DIY backyard ideas that don’t cost a fortune. 65’x25’ft
Renting On A Budget
7 months ago
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Sigrid
7 months agoRenting On A Budget
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Comments (6)Clematis should do well on the fence with their roots under those rocks, as they like their roots cool. If you get types A or B, you can train their main stems along the fence and thus have a nice spread-out look; if you don't do that you'll have clumps of vine in some places and bare fence in others. Either look works, it depends on your preference. I'm not familiar enough with your tree choices, and what I know of them they're not my style (that red clump is some sort of chokecherry, apparently, I looked it up), so I would go with whatever appeals to you most and is best suited to the growing conditions. Trees can be removed and replaced if you don't like them, and have to be replaced from time to time anyway, and don't cost all THAT much, so don't feel this is a decision like getting married. One thing I would ask is whether you have either landscape fabric or plastic under the rocks. Yes, people, plastic. A friend recently consulted me about the care of a yard her mother had had landscaped years earlier, and the plants were in agony - the whole yard was covered in plastic below the mulch. Fascinatingly, the roots had come right to the surface, where I conjecture moisture tended to condense under the plastic. The roots must also have gone out to the perimeter - fortunately the yard was small. And hey, it's the pacific northwest, so moisture was seeping in for most of the year. Landscape fabric is also not as moisture permeable as people would think, and I have no idea about artificial turf, though I assume it must let water and air through and thus provide OK ground for tree roots to extend beneath it. All this toward your question about a ribbon of mulch in the rocks. If there is fabric below the rocks, then yes, by all means, give the trees some open ground to grow in. But unless you edge well and keep the dogs out (also any other forces of nature), you will forever be sorting out rocks from the mulch and vice versa. You might be the kind of person who can do this - I just have to look at a setup like that and stuff starts getting messy. A ground cover might work but will also need to be contained to keep it out of the rocks. Some are more invasive than others. Something like Stachys spreads well but I think can be limited relatively well. Vinca, on the other hand, is harder to keep in bounds (not to mention ugly). Another alternative is repeated use of a clumping perennial that you like. There is even a hosta that could do that in sun - Hosta plantaginea. Irises might look kind of amazing. It all depends on the look you want and what kind of maintenance you want to do. KarinL...See Morebackyard landscape design?
Comments (21)I really like that suggestion Bboy, and that book sounds like it would be a lot of help in many ways. :) I've been playing with window's paint this morning, we really have a lot to do. This yard was completely leveled last year (all of the dirt pushed to the back of the yard as you see, and all previous landscaping removed. But I do love this stuff, and I wouldn't be happy at all if I had a yard that didn't need work! I already have some clear ideas on the front and sides (the side porch area is my husbands plan, I have no say there) but if anyone see's any glaring mistakes or can offer ideas better than my drawings, I would appreciate the input! I guess I'm putting these up to show the full scope of the yard and how each section relates to another, and specifically, to the back. There are several levels to work with. Lots of concrete, sidewalks, steps, retaining walls in the front (made of stone) many sharp angles. Don't ask me why there is a sidewalk leading from our side porch to the neighbors driveway, but it can't be removed. Not only do we share property with them, but we maintain their yard and it helps to get the mowers across. The yard as it is now: As I would like it to be eventually: The second drawing... The brown areas are intended to be planting areas. Still not sure precisely which plants or where, other than I want cascading things in the front of the front beds, to come down and break up the facade of the wall which is six feet high. I'm thinking of rambling or ground cover roses, but not sure my neighbors would appreciate the thorns (or keep would their hands off the blooms). I do intend on climbing roses on the side bed though, to climb the porch railings. The side yard (where the kiddie pool is) is utilitarian - where we put our brush for composting, the hose spigot, veggetable garden, etc. No grass will grow in the middle of this area because there are pipes from the sump pumps in the basement running just under the surface. I intend to mulch it as it's suited for nothing but growing dirt. Thank you very much for looking, and for all of the advice so far! It is a great help and I think things are coming together very nicely in my mind and on paper....See MoreTo what extent does the privacy of a backyard matter?
Comments (41)"We passed on an otherwise perfect house because it abutted a highly used nature trail. Sure, 99.9% of the people going by are fine, but what about the .01%?" That is why I mentioned checking the predator list. We looked at a nice house on 5 acres that was in a great area. The elderly resident was moving into a nursing home. While we were walking the property, we happened to run into the neighbor next door and had a chat with him. He seemed very nice. When I got home I did an offender search for that vicinity and was startled to learn that this 'nice' neighbors son was on the list for child offenses, domestic battery and burglary! He had lived elsewhere for awhile but was back living with his parents. It made me wonder if the children of the elderly woman had moved 'mom' out because of this. Needless to say we passed on the house. A little later I was curious to see who bought the house and learned that a couple with 2 young children had moved in. I didn't want to take the chance that they didn't know about the guy who lived next door, so I sent them an anonymous note with a print out of the offender and the stats (address). I didn't want to scare them but I would have felt terrible if I had neglected to share what I knew. It takes a village to keep kids safe in this day and age. I'm very happy to do my part to help any/every child enjoy a safe, happy childhood....See MoreWooded Backyard Advice
Comments (8)I can't see how dwarf mondo as an "edge" is going to help you. It seems like you would want a solid groundcover for the large shade area and its edge would be THE edge, without a need for any other plant. It's going to be impossible to keep dwarf mondo out of the lawn or out of whatever other groundcover you use. Groundcover for a fairly large area seems to be one of the big "Chinese puzzles" of the landscape industry. Everybody hates an aggressive groundcover, but it takes one with some aggressiveness if it is going to hold up and spread without costing a fortune. It seems to be a general truth in life that cheap and easy solutions end up costing more in maintenance and bother over the long haul, whereas solutions that cost more up front, endure longer with fewer problems. A general truth about groundcover in particular is that if bordering neighbors are already using a certain type, it's best to use that same type, so long as it is adequately doing the job. If using a different type along common borders, it would be very difficult to keep them from mixing, and consequently looking somewhat messy. The easiest solution, of course, is just a thick layer of mulch. But the disadvantages are that it requires periodic replenishment ($) and, as you've noticed, it doesn't hold up to hard "washing." Another is that it doesn't look near as good as an "upholstered" layer of green living "fabric." Take a look around your neighborhood/town and see what other people are using in similar circumstances, and evaluate its look and performance according to your needs. That's probably the best place to start. Since you've fairly recently cleared the area of weeds and poison ivy, there is one advantage to keeping the area clear or just mulch only for one season ... because you can easily see, and eradicate with herbicide or digging, any weeds that return from roots or seeds, buying time for planning....See Morekazzh
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