backyards news stories on Newser

Inside Jaycee's Tent: a Wii, and Squalor

Harry Kimball — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:47:42 CDT

Photos of the backyard and tents where Jaycee Lee Dugard and her children lived reveal a small slice of normalcy amid appalling squalor, CBS News reports. The yard that Dugard’s meticulously dressed girls emerged from is littered with piles of trash and rusting bikes. But inside, where there was electricity,...

Cops Searched Kidnapper's House, Found Nothing

Nick McMaster — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:36:19 CDT

Phillip Garrido had several brushes with the law during the 18 years that police say he held Jaycee Lee Dugard and their two children captive in his backyard, but managed to keep his ugly secret, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Last July, a multi-agency police task force searched Garrido's home...

Backyard Chickens Ruffle Neighbors' Feathers

Nick McMaster — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:17:59 CDT

Backyard chickens have polarized the city council of Salem, Ore., as residents argue over whether to legalize keeping the birds in home coops, the Wall Street Journal reports. It’s one of several such disputes around the US, with some extolling the virtues of a source of free eggs and fertilizer...

Bamboo Invades Suburbia

Caroline Zimmerman — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:30:17 CDT

Suburbanites are fighting to keep bamboo at bay in backyards all over America, but the tropical grass is winning. The Asian import grows fast and has become a popular, environmentally friendly way to screen out the neighbors. But with roots like steel cables, the relentless spreader resists pesticides, pickaxes, and...

Fireplaces Heat Up Backyards

Heather McPherson — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 14:54:54 CDT

The outdoor fireplace is the latest must-have for obsessive upgraders—at least those with backyards. With built-in stereo systems, refrigerators, and price tags that run to $80,000, these oversized hearths often come with a just-for-show wood pile, though they run on gas.