Backyard landscaping issues
+10
Our entire back and side yard is dirt, there used to be bark on it, but all of our neighbors trees drop so many leafs in the fall, so we end up raking or blowing the bark away. Another issue is that the back half of our yard slopes so the rain washes the uncovered dirt downhill, of course. What options are there that will stay put thru rain and leaf blowing? Is gravel our only option? If I could afford it, I would cement it all. Looking for some creative ideas😀
Back corner of yard
10 answers
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The easiest way would be to plant ground cover and more plants to hold the soil. You could continue with your retaining wall, possible doing 2 tiers as the bank looks fairly steep. I am sure you can turn this into a focal point as opposed to a liability.
Barb
on Aug 16, 2016
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I would plant Ferns, Hucheras,Hostas,and Astilbes,to add some color in that area.Retaining walls will help hold in the soil as well.Instead of gravel I would add some larger rocks to give the area some interest as well as a focal point with a garden structure.
Janet Pizaro
on Aug 16, 2016
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I would try a sitting area with a pergola and make a retaining wall out of railway ties. I think this would look very nice and become a vocal point.
Poelstrad
on Aug 16, 2016
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We just DIYed a two-tier wall on a hill similar to yours in slope. We did purchase the stones (at $235/pallet), but if you have initiative, you can find some in shallow streams and creeks (though it would take a LOT). Poelstrad's idea of the railroad ties would work nicely. I agree that plantings are your best bet. Since it's shady, you could fill it quickly with Pachysandra. Or Janet's ideas are also nice if you're more ambitious. We used landscape fabric to keep the weeds down on ours, but did use mulch. Leaves were tricky for us this year as we had drought and many fell early. We wet the mulch before using the blower...it helped.
EmDirr @ DustandDoghair.com
on Aug 16, 2016
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I would mulch the leaves and let the space be natural. After trying many kinds of purchased mulch, I've found that finely mulched leaves stay in place much better. If you add some lime to it over the winter, you will have some good compost to add to other parts of your yard and gardens in the spring.
Becky
on Aug 16, 2016
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Janet's idea of making tiers and planting those specific plants is an excellent one. Judging by the picture it's a very shady spot and they would all do beautifully there. Take your time and select a variety of hostas and hucheras as they come in lovely colours. There appears to be enough room for two tiers and when the plants fill in you'll be able to vacuum up the leaves in the fall.
Judy Borman
on Aug 16, 2016
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Excellent question! In some places it's not allowed. My friend got hers from her dad's creek (handy to have a dad with a creek)... Some state parks (like Tiadaghton in PA will offer permits for surface stone (but not for creeks or streams, just from the land). They charge $5/ton. Keep an eye on Craigslist, I've occasionally seen some there.
EmDirr @ DustandDoghair.com
on Aug 16, 2016
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I recomend raising that area,addmore dirt,..I have leaf issues,50 yr old sycamor tree! i use dense groundcover (baby tears) and planted in lg pots around my camillias,then easier to blow onto lawn area.It gets messy and never ends,I leave tons of leaves on backside w/camillias,keeps them warm and protected in winter.just added hostas,..find out shortly if blower freindly!
Gina
on Aug 16, 2016
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Terracing the land would be what I'd do. You could buy bricks, cinder blocks, garden timbers or salvage railroad ties or old cement chunks or stones from a creek. Start at the bottom and make a row. Dig a little from up above to fill in and put in another row a little higher up. Try to follow the lay of the slope. The flatter you can get each section between your walls, the less runoff you'll have. If you're not that interested in fully planting it, you could use whatever you can round up to fill in. Maybe use some good soil just behind your walls and plant something like a ground cover or hostas and that'll also help with runoff. Then just let the leaves stay and compost and gradually improve the soil. Create like a series of steps. They all don't have to be the same width or depth and can be staggered, sort of randomly. You could really take your time and let nature do some of the work for you. Build your first row and let the leaves and runoff fill in behind the wall for a few months, adding in a little extra here and there. The stuff right behind the wall would be great growing medium. Then start another row just behind the first or off to the side. You could do 2 or 3 short walls spread out and let Nature work for awhile. They don't all have to be at the same level. I do most of my planting like that over the years. I do some serious work, then I let Nature work and adjust a little and I see what she has in mind, then I do a little more. And with terracing, your mulch will stay in place. Another thing I've found using mulch is after a few years the mulch breaks down real fine and becomes mixed with dirt and rotted leaves. You can rake it all off and use it for mixing with other dirt and compost to do plantings. Then just buy some more fresh mulch and recover. That planting cloth is really nice to use under the mulch. Weeds pull up really easily. Have fun.
ObiaMan
on Aug 16, 2016
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So many great ideas! Thank you all. I think we will terrace it and fill in with some natural ground cover. 😀
Tenley Erickson
on Aug 16, 2016
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