How to landscape around backyard wall with a rain drain hole in wall?
baskarpr
6 years ago
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Comments (16)
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
6 years agoRelated Discussions
sloped backyard but with retaining wall
Comments (3)Where will the perforated pipe discharge or will it? Also, what is the angle of the slope? I'm not a big fan of the weed blocking fabric but it can be useful here and there. Weeds will get into it though and then be harder to get out. You don't want trees and shrubs right next to your trench since their roots can invade over time. Appropriate grass seed covered by an erosion control blanket might be one option. Terracing the slope is another option. Deep rooting plants is yet another option....See MoreNeed Backyard Landscaping Advice - Newbie - Zone 8B
Comments (34)"I don't know what to mix in this case - any thoughts?" Sorry, but I can't suggest appropriate plants as I've spent little time in your part of the world, and none in northern LA. I've spent several weeks based in NOLA for work, that's it. I just wanted you to be aware that you won't get an even dense hedge of one species with the variability of light levels. I have a more casual style (I live on an old farm) than what appeals to you, so instead of hedges of one species, for the most part I have mixed shrubs, with multiples of each species, mixed along the length of the shrub border. Only in one spot do I have a row of all the same species, and that is in full sun from all sides so that the plants grow at a fairly similar rate. My usual suggestion in this type of situation is that you visit neighborhoods where the gardening appeals to you to get ideas, or if there are garden centers or nurseries with demonstration gardens or if there is an arboretum or public park or botanic garden where you can look at the various types of plantings that they have. To get an ID on a particular plant (if it's not in a situation where it is labeled) take photos of leaves, blooms or fruit, branches and the whole plant, and post on the Name that Plant forum. Or visit the public library and look for books that have landscaping photos for your general area or look at photos here on Houzz that are from your part of the US and see what inspires you. You want to keep in mind that you don't want a huge amount of pruning (so check growth rates once you know names) and that you don't want excessive amounts of shedding of blooms, leaves, seeds, and branches, so something that blooms all summer might be messier than you want to groom. Here's a photo from Derviss Design/Michelle Derviss - she sometimes participates in these forums. Though her area is different (CA coast) it shows a similarly shaped yard with varying light levels around the perimeter and so a mix of plants. She hasn't tried to totally cover up the fence, but there is a mix of different textures and foliage color and varied plant heights. If you look at the closer photos of the pots (go to link below) they also rely largely on foliage rather than flowers. I am not suggesting that you try to emulate this, just that this is one way to approach your problem. http://www.houzz.com/projects/312471/napa-valley-outdoor-living...See MoreBackyard Landscaping
Comments (24)Thank you Yardvaark, we are going to redo our drawing using the square decking. Im going to book an appointment with the garden place and see what they can recommend for privacy. I really like the smoking bush but its the wrong colour for our house, We will keep the gazebo outside of the yellow lines but we will also be putting in a fire pit out by the small tree on the property line. We will relook at the gazebo being part of the deck. Thank you Dig Doug’s designs. With the swamp cedars we have planted on the fence line and the 3 big pine trees on the neighbours side we don’t want to plant any more trees. We wont be putting in a fence for privacy just bushes of some sort, and the ones you have in there make it look really nice. We have to stay away from the left side of the property , we have gone out with the deck as far as we can due to the septic right there. Pretty cool drawings, the deck looks really great but we cant see much of it,...See Morebig ugly brick wall in back yard? Also need patio space? Sloped yard?
Comments (7)Yeah, my little guy and our full time jobs have obv pretty much consumed all the hours since he was born not quite 2 years ago. lol...But, the pots I had started pre-him are actually all my gorgeous hostas that are just sprouting and now need homes ;_; The big pots are my hydrangeas that are coming out as well. I didn't want to put any into the ground since I wasn't sure of the plan for our yard. I would like to keep them potted and in our hopefully semi shaded new patio wherever that may be. The weeds on that upper part have been a struggle since day 1. The tree roots sprout new shoots constantly, so weed killer becomes difficult. Not to mention, the roses we had inherited with the property became diseased so we are in the midst of pulling them out as well. Believe it or not, we had a full vegetable garden year before last which is why I was hanging on to the empty pots as we do not have great soil. Long story short, I am looking to have more livilable space that doesn't include more weeding, watering, and gardening in our outrageously hot summers. If I put a patio in the corner between the windows and the retaining wall, what would be the best surface? raised wood type? Gravel ? would gravel hinder drainage and made the ground underneath even more soggy? same issues with brick? Even if I had concrete poured and connected it to the existing patio what kind of drainage solution would we need under and around? These are my beauties from last spring....See Morebaskarpr
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6 years agolindabuchanan13
6 years agohere2learn (Zone 8 TX)
6 years agobaskarpr
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agohere2learn (Zone 8 TX)
6 years agoKim in PL (SoCal zone 10/Sunset 24)
6 years agobostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
6 years agobaskarpr
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6 years agoemmarene9
6 years ago
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