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"  Prune the Shrubs Total Time: 2 Hours If you&amp;#039;re Edward Scissorhands, feel free to follow your muse. If not, you&amp;#039;ll want to thin the shrubs to make way for sunlight and air. Don&amp;#039;t just trim the branch tips. That promotes a thicker cover, smothering the heart of the plant. Here are a few quick suggestions. 1. Remove dead and aging branches. Trim the ones that rub against each other. 2. Cut the limbs facing the house in a straight line. This allows fresh air and reflected light to reach the shrub&amp;#039;s center. 3. Taper the sides to let the lower limbs catch some rays. 4. Round or slope the top to help the shrub shed snow.  5. Don&amp;#039;t remove more than one-third of the plant. If it needs more pruning than that, spread the work out over a number of seasons. Edge Lawn Total Time: 3 Hours Rental Equipment: Wheeled Lawn Edger ($60 to $100, including gas, per day) Edging civilizes a yard, clearly marking off pathways and flower beds. Adjust the edger so the blade cuts about 1 to 1\u00BD inches deep. Consult the owner&amp;#039;s manual for the optimal pace (feet per minute). Racing to the finish line simply produces ragged borders. Clean Concrete Total Time: 1 Hour Equipment/Materials: Bon Ami Cleanser, Deck Brush ($25) Where you see sidewalks and stairs, mildew sees a place to party. Put a stop to the festivities by spraying concrete with a garden hose, then sprinkling Bon Ami powder on the dampened area. Scrub with a deck brush that has a long handle. Rinse. Take a bow. Paint Patio Furniture Total Time: 2 1/2 Hours Equipment/Materials: Scouring Pads, Spray Paint ($15 to $20) Scrub with a household cleaner and a plastic pad such as Scotch-Brite. Rinse, dry. Use a Dremel tool and a wire brush to remove rust and flakes. Apply high-zinc-content primer to stop corrosion. Spray with enamel paint. Wash Windows Total Time: 1 1/2 Hours Equipment/Materials: Squeegee, Microfiber Chamois, Pole-mounted Washer, Bucket, Bag of Rags ($50) Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to a bucket of water. Wipe each pane in large circles with a chamois. Rinse and squeegee.   &amp;amp;gt; CONTINUED &amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;gt;   Repair Mailbox Total Time: 6 Hours Rental Equipment: Auger ($60 to $100, including gas, per day) Materials: Post with Brace, Two 50-pound Bags of Concrete mix ($70 to $300) Rain, snow, sleet, and hail\u2014they may not stop the postman, but they sure can do a number on your mailbox. Time to set things straight by swapping out that leaning post. Before you break ground, though, dial 811 or visit call811.com to locate the utility lines. Hate to see you make more work for yourself. 1. To remove a stubborn old post, screw a 2 x 4 to it at ground level. Place a car jack at one end and lever until you can pivot the entire thing out of the hole, footing and all. 2. Dig a new hole 30 inches deep and three times the width of the post. The bottom of the mailbox must be 43 inches above street level and 7 inches from the curb to meet postal regulations.  3. Mix concrete. Add enough water to give it the consistency of peanut butter.  4. Place a few rocks in the bottom of the hole. Set the post on the rocks while a helper shovels in concrete.  5. Plumb with a level. Shovel in the rest of the concrete.  6. Attach mailbox to mounting board, backfill the hole, and sprinkle with topsoil, grass seed, and fertilizer.  Clean Exterior Lights Total Time: 1/2 Hour Equipment/Materials: Narrow Shop-Vac Wand ($5) Cobwebbed light fixtures make your house look haunted. Remove the bulbs and erase that mess with a Shop-Vac. The narrow wand lets you easily dispose of those hard-to-reach dead bugs.  Install Solar Lights Total Time: 1 Hour Equipment/Materials: High-output Solar LED lights($12 to $250 each) There&amp;#039;s nothing like solar lighting to make you look like a genius. It&amp;#039;s inexpensive. You don&amp;#039;t need an electrician to install it. And you can easily move it from one place to the next until you achieve the desired effect. Here are some ideas to help you get started.   1. The bright beam of a spotlight is a sure way to draw attention to a fountain, a statue, or your favorite garden gnome. 2. The amber LED bulbs in accent lights are ideal for mood lighting. Use them to create a soft ambience near shrubs and ponds. 3. Path lights direct the glow to your feet. If you use more than six, you may want to stagger them to avoid the runway effect. 4. Step lights have sensors that turn them on at dusk and off at daybreak. Others use timers that put you in charge of last call. 5. Deck lights come in many styles to suit your taste. Their solar cells and batteries are designed to capture sunlight year-round. Replace Shutters Total Time: 2 Hours Equipment/Materials: Vinyl shutters, Shutter-Lok fasteners ($110 to $450) For an easy install, vinyl shutters pack a huge cosmetic punch. Use diagonal pliers to clip Shutter-Lok heads and shanks from the old shutter. Drill mounting holes in the new shutter with a \u00BC-inch bit. Position shutter and, using the same bit, bore through mounting holes into siding. Hold shutter in place and push Shutter-Lok fasteners through holes. Gently tap Shutter-Loks the rest of the way using a 16-ounce finishing hammer.  Spruce Up the Front Door Total Time: 1/2 Hour Equipment/Materials: Brass Kickplate ($20 to $60) A brass kickplate hides scuffs and rebuffs assaults from kids and pets. Hold the plate in position with masking tape. Bore through the mounting holes. Screw in place.  Install Birdhouses Total Time: 1/2 Hour Equipment/Materials: Birdhouses, Posts, Auger mounts($25 to $200) Songbirds make great neighbors. Before you choose a feather-friendly domicile, though, be sure to consult an expert. Purple martins will gladly share a complex. Most other species insist on single-family homes. And, like humans, birds fuss about location. Bluebirds prefer open fields. Titmice dig trees. Add Planters Total Time: 1/2 Hour Equipment/Materials: Flower boxes, Overflow trays, Potting soil, Plants($50 to $200) Doorway planters are like living welcome mats. Boxwood, fetterbush, ferns, and agave all work well in different climates. Ask a nursery for help in choosing the best options for your home. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/outdoor-projects/how-to/a12045/48-hours-to-make-your-yard-awesome-13644280/>