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Landscape Design Lawn Care Design Dilemma

What to Put in Immediate Area Outside of Lawn

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Hello. We had 5 pallets of sod put in the other day. I am in desperate need of your help to figure out what to put on top of the dirt in the back area under the trees and also on the right side where we border the neighbor. I left those areas unsodded because due to the shade i don't expect the grass to really survive.

My priorities are erosion and weed control/prevention, and second, aesthetics and easy upkeep. The first thing that comes to mind is pine straw. I guess another option is big rocks or gravel but not sure how good it will look.

I would appreciate your ideas and suggestions!

(And the sod being yellow - yes, it worries me a bit but the sod installer says it's due to the extreme heat and sun we've had the past few days and i need to water more and be patient.)

Thanks.

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Comments (6)

laceyvail 6A, WV
2 years ago
From your picture it looks like that area gets enough sun for grass, but you could plant a non aggressive ground cover. Without knowing your zone or general location, it's hard to suggest a specific plant, but if it were my zone, I'd go for Geranium 'Biokovo' or 'Karmina'.
krnuttle
2 years ago
It would help to see that actual area that you are talking about. From you pictures I assume that sparsely covered area in the mid picture is the newly sodded area.

If the area behind that is the area of concern; is it the width of the tree canopy along a fence? Or is it much wider? The trees look young, about 10' tall, how big are they. Are the fruit trees, flowering fruit trees or other. In the first picture is the tall grass and weeds part of your lot? There looks like there is another wooded area behind the row of trees is that yours?

If it is a narrow strip under the tree, as said above, you could grow grass back in the area. If it were mind I would mulch with the leaves from the trees and develop it into a forest glade environment. shrubs, wild flowers, etc.

Personally if it were mine the first thing I would do is redefine it. Straight lines are not part of nature. If possible I would move some of the trees forward creating a curving border. If the trees are too large I would plant shrubs in front of the trees to create the curves.

If that tall grass area is yours, I would consider leaving it and occasionally cutting it back with the string trimmer. This will attract an entirely different set of birds and such than the wooded area.
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Thanks for the suggestions Squirrel. Yes, putting the whole room together is how I like to do it because I'm always afraid I will get locked into something that leads the wrong way. There's no reason why I can't do it that way with the outdoor room except that DH is quickly losing patience. He's more the "go into the store, pick out the first thing you like, and be done with it" kind of person. And let's face it. It wouldn't be a problem if it were just the outdoor room. Every decision impacts every other decision, and the neighboring rooms--at least in my mind, so most of our rooms are at various states of doneness, or NOT doneness to be more accurate. But I like your idea of circling around and knowing that I can go different ways if possible. I'm tempted to order small outdoor rug samples in blue, terra cotta and brown (of the square rug that I like) so that I know what colors I'll end up dealing with. I know I'm overthinking it but part of me worries that the tan/brass colors for the cushions might clash with the sisal color of the rug, or with the tan color of our house. As it is, the tan color of our house doesn't really work perfectly with out slate tiles, which has more of a greenish cast to it. I know, I know. Overthinking at its finest. amysrq--You're absolutely right that that pattern is not what I had envisioned but I'm so drawn to the colors. I've been making choices that are traditional/transitional all along, so this might just be another one. I'm hoping the color IRL is as it appears on my monitor. Thanks once again for letting me talk this all out. DH's face just glazes over when we discuss these things. (And for you readers who are still hanging in there, you probably feel the same way!) For me, though, I feel like this has been great therapy for me, so thanks!!
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shirlpp
2 years ago
Do you have to put anything under the trees? Let the sod green up nicely and then decide. The area near your neighbors looks like it won't erode.
Lisa Dipiro
2 years ago
How about ferns and stones. Garden sculptures/ statues. Bird houses etc. something to ‘see’
Lisa Dipiro
2 years ago
The pics wouldn’t load yesterday but something like this
decoenthusiaste
2 years ago
Check out https://www.stepables.com/blogs/fran/?tag=full-sun-ground-cover

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