New homeowner—landscape help please!
Y’all I am in some serious need of advice for what to do with my backyard! My main issue is finding a solution to the rain runoff around the carport. Surely I can tackle this without calling in an expert. I am not sure what the previous homeowners were trying to do with all the sand but it’s a mess and is rotting the fence boards at the bottom. The downspout pours out into the driveway, which is probably why it’s washing out. I have a ton of mondo grass (I think that is what it is) in the front I need dig up sooo transplanting to the back was part of my plan.
Problem #2 the carport! It is definitely not my style and provides zero privacy. Any solutions that don’t cost a fortune? Ideally I would turn this into a garage but that is not financially possible right now.
Any ideas for landscaping and runoff corrections would be greatly appreciated!!
Comments (12)
kitasei2
3 years agoRelated Discussions
New house and new to landscaping - help please?
Comments (38)Canockie, this is just a quick basic diagram with the outline of an idea. The darker tree is the proposed blue spruce, and the others are intended to be deciduous, flowering or not, which would cool in summer, and let sun through in winter. Specific identity is best determined locally, but along the sides they should be something that grows fairly tall and narrow. Your HOA seems like it might not be too big an obstacle, at least to keeping your house cool. So the basic bones of your plan would be about shade, pathways, and sightlines. Since I can't help you with either the left side or with sightlines from various points on the property, you could start by imagining trees where I've sketched them, and move (or remove them) around to work in real life. It can help to stick a garden tool in the ground at the point you might put a tree, and imagine how that will look from the door, from the window, as you drive home, etc. I've not put a tree very close to the house, but there is clearly an option to put another one closer for faster, more significant shade. That has to be balanced off by whether you want to live in a little forest :-) I put the front yard trees more so they would shade the yard, which will give you some sheltered area for other plants, since side yard trees will do morning and afternoon cooling. The blueberries might be happier in the back, but if you want them in the front, the shelter of the trees should work (but just remember I write from the rainforest! so I don't know for sure). This will leave you exposed to afternoon sun, which could be mitigated with one more tree right were your curb tree now is or across the sidewalk from it. That will block the door a fair bit, so is a matter of taste. Tree placement being decision 1, decision 2 is how you move around the property. Are there gates through to either side yard? If so, pathways can be put in - two options are dotted in. Many people find it easier to place beds for flowering plants with reference to pathways - I do, because I like to plant things that have up-close interest and then I enjoy walking over to see them. How do you get the mower from front to back yard? And then decision 3 is what you want to see/be seen, or have blocked from different points of view. These bones are important to get right - and "right" is not something anyone but you can determine. Of course even trees can always be moved or replaced, but it's nice if they don't have to. Placement of flower beds and flowering plants is easy to work around your trees once the tree locations are chosen. Beds can be around tree bases, or completely separate from them - sun-loving plants to the sunny side, less tolerant ones on the shadier side. I hope this gives you something to start doodling with and imagining in 3d. Karin L...See Morenew home, new plants, new gardener.please help
Comments (10)It does seem odd but I assumed the potted Hibiscus was left by the previous owners since it was on the list of what came with the new home. I was going by the leaf shape and texture (they are more ovate and glossy) plus the way the buds are carried and the appearance of the calyx. I do grow H syriacus in my garden and I am familiar with H rosa-sinensis as a pot plant. So I just said what I thought. But I may be wrong. It will become clear which it is once it blooms. Maybe someone else can comment....See MoreFirst time homeowner needs landscaping help!
Comments (13)I would suggest that you return to the EXACT same spot -- which means not any DIFFERENT spot* -- where you took the first picture and capture the rest of the scene. Pivot the camera to the left and right and show what flanks the first picture, overlapping with it some. Generally, it's awkward planting annuals around the base of a large woody plant, due to root obstructions and the the need to "turn" the soil. Would suggest you move color areas to flanking the front door and instead place permanent groundcover in the tree island. *Not trying to insult your intelligence here, but in almost every case -- 100% so far -- when I've asked for such pictures, people insist on taking them from another new spot. I guess they think that's somehow helpful, but it makes it impossible to mesh the pictures together....See MoreFirst-time homeowner needs landscaping help!
Comments (6)Here's my take on a simple arrangement. Let's call that tree fully grown, or nearly. (I have no idea how much space you have at right of house. If you have the space, push the tree a little farther to right.) Two shrubs (front and side of porch), a little groundcover and some annuals near the steps. Where grass is the main "path" to the house, you must get it into good condition or nothing else will look good/right.tree farther away...See Moreken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
3 years ago
indianagardengirl
3 years agoStella
3 years agoI am in Mobile, AL and I’ve never seen this sand in any residential landscape! @kitasei2 I’ve been here 3 months and less than half the yard was covered with grass. I added top soil and compost, tried to level the best I knew how, added fertilizer, sparsely watered as it’s been rainy, and cut the grass in different directions. I am actually quite pleased with all the green I see now compared to what I had. I am almost certain I have St. Augustine.
I will add pics later of the satellite view and it may be after it rains because I’m honestly not sure how the other areas drain off.
As for the downspout it’s it $%#&show! Seriously rigged and rigged with 2 downspouts.
The sand...I still cannot figure out where it came from or what the purpose of it was. Maybe they had a sandbox? But that sand is a little different, finer, cleaner? Idk but it is also spread along the side of the house—backyard only.
Hideous carport...I do not have another way to keep the dogs contained. I also have a German Shepherd and the Retriever is still a pup.
Long term plan is to convert the carport into a garage, extend the patio possibly and adding a large pergola. Sago palms have to go, they’re not my thing. The Bradford and Pecan trees cut down and plant a Dogwood and Sweet Bay Magnolia tree. Created curved beds around the perimeter in an L shape lined with white Crepe Myrtles. Hopefully some of that will come sooner than later, but for now I’m wanting to fix the landscaping by the carport and the carport itself.
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Stella
3 years ago
PROYardvaark
3 years agokitasei2
3 years agokrnuttle
3 years agoStella
3 years agoI like the idea of using a live privacy screen, preferably an evergreen with white flowers. As beautiful and perfect as star/confederate jasmine is it may be poisonous and quite unruly. Any ideas for vines that won’t spread uncontrollably and have a growth height of 8 ft or so? Here is some inspo I found
Yardvaark