscape de...
Online Plant Purchases – Is This the New Wave on How to Landscape?
VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/4FLyvTlSeCQhttps://youtu.be/4FLyvTlSeCQ
For more than 45 years, Coach Matt has relied on a simple rule when buying plants: see them, touch them, inspect them, and bring them home yourself.
This year, that changed.
In this episode, Coach shares his first-ever experience ordering fruit trees, strawberries, raspberries, ...
In this episode of the Yard Coach Podcast, Coach Matt dives into one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make in DIY landscaping: choosing form over function.
VIDEO VERSION on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7sRVcOcivpM
Why do so many beautiful landscapes fail after only a few years? Why do flooded yards, cracked patios, dead plants, drainage issues, and maintenance nightmares happen so ofte...
If your irrigation system won’t turn on, won’t shut off, sprays weak, floods spots, or just plain underperforms, this episode is for you. VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/Y8IU-D9RmJM
In this Yard Coach Podcast episode, Coach Matt breaks down the big 5 irrigation problems he’s seen after working on hundreds of manual and automatic sprinkler systems over the years. From electrical is...
Your landscape lights stopped working… now what?
Before you start digging up your yard or calling a contractor, there’s a simple troubleshooting path that solves most lighting problems fast—and it’s probably not what you think.
In this episode, Coach Matt walks you through the real-world process u...
You planned it. You prepped it.
Now it’s time to build it—and this is where most DIY projects go wrong.
In Part 2, we walk through the critical build phase of the 15-step landscaping process—where trenching, underground installs, grading, and timing either lock in a successful project… or create problems you’ll be fixing later.
This episode cover...
Most DIY landscaping projects don’t fail because of effort…
They fail before the first shovel hits the ground.
In Part 1 of this series, we break down the foundation of every successful landscape project—and where most homeowners quietly sabotage themselves.
This episode walks through the first critical stages of the proven 15-step process, including:
- ...
Late winter can be one of the most frustrating times of the year for homeowners who love landscaping.
The snow is still piled high, the ground is frozen solid, and yet spring is just close enough to tease you.
In this episode, Coach Matt talks about the late-winter landscaping doldrums many homeowners experience—especially in colder USDA zones like 3, 4, and 5. When you’re itchi...
AI can design a beautiful backyard in seconds… but can it keep your basement dry?
In this episode, we break down what AI can do for landscape planning — and where it completely falls apart when it comes to drainage.
Water doesn’t care about renderings.
Water doesn’t care about design.
Water only cares about gravity.
From ...
We’re wrapping up the three-part Landscape Frustrations series — and this one hits the everyday issues homeowners quietly struggle with. VIDEO VERSION HERE: Top 5 Landscape Frustrations | Part 3 of 3 | Pruning, Equipment + BONUS https://youtu.be/7w-xns4kEjk
In this episode, Coach Matt tackles:
✔️ Pruning confusion – When to prune, how much to prune, and...
In Part 2 of the Homeowner Landscape Frustration Series, Coach dives into the big one — full landscape makeovers. Video version here: Landscape Makeover Frustration | Part 2 of 3 Homeowner Landscape Frustrations - https://youtu.be/B3L3xnf-30I
The kind where someone stands in the backyard, cracks open a cold one, and declares, “This weekend… we start over.”
A...
Welcome to Part 1 of a 3-part series on the Top 5 Landscape Frustrations Homeowners Suffer. VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/pFVNrMtBUa4
This week, Coach Matt tackles the biggest frustration he sees again and again: lawn and turf problems. If you’ve ever wondered why your grass looks rough no matter what you do, this episode lays the groundwork—without the guesswork.
Winter has shut down the landscape, but the thinking doesn’t stop. In this episode, Coach Matt covers a mix of winter reality, honest thoughts on viral “yard rescue” videos, smart winter planning for spring projects, and why a living Christmas tree just makes more sense. If you’re snowed in, itching to work outdoors, or planning ahead for your property, this one’s for you.
...
Get the Homebuyer’s Landscape Checklist + Audio Walkthrough here: https://www.youryardcoach.com/homebuyers-landscape-checklist/buy
Buying your first home is exciting… and a little blinding. Realtors point to the shiny kitchen and fresh paint — but the big money problems are often hiding outside the four walls.
In this episode, Coach Matt shares what first-time (and even 10th-time) buyers need to look for in the l...
Video Version Here: https://youtu.be/oc9PVXy5gBQ
As we age, our yards should serve us—not the other way around. Coach Matt breaks down three senior-friendly paths:
-
expanding for joy and purpose,
-
simplifying for low-maintenance living (and travel), and
-
adapting for comfort, safety, and mobility (wider walks, ramps, raised beds, dri...
In this episode, Coach Matt takes a reflective look at the 2025 landscape season — what went right, what got delayed, and how life’s curveballs (like equipment breakdowns and tight weather windows) reshaped the year’s plans. From building bridges and garden boxes to battling cattails and gravel drives, he shares the lessons learned and how reflection fuels next year’s goals.
This...
Let’s Focus on Fall – Keep Your Eye on the Ball
The seasons are fighting for control — one day frost, the next day 80° — and your landscape is stuck in the middle. In this episode, Coach Matt talks about how to stay grounded and keep your focus through the seasonal chaos.
You’ll learn: • How to protect your plants from wild temperature swings • Why turf care still matters this time of year ...
This week, I’m not teaching — I’m telling the story behind how I built a 20-foot bridge and a deck here at Brook & Pond. No blueprint. No step-by-step plan. Just real-life landscaping and problem solving.
🎥 Watch the full video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jfdeWhtClmY
#yardcoach #landscapingstory #bridgebuild #deckproject #lowespartner #affiliatelink
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!