The editors here at Popular Mechanics would like you to know that we’re not perfect. Whether tackling home improvements or making automotive repairs, we’ve all made our fair share of mistakes. Here are some of the worst. If you’ve got some that you’d like to share, send them to pmwebmaster@hearst.com, along with any lessons that might have been gleaned from the experience.

With the right pots, cold-tolerant plants, colorful twigs, and evergreen boughs, you can put together great-looking containers that will last till the weather warms and even beyond. Here’s how, courtesy of This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook.

Water expands about 9 percent as it turns to ice, so even a one-time freeze can crack containers made of terra-cotta or other brittle, moisture-absorbing materials. Metal, plastic, and fiberglass are safe choices. Some ceramic containers can withstand a freeze, if they’ve been fired at high temperatures. And while standard concrete might break, concrete mixed with polymers stands up better. Wooden planters weather pretty well, too.

For years, there have been three ways to get a shed: Build it yourself, hire someone to build it or buy a prefab model. A new method—constructing a shed from a kit—combines the sweat equity of building from scratch with the simplicity of using factory-cut components. All that’s required are basic tools and novice-level carpentry skills. It’s like doing a jigsaw puzzle with instructions: Fasten the parts together in the right sequence, and voilà—a shed is born.

The lawn mover is a machine that cuts you lawn using its blades. In the olden times, homeowners used manual grass cutters. However, as technology evolved, so has the lawnmower. Lawnmovers are very important to us especially during springtime. But as the season ends, we often disregard the importance of the machine.

Sitting outdoors experiencing how nature amuse us with its relaxing and refreshing cool breeze, soft tweeting of birds, the stress relieving ripples of the water and more is really rewarding. We can do its easily with an effective outdoor furniture design and the Nestrest is an exact example. This architecturally designed outdoor furniture will definitely replace your garden sofa. Filled with soft cushion, the Nestrest will allow you to have a relaxing lounging experience anywhere there is some sturdy tree branch where you can hung your Nestrest and you can swing all you want. On the other hand, you simple put it on the ground and enjoy a relaxing moment with nature while lounging.

“Imagine,” chef, cookbook author and local food activist Deborah Madison mused recently, “if our government asked us to respond to the crisis of global warming, diminishing oil and poor health … by planting vegetable gardens.”

Those who lived in the United States and Great Britain during World War II and experienced the food rationing of the 1940s can do more than imagine; they can remember. As part of the war effort, every civilian was encouraged to turn their land and lawns over — literally — to growing food for themselves and for the troops. The millions of yards, vacant lots and converted lawns and flower beds at community centers, school playgrounds and places of worship were called “victory gardens” and were, for many years, a primary source of the fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes that were difficult to produce during wartime due to reduced manpower and gasoline rationing.

There are so many different types of lawn grasses, and it could be easy to get confused as to which among them is best for your specific situation. One of the first steps you could take in order to narrow down your options is by choosing a lawn type according to your climate zone. Definitely, a lawn type that suits your climate will be easiest to grow and to care for. Here are some of the guidelines to remember when choosing a lawn type for your climate: