Would like a "clean", desert-friendly tree for my backyard...?
smwilliams317
8 years ago
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Would like help w/ backyard landscape...
Comments (6)The advice you just got is sound, and from the list of shrubs it sounds like a nice combination. The temptation is always to space things too close, and then have to prune. You will have a much better idea how big each of these gets if you drive or walk around your neighborhood and look at these same plants in mature gardens. California is so different from Alabama, but we also grow quite a few of these same plants out here. I would suggest that you allow a 4 to 5 foot diameter for the Daphne odora, and use this as a foreground shrub to the taller ones, since it usually only grows about 2 to 3.5 feet tall. The Florida Anice is one of my new favorite plants, as it is not that common here in California, but the beautiful almost everblooming deep red flowers are gorgeous. This one gets big here, and I have seen it 8 feet tall by 6 feet across. The Sweet Olive,(you are referring to Osmanthus fragrans?), can get 10 to 15 feet tall and act like a small tree, so I would definitely give this one some room at the back, and not crowd it. The Dwarf Leucothoe I am not that familiar with, but imagine that it is in the same size range as the Daphne. Just looking at your photo, I would guess that you could double the spacing between plants and stretch this out along the fence, and closer to your new stone wall. If you want a fuller look immediately, you could always plant either perennials or annuals as filler between the shrubs until they get some size. Some perennials with good evergreen foliage might include things like Bergenia, Hellebores,(Heleborus x argutifolius is a personal favorite), Japanese Anemones, etc. Not sure if these are all good choices for the deep south, (I have no idea what it is like to garden in a sauna in summer). I do know that other evergreen bulbs like Crinums and Hippeastrum would love your conditions. I'd also look to add foliage plants such as native ferns to the mix, and I would also recommend ferny foliaged plants like the Dwarf Heavenly Bamboo, Nandina domestica 'Harbour Dwarf'. Do the dwarf Viburnums, such as Viburnum davidii do well in your area, this is also a nice shade shrub that stays reasonably low. You will probably get better plant specific advice for your local climate if you post this on one of the regional forums that deals with your part of the south....See MoreDog Friendly Backyard in Phoenix (West Valley)
Comments (5)I can't help much with surfaces, but I will suggest you consider your dog's behavior. If there is a fence, some dogs will patrol it, so you may want to consider any areas along a fence or wall to be dog paths. Think about whether your dog likes to dig or if you will want an area to turn out the dog unsupervised such as an enclosure or a zip line. Do you want an area that will be easy to clean up after your dog? A consistent water source? Also, whatever surfaces you choose, you will want to consider your tolerance for it getting tracked into the house on your pets' paws and how hot it will get in desert sun....See Moreneed ideas about my backyard under some trees
Comments (10)You can't add enough gravel or soil to flatten the slope enough to make a suitable badminton court without killing trees. If there are small holes, you can fill them to even out the ground a bit to make for easier mowing, but I wouldn't do more than that. It's clear that the ground is getting enough sun for a light layer of shade tolerant grass, but even if the ground was level, this type of grass isn't dense enough IME to stand up to the foot traffic that a sports area gets. If you want a badminton court, I would put it in a spot that is level and has enough sun to grow dense grass. This might require a low retaining wall with proper footings and the removal of more trees or siting elsewhere. The area you showed in the photos will be most easily maintained for now with mowing I think, though as the trees fill in branches to take advantage of the new light and space created by tree removal, it will not continue to support grass, so you may want to plant a groundcover - depending on the type of trees, you may have issues growing many plants since shallow-rooted trees compete for moisture and nutrients with herbaceous plants and shrubs. In my area there are some energetically spreading ferns that make a lovely ground cover in this type of area. At least if you are in the eastern half of North America, you will have weeds, particularly woody weeds (maples, honeysuckle, buckthorn, oaks, etc.) since this area always moves towards forest if left to its own. So to my mind, the woody plants seeding in is a far greater issue than removing leaves from gravel in the fall. Mowing will discourage woody plants from seeding in - that's how we returned our brushy fields back to fields and how we keep the woody plants from becoming reestablished both in the fields and along the sometimes shaded road verges. And you can't mow gravel, so weeds (woody and herbaceous) would need to be removed by hand if you spread gravel since even a weed whacker can throw gravel to a point of being dangerous. Gravel is a fine mulch if you live in a very dry area, but not good in areas with a respectable amount of rain IME....See MoreNeed help with designing a family friendly backyard
Comments (26)It must feel like you're not getting much help here, probably because your yard is quite small and your wishlist rather long. I don't think your backyard will ever be a fun space with a play structure, etc. unless you tear everything out and turn it into a playground. Realistically, even if you did that, your kids will outgrow it in a couple of years and you'll be stuck with an unattractive, deteriorating, view-blocking structure that no one uses. My suggestion is to embrace what you have and try to make it better, even if only for the adults. Think cozy courtyard, or intimate patio. With that view it could be fabulous. A few thoughts in no particular order . . . tear out the shrubs that block the view tear out the lawn replace the lawn with raised beds for vegetables and flowers, or replace the lawn with attractive, low-growing, drought tolerant plants plant a couple of patio-size trees that can be limbed up to preserve the view install a drip system look into staining the concrete patio divide the space into zones -- dining, socializing, quiet space and provide furniture for each add a table and chairs that can be used for dining, games, work, etc. if you go the veggie route, figure out where your tools and supplies will go figure out how to provide shade -- umbrellas, shade cloths, awnings, pergola, etc. figure out lighting so the space is useable more hours each day invest in several beautiful large pots; use them to help define zones; fill them with shrubs, small trees, etc. put speakers outside so you can listen to music go to open houses in your area and spy on what your neighbors have done in their yards HOW ABOUT A HOT TUB? The kids will love it! =) Oh, I think I just spent your $20k. Good luck with your project....See More
smwilliams317
8 years agoHU-343755031
3 years ago
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