Proper maintenance of your riding lawn mower will keep it performing reliably for years.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Our lives are increasingly busier these days, and it s hard to find spare time. Unless you have a home project that you d get a lot of enjoyment out of doing, it s worth considering calling on a professional for some of the routine tasks, like housecleaning and lawn care. There are some very good maid services out there, but be sure you check references and the company or individual s insurance before you hire. A visit just every two weeks could save your sanity and a lot of your time. A small landscaping crew can make light work of the jobs that usually take you all weekend. You can hire them weekly or just seasonally, and your plants will thank you. Why not stay off the ladder and hire someone to clean out the gutters and wash the windows? Keep the names and numbers handy of a good small jobs contractor and appliance service provider for those last-minute repairs. Establish a regular appointment schedule for HVAC tune-ups, gutter cleaning and other household services. Important maintenance will get done on time automatically, and you ll have a better chance of catching problems early. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Bob plays hooky and takes us on a tour of the nearby CBS Studio Center, the first of the great big movie lots that gave Studio City its name.

Sharpening a dull lawn mower blade will save you the trouble and money of buying a new one and cut your grass more effectively.

A well-maintained lawn mower is easier to operate and will last longer.

Bob watches as Kelly Brothers plants bulbs while Ruth Foster explains how to do it well. The small, blue scylla are planted in the front fo the garden, with taller alium behind. Foster shows the pointed end that should aim up and suggests that they be planted as a group, in bouquets, so they will blossom in groups of color. Bob uses a bulb planter to prepare holes for the bulbs. These bulbs, from DutchGardens.com can be purchased as good quality, double-nose, and bargain bulbs. Foster tells Bob that the deeper they are planted, the less likely they are to split. If they are planted too shallow, there will be no blooms in the second year. Once planted, the bulbs will be mulched and left to sleep for the fall and winter. The turf that was damaged during construction is ready to be reseeded. Foster suggests a relaxed approach to lawn planting, using perennial rye and fescue scattered over the surface and raked in. Foster stresses that a "freedom lawn" is mown high and overseeded in the fall and again with the melting snow. Foster uses fescue for shade, blue grass in sun, and perennial rye everywhere.

Bob meets with landscape architect Juan Capote to discuss the installation of a sod lawn. Juan discusses the initial grading and sod types used in this project.

Brown and bare spots of lawn can be brought back to life easily.

If you're planting or replanting your yard, make sure you have a good layer of topsoil. There are many varieties of loam and soil available. You can essentially customize your yard needs. Most places mix their soil with peat moss, compost, and stabilizers, and screen it for impurities and rocks. Calculate about four to six inches over the area of your yard for a healthy lawn.

Hydroseeding is a quick and inexpensive way to plant a new lawn. It's basically a blend of a variety of grass seeds mixed with water, fiber, and fertilizer. Look for a mix with 50% organic fertilizer, because the nutrients last longer. Green wood cellulose fiber is added to hold in heat and moisture, as well as to help prevent erosion. You should water once or twice daily during the 1-3 weeks it takes for the seeds to germinate.