Landscape help needed
by
Michelle
+11
My backyard needs some love and ideas from you folks...there is shade in the AM and sun in the late afternoon. We have two dogs, an enormous amount of leaves in the fall from the neighbor's oak tree that overhangs in my yard, dark corner at night where the shed is, along the privacy fence. I am interested in low cost /using recycle stuff, I cannot afford any major landscape. Thanks!!!!
9 answers
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check with local contractors or disposal centers for concrete slab that has been broken up while being removed. Use as you would expensive flagstone; with pea gravel in between...then put all your plants in pots and planter boxes......see if your community master gardeners give away cuttings...............good luck
Pjakin61
on Feb 07, 2016
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The first thing you should do is mark off the areas with an old hose to create a cut out for your garden beds.Once that is decided I would check your local nurseries for discounted shrubs and perennials.Any thing can be recycled into planters as long as there are drainage holes. I often use old chairs,barrels ,etc. Believe it or not if you take a ride around and see what others are discarding the items may be suitable for your needs. I find a lot of items at garage sales and repurpose them all the time. For some great ideas on repurposing research Flea Market Gardening.
Janet Pizaro
on Feb 07, 2016
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You are not too far from me! You have a fence which can be an asset in your design. There are several plants that will grow and are not very expensive to buy once the big box stores get them in. I buy markdown plants all the time but I do not recommend for someone unless you know what you are looking at as far as viability of a wilted plant with brown leaves. There are some plants you can revive and some that take years to grow back to normal after being neglected on a rack at a store where they do not care if it lives or dies. I suggest you look at Arborvitaes, euonymous, compact hollies, carissa holly, to name a few that are very hardy and easy to grow in VA. For the fence I would think about growing some clematis and honeysuckle. If you have dogs then make sure to keep as much grass as possible. How I determine a border for a planting bed? easy- I run the lawnmower in curves and that is how I determine the curve of a bed- sure garden hose works great but if your angles and curves are too little or too much mowing can be a real pain in the butt. Since there is an Oak next door that area will be acidic and so you will want acidic loving plants. Use the Oak leaves as mulch (run them through the lawnmower) along the fence (beds at least 2' deep). Sounds like afternoon sun so that will be hot full sun so any full sun plants will work and I would start with coneflowers, black eyed susans, gaillardia, liatris, and daylilies to name a few of perennials that will give you summer through fall blooms and are easy to grow from seed. (liatris you buy the roots in a box at walmart or plants in summer). Right now you could get some coneflower, blackeyed susans and gaillardia seeds and sow them now! The birds will love them. Take a peak at my profile here and check out my blog and FAcebook page. I have lots of garden pics and I grow under 13 -30-50' oaks!
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Feb 07, 2016
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How big is your garden? What do you want from your garden? A place to sit or entertain? A flower garden? Grow your own veg? Low maintenance (succulents and cacti for instance). Do you have kids who need play space? How much time do you have to spend on maintaining a garden - mowing, pruning, raking, making your own compost, keeping it all tidy or do you like your garden a little on the wild side? Consider all these things and more before you even start. Then would suggest you make a diagram to scale of where you want everything to go. Also a soil PH testing kit would be good or better still get the soil tested by environmental office to ensure no nasty pollutants in your soil depending on where you live. How will you keep your dogs off your plants? Do you care if they dig up the lawn or kill the grass off in patches (female dog urine will make brown patches on your lawn and when they toilet they often dig or scrape the lawn up after - makes me laugh - my husband says when ours does it - she is washing her hands! Is container gardening a better option for you with the dogs so they cannot pee on your plants (especially if you are growing edibles). On the dropping oak leaves from your neighbours tree. Rake and keep these leaves. Even if you just put them into a plastic or chicken wire type large bin and don't worry about composting - if you leave them for up to three months to break down - you have free leaf mulch for your plants and garden. Adds goodness back to the soil. Worst thing you can do is slap nature in the face by raking and bagging these useful leaves by sending them to the garbage tip. A smart gardener knows how to make use of everything nature sends them. Whether it be in the form of manure, fallen leaves or their kitchen scraps or old newspapers and cardboard. BTW, if you need to kill of an area of weeds or grass to make raised beds or plant out, cover the area with cardboard layer or thick layer of newspaper for a few months and the weeds will die off. No need to use toxic weed or grass killing chemicals or break your back digging the area out. Work smarter not harder! Hope this helps even though it is general advice.
Carole
on Feb 07, 2016
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I work for a city and like @Pjakin61 suggested, where I am the city horticulturalist changes the perrinials seasonally and often times will bring dump truck loads of beautiful flowers and plants by our offices to give away before they are mulched up. I live in between you and @The Garden Frog Boutique with C. Renee so maybe the city of Roanoke would do the same. It wouldn't hurt to ask. They usually give them away at the end of the season but they'll be ready to bloom the following year.
Mandy Brown
on Feb 08, 2016
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You are fighting 2 battles...dogs and west sun exposure. Hang that pretty red object on the house 2-3' off the ground, 3' from edge of porch. Make a semi circle shape filled with leaves and a couple bails of pinestraw. 1 Big rock, 1 large resin pot (not expensive) with flowers (keeps dogs from beating hem down). The start making a small pretty garden. Working on this as you go along can be so much fun. You can use almost anything.
Jeanette S
on Feb 08, 2016
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Thank you everyone for the input. Few things I am taking away from these idea, due to dogs and leaves no mulch I feel I be wasting money, compost bin for the fall leaves, going to look for some good size river rocks for border, shrubs of some sort, lots of ground cover, hosta's and some hardy periennals. I will put like an old chair that has no sear and add a planter wth flowing flowers. Add some additional shrubs along the fence line. What is not shown in pictures at bottom of steps there is a 8x10paver patio, previous owners did not put in correctly will pull up and redo, backyard a cement slab from former shed, my firepit and chairs on this. So the backside will be pretty and will also wash the siding. Again thank you !!! I am excited to get going and will post pictures once done
Michelle
on Feb 08, 2016
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Some nurseries will come out and give you some suggestions for plants and design for free or for a small fee. Check out any Reclaim stores in your area and or builder supply surplus. The fencing needs a good power washing, then you can stain/seal or even paint to bring some color and protect the wood. Take the pavers at the base of the steps, in order to create a base for that storage shed along with an area for creating compost from grass clippings and those oak leaves, which will cut your cost for mulch in garden beds. Power wash the back of the house and create a dining/entertaining area from the base of the steps along the back side of the house. Incorporate flowers with various size potted planters. I would paint the hand rails a black or blackgreen color, which gives it a classic look and by all means paint those steps a different color (one to go with the dining/entertainment area). Consider adding color to your window, door, and trim to give the house some character. Look into solar outdoor lighting to brighten up those dark areas. As far as your lawn, you can purchase zoysia grass plugs and or seed to replace your existing lawn. Don't worry, zoysia grass is disease, drought and insect resistance and you don't have to mow as often, plus it feels like your walking on carpet. http://www.zoysias.com/
LD
on Feb 08, 2016
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One cheap idea: buy some solar powered walkway lights, but put them close to the house. I have spent $1-5 each for the lights, no batteries needed. The ones I have now change colors and the grandchildren love them. They usually only last a year, what with wind and careless lawn mowers, but they don't use any electricity and give a little fantasy to the yard.
Jewellmartin
on Feb 08, 2016
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