• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 18, 2011

As home-improvement stores continue to wade through choppy economic waters, Americans are turning their DIY determination to lawn care and landscaping projects.

New research from Scarborough shows that 50 million homeowners, or 29%, are currently working on a landscaping project, making it the top DIY priority around the country. Painting/wallpapering is next, with 28%, followed by carpet/flooring projects, with 14%.

More than half in the Scarborough sample (51%) say they have shopped at The Home Depot during the past year, and 47% have shopped at Lowe's. Walmart, Ace Hardware, and Target came next, with Sears, K mart, True Value, Sherwin-Williams and Sam's Club rounding out the top 10.

Despite progress in certain areas, the home-improvement sector remains a little unsteady. Earlier this week, Lowe's announced a surprise decline in its sales. And while first-quarter profits at The Home Depot beat investors' estimates, earning $812 million in the quarter, up from $725 million in the year-ago period, sales decreased 0.2% to $16.82 billion, with consumers spending less than expected sprucing up their homes. (Same-store sales fell 0.7% in the U.S.)