Fix this ugly side yard in AZ!
Lauren Pierce
4 years ago
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
4 years agoMarco
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Redesign for long, narrow side yard with path
Comments (10)Thanks to all for the good suggestions! Current state of the project area: The former herb garden along the east edge of the yard behind the house has been dismantled! All of the often used herbs (oregano, parsley, cilantro, basil, thyme, rosemary) have been moved to the small bed just west of the back door. This will end up being a pretty densely vegetated bed, but that usually helps keep down the weeds. :) Slipped a few flat stepping stones between the plants for ease of harvesting. I love it! No need to even put on shoes to get fresh herbs! Chives are in front of the (not often used) air conditioner unit. Some of the bigger herbs (lavender and sage) are a little further away--just past the a/c, but making a nice little border connecting all of the herbs together. Some of the other herby plants (hyssop, rue) have gotten moved into other spots around the yard. Now that the herbs are relocated, I've spent a lot of time staring at that area between the back of the house and garage. We do want to make this into a patio area, flagstone (with creeping groundcover and smaller stone in the gaps), with the BBQ grill closer to the garage along the fenceline. One of the remaining issues with this area is the need to adjust the grade. Currently, the level of soil next to pond and under the flagstones from the back door to the garage is slightly elevated--which impedes water from draining quickly away from the foundation. Luckily, the elevation drops again near the fenceline, and definitely sloping down to the narrow section next to the garage and into the alley. This will definitely be a big project, removing the right amount of dirt and leveling it. It also has the additional issue of being infested with bindweed, so I'll actually need to get rid of this dirt entirely (for which I don't yet have a good strategy). Plus the expense of a large amount of flagstone. The other issue, which I haven't mentioned before--is the wretched state of the neighbors privacy fence all along this east edge of the yard. It's definitely falling to bits at this point, but I'm fairly certain that it's repair or replacement isn't high on their list. Sigh. All that being said, it looks like the narrow section path of the yard may again be shelved for another year. But small strides are being made. I've moved the shrubs from the back corner of the house to better spots. I'll probably continue with rearranging the current plants in this area this year, in preparation for finishing up the stepping stones and groundcover here next year--hopefully! I love the idea of some sort of arch/gateway towards the front of the path area, which will help break up the very tall and narrow aspect. Maybe also a bench near the porch, to make this part of the yard more visiting friendly. thanks again, and if there's any more comments suggestions...especially about any good tricks for aiding with the grade/drainage and getting rid of "bad" dirt......See MoreAny opinions welcome on this. trying to fix an ugly disaster
Comments (5)Marinewife, the fact that you rent and also rescue dogs limits what you can do with this yard. If you can't contain the dogs' activities with a fenced-in area, this is a no-win landscaping situation. Sorry, but the dogs will pee on, chew at and dig up mulch or whatever you plant, and a lush green lawn just won't happen. Not sure where you live, but you might want to do some research via local nurseries or extension offices to find grass varieties or shrubs for your situation. Meanwhile, if I were you, I'd get some deck boxes for the railings around the deck and design a few small boxes of annuals. Flowers around the edge of that railing might brighten your spirits while you hunt for solutions to your unique situation....See MoreWhat would help this ugly front yard?
Comments (15)karinl- Regarding your suggestion to "Move the focus outward"...I wonder if we are thinking the same area? The dirt? While that sewer line collapse was an annoyance and financial burden at the time, it may prove beneficial as it is forcing us to do something with that area. I think this could make a huge difference. What do you see in that area that would "enhance the way the property and plantings frames and embraces the house"? What do you think about building it up some in an effort to gain some privacy? Can you picture doing something with 3 small trees...redbuds maybe, with something under them...not sure what, yet. Patty- I, also, have driven around in search of a ranch owner who has figured out how to enhance his ranch home. So far, it doesn't exist. I imagine there would be many others interested in a discussion focused on landscaping the ranch home! There are many other "very specific" forums on this site...why not one devoted to landscaping a particular style of house? But maybe it's only us ranch owners that have this problem...Some houses do seem to lend themselves more easily to a great looking yard. stevied- I read your second post this morning. Your thoughts must have stayed with me while driving to work. I noticed a house that had just what you are describing...it looked GREAT! Nice idea...thanks. annebert- Do you think that "meatball" would survive if moved? Have had differing opinions on that. Regardless, it's gotta go. Like your idea of a "sheltered walk"...this yard needs some shelter! I need some shelter...feel like I have to change my clothes with the lights off for privacy...our bedroom and bathroom are on the front of the house. lynne_melb- Yes, the house is brick and we have talked about painting that siding. What color can you see with the stark white paint, though? What do you think about a light grayish sage green? I have no problem decorating the inside...some brave colors others might shy away from, but something about the outside scares me! Maybe because I haven't had an oportunity to choose exterior colors before...certainly didn't choose this white! My last house was all brick too, but not painted. Any opinions on color choices welcome!!! Here's some more pic's of the bushes on right side of house. Recognize any of them? This is the so called "meatball" on the end :) To the left of the meatball, are three of these Same...closer up All the way to the left...(on the right side) Same... Thanks to all...you have no idea how much I appreciate you taking the time to offer your thougts!...See MoreHow to fix this yard?
Comments (29)I am hearing so much diffuseness in what you need--mostly putting out fires here and there--whereas you need a set of goals and a plan for addressing them. For example, now you have bare spots under trees and are talking grass one minute and then groundcover. Perhaps you have not really defined what needs to be under trees and where and how much based on what you want to do there and what you want it to look like. In other words, don't define what you do based on the size and shape of the bare spots left by fallen leaves you just removed. I like to pay attention to what falls out of my trees and where, because as you mentioned, someone has to remove some or all of that in the fall. Different leaves (or other tree stuff) is handled or tolerated differently by different plantings underneath. Some groundcovers "absorb" leaf fall well and some do not. Some shrubs tolerate drifts of leaves and others are messy and misshapen as a result. The life cycles of some perennials works better under some types of trees than others. Grass could be your best friend if the type of tree, light conditions etc allow a shade-tolerant grass. Mass plantings of hostas can be effective when you need to remove leaves in fall, because then you can rake when bare in winter but have very effective weed-blocking growth throughout the warm seasons. All these are things you might need to read about, research, discuss with a professional. Of course it is easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to get a large lot "under control" so deep breaths are in order! You will likely have to mow weeds, mulch areas, use some Roundup here and there, as you won't wrestle this property back from nature overnight, or maybe never, meaning, there may be large areas you need to think of as how to do as " woodland natural" or leave sort of bare and weedy, letting the trees outcompete the weeds, to some extent, and enjoy smaller cultivated areas that give you pleasure. Read some of the threads about lawn vs. garden--what I mean is, it is not realistic to expect to make a very large (meaning like the size of a yard, not a garden bed) shady area under trees look like a manicured landscape without lots of mulch and maintenance.Further, it won't look like the magazine pictures of a "woodland garden" either without a lot of maintence, usually, or very judicious choice of mass plantings. OTOH with a plan, you might be able to determine where to create some civilized areas and what to let go as "natural" and what can be in between. I just think it may be too much to expect to get your solutions by asking, what to do about this? then what about that? That is not a criticism, but trying to be realistic. For example, if you decide on what you want to achieve in the front yard, and let's say you chose a certain area to put to groundcover, then you want to identify the area, make sure the soil is amended, identify the ideal groudcover for the conditions, plant on adequate centers, then water/mulch/weed/maintain until established. You don't want to plop a few things here and there and scatter your efforts all over the yard. Here's another to-do to think about--if you are likely to stay there awhile and be an avid gardener, identify an area to start your compost pile. You can make something elaborate, but until you have a plan for what goes where, you can outline a big 3-sided rectangle with a few landscape timbers to fill with leaves. This can always be moved later. This is if you think that will give you the sense of control and satisfaction known to compost-whackos, to have a ready supply of a bushel of partly decomposed leaves for mulching around a newly planted shrub or of compost to dig in when randomly planting something--it's not for everyone....See MoreMarco
4 years agoYardvaark
4 years agosnobunyz24
4 years agoNHBabs z4b-5a NH
4 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
4 years ago
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