I want to enjoy my backyard again. HELP!!!!

17 years ago

Yup, that is a scream. I lost my precious canine baby girl (9 1/2 years) on New Years Day this year. For years I've been saying I want a backyard I can enjoy as much as the dogs and kids and now I mean business but don't know where to start. I am despirate at this point because there is nothing enjoyable back there anymore. No playing, happiness, nothing. The grass is growing in the pathways and I'm almost resentfull of it but have decided to go ahead and fill them in and at least make believe it is by choice.

So, without further adu.. I present to you, I can't believe I'm even sharing these. Help.

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I have compost to amend the back hill and mega seeds starting consisting of: dwarf cosmos, cleome, rose campion (pink & white), hollyhock mix, colombine, guara, mexican hots, orange & gold cosmos, hybiscus, lupine, mamoth sunflower, 4 o'clock, black eye susan, feverfew, centaurea macrocephala, gloriosa daisy, nigella love-in-a-mist, forget-me-nots, tall white snapdragon, baptisia, verbascum-tall white, calendula, bunny tails, monarda, cosmos, common cosmos, zinnia, coccinea salvia and mexican salvia (divided from existing plant). I've also got sweetshrub available for me, all I want for the taking from shoots from a friends house.

All these seeds were given by a very generous Garden Web friend and some I had on hand from starting my front garden last year.

I think we'll be removing one of the dog houses, possibly both, but my existing dog still uses them occasionally. I want to sort of enclose the patio with a natural enclosure and move the swingset, just don't know where. I also have a spare coral honeysuckle that I'd like to put somewhere back there. I don't know if you can see or not but I do have a small natchez crepe myrtle in the side/middle of the yard in the pictures.

I am in zone 7/8 in northern South Carolina and have mostly clay soil but I will amend as much as I can. Most of this area is full sun on the hill sun at least in the morning and later afternoon more towards the house.

Any help at all on what to do with this dreary, pitiful backyard to make it a happy place again.

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Comments (5)

threeorangeboys
17 years ago
Oh my gosh. I am so sorry for your loss. Ugh. My mom lost her beautiful golden retriever earlier this year, and she has had a hard time getting back into the garden. He was there with her the whole time, building it, planting it, everything. She has finally started gardening again.

But back to your space! You have lots of potential there! I would think you would want to start with a manageable amount, right? Dig one or two beds and start with that. You have wonderful seeds there as a good start. Maybe start with your anchor plants- your black eyed susans could work for that. I am not super knowledgeable about design- there are much more experienced people here. Good luck with it!
Also looks like you are going to have to amend your soil quite a bit- get lotsa lotsa compost to cut that clay we have here in the south.
DYH
17 years ago
Sorry about your dog. Ours is part of the family, so I empathize with your loss.

Is that a low swag at the bottom of your slope? If it catches the runoff and slowly drains away, you've got a perfect spot for a rain garden! (I'm in North Carolina)

When I built my shrub garden in October, I created one at the bottom of my slope. Mine slowly drains into the dry streambed that we built. I've planted iris ensata, itea virginiana, illicium, carex, acorus and monarda, so far. I'll be adding Louisiana iris and more carex and acorus. I'm trying to decide what other blooming plants to add. We placed stepping stones through it that are high enough to walk on when the water is still in the garden.

You have great seeds for your slope. I planted sunny drought-tolerant plants up on my slope. I love having the drought and wet plants in the garden. You can do so much with what you have. Just do a little bit at a time. There are times when I've taken on too much at once -- I'd come back months later and start moving things around!

Best wishes on your project and keep us posted on your progress.

Cameron
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That is a hilarious request! We see it every year, too. The only grass that comes close is St Augustine and not Floratam. If that is all the damage your dog has done, then St Aug should work. It will need deep water once per week as will ANY grass you put in. The difference with St Aug is that it's the only southern grass which will tolerate any shade. And it will tolerate a lot more than you have. Chances are you already have St Aug back there. If that's the case you can nurse that until it spreads to cover the entire area. All it needs is weekly water and mowing at the highest setting. You can mow once per week or once every 2 or 3 weeks. If you want it to fill fast, then I would fertilize with an organic fertilizer once per month. I like alfalfa pellets at 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet as a fertilizer. Get it in 50-pound bags at your local feed store - sold as rabbit chow. Apply by hand for that small area. Water deeply once per week. Deep means a full inch as measured by several cat food or tuna cans set out in the yard. For that area I would use an oscillator sprinkler. It might take many hours to fill the cans, so don't be surprised. Don't look now but your dog photobombed your picture.
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hbwright
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks y'all. I actually started with the cleaning process this morning and wound up in throat tightening tears that were completely unexpected. In the process of cleaning off the patio I saw all of Cleo's hair that I didn't even know was there. I just watched them wash away in jets of water and felt like I was washing her away. I have a feeling this will be a lot more painful then I expected but hope to get great therapy from it in the long run. It did give me an idea in talking to my mother about making a memorial area somewhere in the yard just for her with a marker of some sorts. Of course nothing could compare to the beauty and happiness that she brought to our lives for so long.

There is a small swag on the bottom of the slope that turns into a river when it rains. I do eventually want to build it up with some river rock or something but that will be on the bottom of my priority list (need to think cheep right now). I've even thought that maybe one day I'd do a waterfall down the hill to a pond of some sort, but again, I don't even know if we'll be in the house for as long as that would take.

Can anybody tell from the pictures where the best place to put the swingset would be? I want to put plants around the patio and I think they would get in the way of the slide if I don't move it. Where would you put the sweetshrub?
PattiOH
17 years ago
Sorry to hear about your dear Cleo. It is so heartbreaking when they go.

What ever place gets the afternoon sun is where I would put the swingset, if that's possible, because that's the spot least favored by a majority of plants.

You've received very good advice about not doing too much at once. I always begin with a spot I can see from the house and work from there.

A marker for Cleo would be nice. Many of our CGers have planted roses or other special plants in honor of their pet. Some have planted flowers that attract bees or butterflies because their pet was particularly fond of chasing them.

I know you WILL make it a happy place again. Be sure to post some photos of it on the gallery side for us!
PattiOh
amazon
17 years ago
Your flower selection sounds lovely but you need some year round intrest or this winter it will be bleak agian. Perhaps a small ornamental tree and evergreen and some grasses?
The best yard look good when they arn't blooming.

I want to enjoy my backyard again. HELP!!!!

Comments (5)

threeorangeboys

DYH

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I want to enjoy my backyard again. HELP!!!!

Comments (5)

threeorangeboys

DYH

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hbwrightOriginal Author

PattiOH

amazon

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hbwright
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