Backyard challenge: Sod alternative for a hillside location

last month

last modified: last month

Hello! I've gotten such good advice here and our backyard is such a challenge I thought I'd try again. Here's an overhead view of the space.

We are in Northern CA (North of San Francisco) and this is a north facing sloped yard.

The dirt area has previously been a sod lawn, which looked great for a minute but then the drought / flooding and raccoons made it a big mess.

Now it's just dirt and I want to plant something in the space. Critters are a big issue here so I don't think I want to try sod again. I was thinking of planting fescue or no-mow grass seeds and fencing off the area until it gets established.

We have a little dog who loves to run around back there, and the rest of the yard is pretty wild but I am slowly planting the terraces with things like succulents, native plants, ferns, and grasses that are very happy with the shaded environment.

I welcome your ideas!

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

last month

last modified: last month

" Is it something you think we could DIY? "

I wouldn't recommend it. 75% of artificial turf's appearance and durability is due to the quality of the installation. The remaining 25% is the quality of the artificial turf itself. It is not something I'd mess around with or scrimp on, especially with a slope.

Just a FYI but YouTube is not the way to go! The previous comment was made by someone who has obviously not DIY'd laying artificial turf themselves. It is a BIG job requiring a fair amount of skill.

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Comments (19)

chispa
last month
Have you thought about some artificial grass? Specially in the area where your kids practice sports.

I have a fenced yard with dogs and I did artificial grass on the sides because one side was a narrow area that they were quickly destroying the sod and the other side doesn't get much sun due to a tall hedge. Really glad I went the artificial grass in those 2 areas.
fay_fay
Original Author
last month
last modified: last month
@chispa Yes, we have debated artificial grass! Is it something you think we could DIY?
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Here, I'm not offering a specific PLAN, but a general SCHEME for creating a view. You've already regained a large portion of the back yard by removing plants that were screening it from view. I can see by the additional photo that if one was sitting on the patio, the shrubs surrounding it would block off, or seriously disturb, his view. I suggest you follow the same program that led you to getting rid of the Leylands, and dispense with the patio shrubs. In addition to being unnecessary, their presence is detrimental. If the patio were a friendlier, prettier place, it stands a chance of being better used, and if not, could at least be made to look inviting and contribute to the view as seen from the porch or windows. I'm suggesting that you create a bed that surrounds the lawn. The bed should be large enough to look like it could support the trees that are in it. Their trunks would not be near or too close to the bed edge, but well into it. A simple "rule of thumb" type guide for dimensioning a bed containing trees is to imagine each tree planted in a 'flower pot' proportionate to the trees size. Using this method, here's a comparison between your existing bed set-up and the one I proposed. You can see how the flower pots that fit into the existing bed couldn't possibly support the trees that are in them, whereas in the larger bed their size looks believable. We can't see what you see when you look into the yards at each side, but could presume that you wish to have some degree of privacy and block any negative view that might exist. In addition, you'd want to temper the view of your own fence, making it less prominent. Even putting it into deep shade will help accomplish this. This suggests the use of some large shrubs, so the border bed must fit them as well. Other, smaller plants may be desired, too, as your plan gets worked out. After separating the lawn from a bed border, it begs the question of what the exposed ground surface will consist of if it is not lawn. It's probably already understood that bare dirt is not an option. Mulch alone is the lowest initial cost option but it has disadvantages. While it looks good when first installed, its appearance will deteriorate within a relatively short time, making annual replenishment necessary. That cost and labor will eventually become tiresome. Too, mulch is brown, dry, flat and lifeless. In my opinion, it can never measure up to a groundcover that is green, gives a cushioned appearance and by the nature of being alive, is self-healing. A groundcover that grows solid, beyond the initial installation, never needs mulching again! It would make more sense and seem more inviting if you created a spacious landing, which reflected/coordinated with the overall lawn shape, at the base of the lawn steps. Even if never physically used, it completes the view and makes it seem as if there is a reason that the steps and path are located where they are. If a garden part or other lawn even were held, having a landing would seem like a real invitation to enter the yard. Without the landing, it seems as if the steps and path go to nowhere and that the lawn would make just as much sense without them.
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mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
last month
You always, always ALWAYS start with where in the world you are.
fay_fay
Original Author
last month
why thank you @mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)! i am in Northern CA and the yard is north-facing. ferns love it in my yard!
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PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last month
Artifical Turf is DIY provided you will actual labor. Take a look on videos on YouTube.
- Clear the area of all vegetation, install a layer of scrrenings sand that can be compacted.
- Use a compacting tool to level the area
- Roll out the turf and cut to size
- Spread sand over the turf and broom it in to anchor the turf so it doesn't blow away.
- Flooding will lift the turf.
fay_fay thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
cyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
last month
A native garden would be great and with the right plants, keep erosion at bay if that becomes an issue. There are terrific native grasses, ferns, flowers, shrubs. Check out your state's date base to find good matches for what you want. In Virginia, we have the Digital Atlas of Virginia Flora which shows exactly which counties a native plant is found, so I can choose the right plants for my native garden.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last month
I think you need to ask for help and fake grass can be the answer but it is not a DIY job on a slope for sure amnd not cheap. I would look at native plants that help with erosion that help comes form a good garden center with a garden designer on staff . The whole yrd looks like it needs help so maybe a plan to work from would be worth the money
fay_fay thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
BPMBA
last month
Artificial turf also creates run-off problems, so I wouldn't do it. I'd go to your local (not big-box) garden center and get one of their designers to draw up some ideas. Then you can decide if you want to DIY all, some or none of it.
fay_fay thanked BPMBA
RTHawk
last month
Before installing artificial turf, please do some research on health impacts of artificial turf. Here is one study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35948114/
fay_fay thanked RTHawk
apple_pie_order
last month
last modified: last month
There are low ground covers such as white, orange or purple freeway daisies (osteosperumum fruticosum) and (invasive) pink Mexican evening primrose. Fire safety for the house would be first and foremost, so using a ground cover that doesn't build up flammable undergrowth would be best. If the area needs to be dog-proof as well as not attracting raccoons, then artificial grass could be a good option, depending on the slope.
fay_fay thanked apple_pie_order
mojavemaria
last month
If you have enough sun (partial is ok) coyote bush, Baccharis Pilularis ’pigeon point’ would be a great looking low water use CA native groundcover.
fay_fay thanked mojavemaria
marmiegard_z7b
last month
I love trying to include native plants, but for that as well as ANY plant life solutions , it does take knowing your soil conditions as well as sun/ shade, because your particular slope may have been partially man- made or have added fill, or at very least is represents just one type of soil in your region.
It was interesting to review native plant lists and find that some tgat liked my sun/ shade conditions hated the soil & moisture conditions & vice versa, or that drool- worthy descriptions of great plants were plants that only grow in very specific conditions ( hint- nature! Naturally !) & were not “ establishable” in the residential lot unless able to do a lot of groundwork ( haha). This is particularly true of slopes because is very hard ( to me) to modify soil conditions, compared to areas of level ground, built terraces. In particular, “ native evergreen groundcover “ is a tough one. Thinking evergreen because of the fire issues or maintenance, but it is also possible to have various planting pockets of different things . I don’t have dogs but I think you will need planning for tgat and some good references for dog- friendly landscapes, including, what is the dog’s potty system? Will it be free- range or localized, & how, and what clean- up & how? It can be hard to establish a new, starting -over landscape unless it is dog- protected for a good while.
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jackowskib
last month
Based on advice above, I don't think I would go with artificial turf unless paying big $$$ to have it done right. But with all the vegetation around there I think it would be a hassle to keep nice looking. There are a few landscaping pros on here hopefully some will chime in with ideas. It would be nice to have some version of grass included, so this is just an idea.
fay_fay thanked jackowskib
PRO
lisedv
last month
last modified: last month
Spreading Groundcover for North California
fay_fay thanked lisedv
tracefloyd
last month
There really is no easy lawn or no mow lawn or ground cover suitable for play, at least not in Northern California. I would keep the flat dirt area as a play area and install rubber pavers 18"x18". It's what we did. Works great. Dogs love it. Very safe, too.

Or you could go with decomposed granite that can be compacted for play if you want a natural surface.
fay_fay thanked tracefloyd
deb s
last month
Have you looked into the dirt locker product? Nice for slopes areas and you can fill some of the cells with gravel to make a walking path
fay_fay thanked deb s
fay_fay
Original Author
last month
Thank you everybody! All good advice here and some of the issues you have all raised are why we haven't done anything to this point. @tracefloyd I hadn't though of rubber pavers, that's an interesting option. and @deb s I have never heard of dirt locker! Looking it up now!
tracefloyd
last month
I looked up those rubber paver we use and they still make some like what we have. Cut to fit with a Sawsall.
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Backyard challenge: Sod alternative for a hillside location

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

Comments (19)

chispa

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mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)

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Patricia Colwell Consulting

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mojavemaria

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lisedv

tracefloyd

deb s

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Backyard challenge: Sod alternative for a hillside location

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