Topic: Yard Makeovers

[Patty S]

Since I started using Preen® in my iris row & on the hill above it, I've been pleased about not having a solid month of weeding to do there... while the garden beds in our yard remained neglected.  I thought I was going to finally be able to spend that time on getting beds cleaned out & annuals planted this year... but NO!    I've managed to come up with new ideas to keep me from having a "normal" pre-flower season!

The road in front of our house is a dead end, & the area on the other side of it is on a real steep slope.  Nothing has ever been planted there except for the Vinca & St. Johns Wort that the people who live below had planted a long time ago.  Both of those plants are good soil holders for the slope, but the Vinca doesn't come all the way up to the road yet, & most of the St. Johns Wort stops at my next door neighbor's property line, farther down the road.... so there's not much that's appealing to be seen from our front windows. 

The neighbor & I have been talking about planting "something to look at" on that side of the road, besides the prevailing weeds, so I recently planted more Vinca closer to the top of the slope & added some Arum, but we decided that we wanted something more.  I've been collecting all the poppy seeds I could get my hands on since last year, & ended up with lots, so we thought it would be a good idea to plant poppies & "mixed wild flowers" all along the edge of the road.

Being nearly impossible to work the soil on such a steep slope, in order to plant seeds, we agreed that a foot or so right along the top, next to the road, would be good enough.  So yesterday, BG & I got to work & started cleaning out all the weeds.... (About 80 feet worth!)  What a job that was!
         
We finished it up today by adding some "good dirt", & planted the seeds.

As if I wasn't already stiff & sore in places I forgot I had, I tackled the North side of the house.  Being a narrow space with no sunshine, we've used it for dumping things that we didn't have any other place for... such as firewood & general junk (old garden hoses, lumber, tires, our old barbecue (that I wish Lincoln would take home, since he did say that he wanted it), etc.
             North side - before
     
The biggest thing that prompted this project was that I'd never been inside my next door neighbor's house until a few weeks ago... & I saw that the only view from their dining room window, is the North side of our house!   How embarrassing!  

Keith helped me move the firewood box (which used to be a dog house) to the other end of the pathway, after I moved about a ton of firewood & organized everything so that nothing was visible from the neighbor's window.  I even threw quite a bit of stuff away!

Now I have a place for a shade garden!
            North side - after
     
What I've planted there so far, are the Hostas that someone gave me last week, & I moved my Heuchera to what will be the shady side of the pathway during the summer months.  Then I decided to move the Cymbidium (Which has never done anything cuz I've had it in the wrong place) & the Helleborus from under the front rose bushes.  I already have a Hydrangea there by the fence, & will put some other shade plants in, as they come along.

I've always said that I don't have adequate space for shade plants, & had never even given any thought to thinning out & consolidating all that junk into a less obtrusive area, but I'm glad I did.  (And I'm sure my neighbor is, too!)

But man, am I BEAT!   (I'm thinking about taking next week off!)

[Wrennie]

Wow you've been busy! I'm expanding 3 gardens into one. I used some muscles last "weekend" that I had forgotten I had. This "weekends" weather looks like its going to be nice again, I better limber up!
*note my "weekend" is tuesday wednesday

[duh]

With a brand new yard do I ever have plans. 

Starting at the front in the cleared portion of the yard there is a white 3 railed fence.  Directly behind it I plan to plant 2 golden chain trees at each end.  Between them I'm going to try for one yellow rhoddy with pansys and other short annuals around the rhoddy until it gets big and takes over.  Behind the rhoddy will be a hedge of boxwoods.  And that will be the "first" flowerbed.

Behind that I'm going to stagger 4 nut trees two almond and 2 hazelnut.

Then along the driveway I'm going to put my miniature fruit trees.  There will be 2 plum, 2 cherry, 2 pear, 2 apple and 2 peach. 

In the middle of that area is a set of about 4 trees I don't know what type but when I can post a picture of them in leaf I'll definitely post it in the mystery section.  At the foot of the trees I'd like to put down a moss if I can find some that doesn't cost a mint.  And then around that perimeter I'd like to do a part-sun flower garden.  Expanding it each year as money permits.  Adding a few landscape rocks now and again for winter interest.  This is where I want to plant the walking stick tree, the witchhazel, and the red twig along with the money plant and the chinese lantern.  This garden area is what the bay windows look out on at the front of the house.  So I definitely want lots of things to look at.  I can't really visualize a water feature out there.  So I may not have one.

Then down by the house I'll build a berm angled towards the land on the northside of the house to direct runoff away from the front of the house.  There I plan on planting different plants and bushes plus a groundcover to stabilize the berm.

The next flower garden is the foundation bed and that already has two azeala's in it.  And who knows what else.  But I'll be adding my bulbs.  And then getting summer and fall bulbs to make it at least a three season flower bed. 

The drain field is going to be lawn I don't want to do anything that might compromise the septic system.  And I'm going to take down most of the trees in the back to insure that their roots don't encroach on the drain field.  I'll leave one row of trees to outline the boarder of the property but that is it.  And I'll use that area for the cutting garden. 

On the Southeast side of the garden where it is wooded I'll be cleaning up the mess from what looks like teenage partying underneath the trees.  And then I'll plant trees in any bald spots, thin them where they are blocking one another and then plant my shade garden between the trees.  Leaving one area open for a picnic table and chairs.  Who knows I may put a small fountain in that area to mist the picnic area and keep it cool during the dead of summer.  Lord knows I won't be able to afford the airconditioner this year.  I have to get the car and the credit cards paid off from this move.

[Wrennie]

My garden projects for 08:

There are 3 gardens on a hill, mostly in shade once the crabapple blooms, I am expanding and connecting. Theres 1 around the phone pole, the one with the little wooden 'church' is my ajuga area, and the border garden at the bottom of the hill which ends at a fireplace below the ajuga area.
This is the hill 'before'



Here i have moved the upper border of the phone pole garden a bit farther uphill.and re set some stone. You can see the fireplace at the far end now.



Now I have the whole upper edge set with stones and have begun getting all of the grass out of there.



The rocks from the pole down to the driftwood can go.



More grass removal in my future!



Here, on the other side of the ajuga patch I want to get rid of the grass between it and the next round garden and move my yucca, which is patiently waiting in my veggie garden for a permanent spot. That will be my next project.

[Firefly]

WOW Patty, what a lot of work. It's looking great too!

Sometimes we overlook what our neighbors view is, LOL. You've inspired me to walk around and check the yard from different angles, that's for sure

[duh]

I won't have that problem for a while.  I can't see my neighbors from anywhere but street side and that is where the 3 rail fence is.  It is the first place I plan to plant after the foundation bed where my current plants are going to go.  At least for the time being.

[Penny]

Great job to you both.,

[patches]

Boy, it seems everyone is busy working in their yards and it's looking great!    I'll sure be glad when I can get outside and do something. 

[Triss]

Patty and Wrennie, you both sure got a lot of work done and have a couple of great spots to work with now.  Poppies on that space at your driveway is going to look so awesome Patty!

[Wrennie]

Almost all the grass is gone and I trnsplanted the yucca up next to the church, and a doule orange daylily farthest on the other side of the church.

[patches]

Wrennie, it looks like everything is shaping up nicely for you,   and I can't wait to see it when things are blooning.   

[Patty S]

I get absolutely sick & tired of the hedge that's in our back yard & along one side of the house, cuz it makes such a horrible mess after it flowers & the new growth goes wild, making the darned thing taller & wider every year.  (If I were the one who put these "shrubs" in, I'd have kept them trimmed, so they wouldn't have turned into TREES!)
   
       May 2006

As if I don't have a long enough "to-do" list already, I decided that enough is enough with that hedge (& the rolls of fencing & misc garden junk that I've piled up by the shed), so yesterday I started on one end, & plan to work my way down the full length of the hedge, until our back yard looks like somebody gives a rip!

When Keith saw what I was doing, he got the hedge clippers & pitched right in!   I found so many dead branches inside them, I couldn't believe it!  Next to the garden shed, where I started this project, there was one "tree" that was totally dead, but I think it's the only one we'll have to take out.... (& that's OK, cuz I found a few pumpkin seeds in my old seed box that will probably love to be there!)

It might not even be the right time of year to trim this type of "shrub" back, but it's gotten to be about 20 feet tall.   I wanted Keith to bring it all down to 6 feet, but he doesn't want to do that, cuz it just gets too full of sticks with no leaves, at that height.  (Most of those "sticks" aren't dead, but I don't wonder that there are no leaves on them, cuz no light can't get through that mess!)  I think they'll probably fill in next year, but he wants to wait & see, before he cuts it down farther.  Anyway, he's only bringing it down to about 14', but the section that we finished today looks LOTS better!

Yesterday:
   

Today:
   

Of course, there are tons of leaves & branches that'll have to go to the landfill, but LaRelle is usually back & forth several times each week, with Tyler's pickup, & we'll use it to haul the mess away.  I found a slick way to deal with the loose leaves though! I can't remember where I got the HUGE bag, but I think it might have come with the new refrigerator we bought a couple years ago... & of course, I saved it "for something".    I used a length of wire fencing to hold it open, so I could rake the leaves right in, without having to do all the bending over to pick them up!  It's sure making the job a lot easier & faster!
   
Sticks & branches got thrown into a pile as the hedge was trimmed, so that leaves only would go into the bag, cuz I hope to be able to use it until this project is finished.  It wasn't really heavy when it got full, but it was certainly bulky!   That problem was remedied by tying up the open end & loading it on to a wheelbarrow, so we could get it to the parking area in front of the house.

Keith took today off, cuz I want to clean up the mess that's already out there before it gets any deeper, but I had a visitor who was willing to give me a hand!   Lily moved sand for me while I raked,
   

and she helped bring the wheelbarrow back, each time we hauled branches away.
   
(She must think we have our own park here, cuz we have a big swing, sand to play with, & we even have fun rides!  She We had a blast!)   As soon as the seedlings are ready, We'll put the pumpkin plants in the space we created, & she can watch them grow.

My next generation garden buddy has arrived!

 

[Triss]

What a huge difference out there Patty!  Looks great and it also looks like Lil is having an awesome time out there.

[Tonya]

Looking great there you guys! Just seeing all that work makes me tired! Y'all are doing great!!!

[Bonnie]

Ya'll shore have been busy. It looks real good. My back is hurtin' just from lookin' at the pics.

[duh]

Well my yard turned out to be Red Georgia Clay and rocks lol.  Don't ask me what Georgia Clay is doing up here in Virginia but it's here and just as hard to work with as you might imagine.  But I have a plan lol.

Rather than starting at the top of the property at the street I'm going to start at the house.  That's because there is a lawn of sorts by the street and that will do for the time being.

So at the foundation I took out the two Azaleas and planted them underneath the tree closest to the house in the shade bed.  Then I planted the irises infront of the drip line of the foundation bed.  Then added the blackberry lilies.  Next will go the daffodils, tulips, crocuses, and glads.  But that may wait until fall there is so much more to do.

I bought 400 lbs of top soil to make a sidewalk bed 2 feet wide and layed down the cardboard underneath it.  I'll add landscaping timbers when more money becomes available.

Then I bought 4000 lbs of amended top soil for the shade garden.  I've just started to spread that out around the plants that I have already planted there.  As soon as I plant the rest and spread it around them I'll use the rest to fill in as far as it will go.  But I estimate needing about 8000 more lbs.  About 321.00 worth.  I don't have that right now.  I may never have that.  But then I have lots of leaves and there are farmers with lots of hay so one way or another I will get the top soil lol.

The veggie garden is covered with straw where I planted the onions so you can't even see the onions.  But that will help hold in the moisture and that's all to the good.  Right now I'm digging the weeds out of the rest of it so that I can put the tomato plants in when they arrive.

[duh]

The tomato plants have arrived and they arrived with a 5 gallon bucket of aged cow manure.  So they got planted and watered even though it's a little warm right now.  And the rest of the manure went to the sidewalk bed and then I added the straw on top of it.  I'll have to get another bucket to finish off the bed and another bail of straw but I'm getting there one step at a time.  Maybe I'll use leaves instead of straw.  I have a lot of that.