Yard design help

Tres
by Tres
I'm a new homeowner therefore I have never worked on a yard or helped design a yard. The previous owners did not seem to do to much upkeep so yard is pretty dry. I live in Midland TX where rain is scarce. The area is awkward and difficult to water without wasting it on the fence and concrete. I'm wanting something low maintenance in place. We have 4 dogs so I can't put something that may harm them. I'm open to all ideas, specific type of grass, pebbles, stone, etc. Please help :)
  12 answers
  • Melinda Melinda on Oct 11, 2013
    I am not familiar with what grows well in TX. I would recommend going to your local landscape company and ask for help.
  • Carole Carole on Oct 12, 2013
    I would use gravels/rocks and natural grasses - the kinds that grow in little tufts. Also succulents and cacti as they are drought hardy. I would not bother with lawn as it needs too much water and you are in an area you say where rain is scarce. Some nice tubs and gravel or rocks and paving, is much better and lower maintenance. Add to that that dogs can get skin allergies from lawns (costs a fortune in vet fees to treat these and they never seem to come right) - a no lawn look is the way to go! Good luck with it. Research your succulents and cacti and I think you will find some beauties which are very sculptural and extremely low maintenance.
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Oct 13, 2013
    Can you give an orientation point to the space? Is that your pergola and purple concrete wall? What is connected to the concrete pad in the corner? What is on the right side of the pool?
    • Tres Tres on Oct 13, 2013
      @360 Sod (Donna Dixson) the purple wall is part of neighbors storage or something. I'm planning on painting it but waiting to decide what color plants and flowers we may put in. The pergola is on their side of the yard. The yard is in a U shape with the pool in the middle. The other side of yard has some descent grass due to a large tree providing shade.
  • GranArt GranArt on Oct 13, 2013
    I would line that wood fence with Oleander bushes or Crepe Myrtle trees, they will love that weather you have. Plus check out around your neighborhood and see what is growing well. That looks like a path that would lead to a wonderful private seating area with a few trees, rock or brick the path and to the right near the iron fence I would do a flower garden all the way down the line of the fence so it shows to the pool guest. And of course I would first grow a money tree! :)
    • Tres Tres on Oct 13, 2013
      @GranArt we do have one crepe myrtle on other side of yard that I do like quite a bit.
  • Carole Carole on Oct 13, 2013
    Be careful if you go with Oleander, I think they are poisonous and might harm your dogs. I would be looking up what plants are toxic to dogs (or kids for that matter if you have children who are going to use the yard) before planting anything.
    • See 1 previous
    • Carole Carole on Oct 13, 2013
      @Tres Very nice place you have there! Have fun making it your own! I think dogs are usually not going to chew your plants - they can get hold of seeds or seed pods or fruits and make themselves ill though. They do chew grass to help with digestion so I guess it pays to be careful. Our silly girl has been eating the cicadas as they hatch. We try to stop her but she actually chews them up and swallows them - Yikes! She even goes after the discarded shell or skin - so there is no telling what they will get into so I guess it pays to be better safe than sorry!
  • Carole Carole on Oct 13, 2013
    I agree with Donna. You need to know which way your garden is facing (North, South, whatever), where the sun is at various points during the day and what type of soil you have would be helpful too, before planting anything. If you put plants in and they struggle to survive due to the wrong conditions, be that soil type or how much or how little sun they are getting you will have sickly looking plants that never look any good and might even die. Pays to check these things first before parting with any money on plantings. Agree with Beth Gilliam a great idea is to see what plants your neighbours have in their gardens and do they look as though they are thriving or struggling.
  • Tres Tres on Oct 13, 2013
    most of the yards out here are struggling so I like the initial idea's of rock pebbles with some succulents and maybe some larger plants outlining the iron fence. The sun rises from the east and sets from west. The wooden fence provides fence when setting.
  • Vickie Lanham Vickie Lanham on Oct 13, 2013
    I would go with native plants check with the local Master Gardeners your county exstintion agent can help you .I use alot of century plants, lantanas, salvias,yuccas . I use bold colors in my hardscape so that I don't need a lot of blooming plants. Water is hard to come by in west tx so plant with that in mind.Remember no one and nothing like to be in the afternoon sun in Tx.
  • Vickie Lanham Vickie Lanham on Oct 13, 2013
    Before you do the rocks remember that they store heat which can add to the heat around your house ,if you have shade they will work really good there. Use lots of mulch I like cypress mulch it stays in place good. Bury soaker hoses under it for watering .
  • Tres, you mention grasses, pebbles and rocks..... Grass could be ground cover or perennial, and pebble & rock is an aggregates which will hold heat, leafs then leafs will turn into soil. You need to make a punch list of the things you want in the back yard then of what type of material you would want to them made from in the backyard. You should talk to a knowledgeable garner and an irrigation person in you area for your project(s) then you can pick how and what type of material you want for each. You are on a climate zone 7 . by the looks in the picture your fence it is rotten. Midland is more of a desert dryer condition so if you want tender blooming plants you need to make shade & highly in organic. use pop ups sprinkler or drip system as watering system, with the other two pictures you have a purple wall! REMEMBER a buffer is to block or show any thing in front so I would do dark green, baby blue and last choice white. on the brick wall blooming evergreen in front of the pergola and do you have kids for the fence around the pool? remove it a do a double lock on gates check with a pool guy or company in your ..... 1). tree main focal point (spot for color 2).buffers different evergreen with deciduous 3). open the back yard to make it look bigger curvy flowerbed edges 4). make more inviting the pool area ( is to enjoy it , not to intimidate) , 5). porch out dated fallow you neighbor's ideal "pergola"larger, with a out door pit or cooking area and reuse your bench....... " good luck!!!!
  • On another note using rocks, snakes. You do not want to create a habitat for creatures such as these. Gaps and hiding places will simply attract those critters that are not wanted in a back yard. They look for the trapped heat in the evenings when it cools down and they hang around them when they get hot.
  • Buster Evans Buster Evans on Oct 15, 2013
    I have crepe myrtles here in Tn that are very old , they are some my mom planted here when I was a boy. They come in a variety of colors so you could get more than one color and alternate them down the fence.. there are taller varieties as well as shorter ones that dong get very tall..There is a world of things you can do with them as well..I have one that I have been "twining" the limbs together for a while now and after a while the limbs GROW TOGETHER in unusual patterns. makes for a great conversation piece. You may need to water them for the first year depending on the heat and rainfall but once they get established they are a wonderful addition to the landscape.. another blooming tree is the Rose of Sharon , (I cant remember its actual name) but they come in several colors as well and are usually hardy too.. I have them as well. Other than that cactus would be a good choice (if you like them). Again check with local farm and garden places to see what they have to offer... and look at whats growing well in the area.. Congratulations on becoming a new Homeowner!