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i BOUGHT THIS HOUSE IN FUQUAY-VARINA, NC IN OCTOBER AND WANT TO SPRUCE UP THE YARD A BIT. I AM ON A TIGHT BUDGET AND AM DOING THE NWORK MYSELF. BUT I NEED SOME IDEA'S AND FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN YOU GUYS ARE GREAT. SO I APPRECIATE ANY INPUT YOU HAVE.
YIKES!!! Ok then - I'm going to go take some aspirin and be right back.
Oh, now I can see a beginning of a plan.
Most gardeners are going for some food production and beauty to boot. You want to add a border to soften that fence. . . I would start with a 10" layer of mulch to determine how you use the space. Do the mulch in layers- lay down news papers or other thick materials and cover with straw or a heavier material then top it off with a visual material (many use bark). Some people will just put down a layer of plastic and cover with rocks and the look you want is up to you. Once you are satisfied with your inner lawn space and how you will use it - then dig in the border with a permanent rocks, brick or other dividing material. Wait 2 - 3 weeks to plant and while you are waiting for everything to die off below the mulch - then put tall sticks in the ground where you think you want your trees. Keep moving them around until they feel "right".
Next - pick the anchoring plants - trees. I would go with a fruiting tree in each visual anchoring spot - the view from your house, corners and focal points. Fruiting trees do take some care so if you choose them - be sure you know how to take care of them. Once you have your trees - plant them according to the instructions.
Now you have the basics and you can pick your planting into the mulched areas. Food crops are nice (see TransitionTowns.org for permaculturing garden space).
You will want to repeat your theme of materials and plantings around the border of your house as well so choose materials that you can access in the future as well as afford. Ultimately you will want a patio area to sit in your beautiful garden, entertain or just relax.
Now for that dead grass . . . Your soil is DEAD!!! Start fixing that up with top dressing it with a good composted manure. Sheep, cow or chicken is best. Just add 1/4 inch and work it in. What makes a great lawn is the micro-organisms in the soil and that stuff looks like chemicals have been used. Sure, you can add chemicals to your lawn for a quick fix green - but the end result is you MUST do it all the time because the soil is no longer feeding your grass. The chemicals in the lawn become a viscous cycle. . . . And, I'd kill off that whole lawn first and plant a new low growing no mowing grass but that is my preference over labor intensive lawns. Or at the very least - over seed it with something that will survive there and is low maintenance as it looks like your schedule will be full for this season.
The first thing I would do is get legal pad , note book whatever and start writing down your wind, sun and general weather exposures, so you know where your shade is, and heavy sun area's are..
If that were me my Mantis tiller would be out there tilling up the soil and and working in lots of stuff to the whole yard..Then do your layout for plants....Talk to your master gardeners at your Ag office about tree's where to get them..Talk to all your neighbors about what they are doing..Make it easy on yourself..The soil is first..For vegies, go down a thread or two and check the square ft thread.
Remember rome wasn't bulit in a day and a pretty yard takes a year or two to really get up and going
Before I post any ideas, where exactly in NC are you? What is your nearest big city? Do you know what USDA Hardiness zone you are in?
Btw... I dont think your grass is dead. most lawn grasses usually go dormant and turn ugly brown during winter. I think what you have is very workable and while it looks very barren, is not in that bad of shape.
well that is good to know about my grass. It is new construction and there are alot of rocks and clay. I live right near raleigh, I beleive I am in zone 7
Last edited by MDreplant; 03-05-2009 at 10:15 AM..
Looks to me like you have a blank slate to work with and have gotten a lot of very good suggestions. First figure out what you're going after, maximum lawn to run around in, low maintenance, tons of color, outdoor living room, vegetables and fruit trees...whatever. That will drive your planning and designing. Good luck!
Measure your yard and draw out at least a rough diagram of your plan on paper. Figure out where the key elements will be placed, such as a deck or patio, paths and walkways, lawn and plantings. Mark those on the ground with something like landscape paint.
Where to start installation? Maybe the lawn grass. Spring is the best time to plant the type of warm season grasses that do well in the south. There was a recent lawn discussion on this board.
Like Latania said, get anchor plantings like tree(s) in first. They should go in the ground in the spring or fall, fall being the better choice; summer is just too hot. Nod to mamh, figure out where the sun sets and plant a tree where it'll eventually afford some lovely shade...where your deck will eventually be. Remember to choose a tree with its mature size in mind; don't put it too close to the house.
After that go back and start work on the beds. You can work on this section by section if you have a lot of ground to cover or put materials aside and do it all in one weekend. Top it off with pine straw or other mulch to keep it looking tidy till it's planted up.
Look at pictures. Figure out what you like about other people's nice yards. Learn which plants, shrubs and trees are hardy, drought tolerant and disease resistant in your area.
Location: somewhere close to Tampa, but closer to the beach
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Yes..please let us know what hardiness zone you are in..Though this might seem like a simple question, It can determine what can be recommended for your specific area...especially if you are closer to the coast...
As for ideas,..what kind of "vision" did you have for the site?..Will the yard be used often?..kids?..pets?..all of these basic Questions have to be considered when designing a landscape...
I live in zone 7 and i have both a dog and a child. My daughter is only a yr old. I realy want to plant some color and try to hide the harshness of the fence. As you can see i have a pretty blank slaight. As i said before alot of clay and rock. Lol
From the pictures, it looks like your have a blank rectangle to work with, which is good. You can do anything that your little heart desires. My only advice is to use curved/flowing beds, no straight, skinny beds that rim the border of the yard. I think that is one of the biggest mistakes that a lot of people make, and it is just so blah. Be sure to have some evergreens so that your beds will look nice year round and add your seasonal color in front of those. Happy Digging!
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good advice
