Backyard
+5
If I post a picture of my backyard, will someone help me with ideas of how to make it beautiful on a budget?
8 answers
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I'm sure you will get some help if you post some photos. Go for it.
3po3
on Dec 01, 2012
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It's a promise. Along with the photos, please tell us what horticultural zone you're in, and how much sun and shade you have.
Douglas Hunt
on Dec 02, 2012
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Ok, I do believe I need a professional but I love DIY so I will give it a shot....with some advice and suggestions from ya'll. Douglas- I think we are in zone 9, Central Texas. Sun is afternoon and evening. We have one tree in the corner of the yard and along the back fence the neighbor has several trees but they don't really shade our yard. When we moved in we just thought the grass had not been watered so everything is brown and patchy. After moving in we discovered that the backyard is full of weeds, sticker weeds to be exact. First priority is to get rid of those weeds. Since there is no actual grass I believe we can just "round up" the whole yard. I would like some landscape help though to make the yard a peaceful place for the family to have fun.
Christy Howard
on Dec 02, 2012
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Looks like a nice sized yard. I am not familiar with the grasses for your area, so will leave that to others to comment on. I think the first thing to think of is how you want the yard to function, lounging, eating, playing and gardening areas. I would suggest that you lay that out first, maybe consider putting in a little more patio area (flagstone or interlocking brick etc.), this would allow you to place your barbecue closer to the eating area and perhaps create some more lounging area. If you are keeping the trampoline, it needs to be located away from overhanging trees and a certain distance from the fence to provide for the safety of the users. If you want to soften the area a bit, but are not an avid gardener, you may consider using some perennial ornamental grasses. They come in varying heights and colours and are low maintenance, but you will need to check on how invasive they can be. I believe there even some bamboo plants that are less invasive. I will investigate some of the plants for your area and post links. Perhaps you have a neighbour who loves this kind of stuff and can help. If you are doing it alone, plan it out and do it bit by bit rather than all at once - sounds like a fun project :) Looking forward to updates!
Gail Salminen
on Dec 02, 2012
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Christy, you have a blank canvas, which can be both exciting and daunting. I agree completely with Gail, that you need to first consider what you want from your yard. Try sketching ideas on paper (an old-fashioned idea, I know) first, then lay things out with a garden hose to see how they look in place. When it comes to getting rid of the weeds, you could certainly rely on an herbicide, but for area where you intend to plant some day, I would suggest you consider "sheet mulching," which will get rid of the weeds and improve the soil for what is to come. Margaret Roach gives all the details on her excellent "A Way to Garden" blog here: http://awaytogarden.com/garden-prep-how-to-make-a-bed-with-cardboard Another resource that I think will be helpful to you is Texas A&M's "Earth Kind Landscaping" site. It provides step-by-step guidance for everything from making a plan to plant selection and keeping them healthy: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/earthkind/planning-the-home-landscape/ Good luck. Please keep us posted on your progress.
Douglas Hunt
on Dec 03, 2012
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Thanks for the suggestions! I'm sure it will be several months before I do anything but I will post some before and afters :)
Christy Howard
on Dec 03, 2012
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Hi Christy what are the dimensions of your back yard? Do the puppies have free reign the that area? Kids using it a lot for playing as well?
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Dec 03, 2012
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Dont know the dimensions....probably 45' x 20' ? Never measured it, not sure. Dogs have free run and kids like to jump and play football in back yard. I may just end up do in some grasses along the fence maybe a few flowers to add some color and some grass....I would like to do some sort of border around the fence area...
Christy Howard
on Dec 06, 2012
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