Revitalize front of the home
HU-883915778
2 months ago
My house is perched on a hill, and currently has shrubs in the front, and then a short steep hill to the road; the walkway cuts to the side and goes to long driveway. im trying to think of good ideas and how to visualize possible ideas; ranging from a large, possibly wraparound porch ( or just a portico); maybe a more elegant stone staircase to the driveway; or possibly with a retaining wall a small roundabout driveway and flatten the top (but seems too steep and maybe not possible); im also open to ideas, just seems like a current waste of front yard with the steepness.
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RedRyder
2 months agoRelated Discussions
Trying to revitalize lawn in poor shape, central MA
Comments (4)Massachusetts, I have concerns that your lawn doesn't have all the problems you might think. If this grass was growing OK the first year of your ownership, then possibly due to poor maintenance it has been allowed to do badly. First off are you sure the grass is dead. Many types of turf die --at least, they go brown--in fall and through winter. They often come back when the spring rains revisit. Yes, its best to grow grass in the fall when there is less competition and the coolness of fall lets the grass grow well...but who wants to wait through a summer without trying to bring our lawns back in spring. So, rake the lawn well. Do it first east/west then north/south. Remove any debris including any grass you pull up. What does come up isn't worth the effort to try to keep it down. Open the soil so that seed can make good contact with it. Where you have some moss growing, this raking will remove it and open it up to sunlight. If there is any barrier to the area receiving sunlight, try to improve it. Whether you think the lawn needs aerating or not I leave to you...me, after two years, I don't think the lawn has impoverished itself to the extent that compactness has resulted and needs aerating. A good stiff raking might suffice. Grass seed. Whatever type you choose...buy the best you can afford. I suggest for your zone 5 area....a combination mix of 40 percent Kentucky Blue, 40 percent perennial ryegrass and 20 percent red fescue. This makes for a tough grass that stands up to summer heat and winter cold. Do fill in any depressions prior to and lay down 1/2" to 1" of good topsoil/compost/composted cattle (or sheep) manure. This gives the soil something the seed will want to grab hold of. You might wish to put down a "starter" type fertilizer with the seed to help it germinate fast and build strength in the resulting turf. You may wish to roll your lawn lightly to help the seed make good contact. Do as you must to bring the seed along....sprinkle to keep it moist---and increase water as the grass comes. Do read further on how to seed a lawn. I have reservations about scalping a lawn --at least, cutting it so low that sunlight penetrates the soil which possibly bakes it. I'd rather keep the organic matter whatever is there in the soil. Scalping will just help the ground drain moisture away from that much easier. Its the spring snowmelt and rains that will bring this lawn back. I think the overlayering of compost/topsoil will help make the seed want to grow. This overlayering should be followed annually for the next 4 or 5 years each spring. This will build goodness into the soil and make the returning grass want to hang around....See MoreGS Fountain to be revitalized!
Comments (15)Jeannes, I just posted this note on my BB thread since you'd posted your picture there too, but want to make sure you get this message. I'm not sure you need to even off that center by chipping. You don't want to lose that great fountain find to breakage. The surface doesn't look to be too much deeper in one place than the other. I think you could just build up the thinset in the lower places as you mosaic. I never worry too much about a mosaic being really flat. A little unevenness just gives it some texture. Have fun!...See MoreHelp revitalize dying azaleas
Comments (8)Here is a suggestion, Zach. After you make sure that the bush has an adequate supply of acidic mulch -about 3-4" up to the drip line-, I suggest that you test the soil moisture daily using the finger method. For about two weeks, insert a finger to a depth of 4" daily and determine how the soil feels. If these are large bushes, test in four different places every time. If they are small bushes, test in only one place. The idea is to get a general idea how the area under the drip line is doing. When the soil feels almost dry or dry then water; otherwise, do nothing. Each time you water, make a note in a wall calendar. At the end of the two weeks, observe how often you watered (every 3/4/5/etc days) by looking in the calendar. Then set the sprinkler to water 1 gallon of water on the same frequency. When temperatures change 10 degrees or more and stay there, use the finger method again. You should notice that watering frequency increases as we get closer to the mid summer months and is reduced in the Fall. During winter, you can reduce watering further to once every two weeks on dry winters when the ground does not freeze. Apply 1.5 gallons of your soil happens to be sandy soil. While testing the soil for moisture, be aware that azaleas have very shallow root systems on the top 4-6" of the soil. They do not like the roots to be disturbed much so be careful when working to add mulch, clean debris, insert fingers and stuff like that. An adequate supply of mulch should help the shrubs quite a bit. It will reduce the frequency of your waterings. It will keep the soil evenly moist. It will protect the shrubs on windy and dry times. And it will provide food for the azaleas. Generally speaking, if your soil does not have any mineral defficienies (determined by a soil test), you could let the azaleas feed off the decomposing mulch; no fertilizer needed. Except for an application of sulphur this time of the year, that is what I do with my shrubs. Just make a habit to add more mulch in Spring and Fall when more is needed. Luis...See MoreHelp with front door/front of house
Comments (9)I know my own door manufacturer, makes the doors and windows separate, and then frames them together. So it's like having a door on a frame, a little fixed window on a frame, and then a larger frame around those two. Which makes it as strong imo as a regular door, which really, is just held in by the nails/screws through the shims. To add, my folks had 3 kids and a sidelight door, and never a problem with it breaking/wearing out. Tell the kids to go 'round back ; ) (I do however know someone with the 8-panel light front door that someone thought they could "break one glass" when they got locked out, figuring they could reach in and unlock the door, only having to pay for one tiny piece of glass replacement...surprise, they're "fake" lites, and the whole piece broke. Huge cost. Unrelated but amusing story ; ) )....See More
littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
2 months ago
apple_pie_order
2 months ago
PRO
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
2 months agolast modified: 2 months ago
violetsnapdragon
last monthpricklypearcactus
last monthlast modified: last month
Akhilesh Joshi
last monthHere are some suggestions (they don't take into account the road/drive-way) but hopefully it gives you nice visualizations of possible designs)
PROBig Rock Landscaping
last monthTackling this project in phases is probably your best bet until you can meet with a landscape pro to help you come up with a permanent plan. Phase one is (like others have said) is to trim back the existing overgrowth. That will give you a better idea of scale and help the space feel more intentional without tons of effort or money. Sloped yards can present tricky design problems, and we’ve seen our fair share in Utah. Here are some examples of sloped yards from our projects:
While these images may not match your landscape’s design aesthetic, the basic concepts of adding retaining walls, trees, stairs and pathways might be helpful starting points for future plans with a landscape company.
PRODhi4u
last month
Sigrid
last month
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