Need a landscape consultation
celestina
We didn't even see the yard the first two viewings of the house - covered in
about 2 feet of snow. Once it melted, all we saw was a total mud pit.
At first I thought it was just the fact that the previous owner had 4
grandchildren running about the place, and trampled the life out of the
grass around the swingset.
Turns out, after talking to my new next door neighbor, who's lived there for
33 years, that the two previous tenants of my house have really NEVER had
good luck growing grass. There is a VERY very tall, probably 200 year old
tree in the back corner of my small lot - even bare it's looming... can't
imagine how grand it'll look once leaves come in. That must be the logical
cause - not only from the massive shade it probably provides, but I'm
guessing the root system probably sucks a lot of life from the topsoil.
Am no expert - just my best guess after having possession of the house for 2
weeks and staring at the yard forlornly, waiting and praying to see green.
I have two dogs and NEED a nice yard... not to mention I want to plant a
garden... We're planning to install a fence ourselves, but the yard itself
really needs to be addressed first.
Anyone know of a good, reputable landscape company that designs/solves
problems, and won't suck my bank account dry?
I live in Cranston.
thanks much
celestina
Carol Cohen
>and the backyard is a total disaster.
> all we saw was a total mud pit.
>shade it probably provides
> Anyone know of a good, reputable landscape company that >designs/solves
> problems, and won't suck my bank account dry?
Sorry to hear of your horrible thaw surprise. But going to a
landscape company won't solve the main problem, which is maintenance.
They can seed & fertilize it, or even roll out sod, or they can plant
lots of ground cover , but then they go away. And with that big tree
there, sucking vitamins and water out, and making a heavy shade, YOU,
the owner, will have to keep up with fertilizer, watering etc.
Many landscape companies are actually guys with trucks who want to be
hired mainly to put down sod, rake leaves, & cut grass. Your problems
would need a real landscape designer or landscape architect, and they
ain't cheap.
But take hope! because I'm going to give you some free advice.
It sounds like what ever you plant will have to be extremely shade
tolerant. So first, go to the Cranston public library and check out
some books on shade gardening, which will guide you. And other books
showing back yards. The photos will give you ideas. You'll probably
also be able to find books on garden walks & terraces. If not, Home
Depot sells them. But you can save a lot of $$ if you get them at the
library.
I suggest: 1. keep the tree, it sounds like a beauty. 2. Put down
bricks or concrete patio blocks or even field$tone, right on top of
the ground behind the house, to make a nice big terrace to sit around
on. You can "grout" the spaces with sand or loam. And make it really
big because spaces outdoors somehow look smaller than the same
measured space indoors. So make it at least 12' x 18'. This is easy
to do oneself. But your back will complain. 3. Get landscape logs and
make raised beds in the least shady area, for your veg. & flower
gardens, bringing in some new soil in bags, to make them higher than
the orig. ground. 4. If you must have grass, get a shadegrass seed;
but expect it to grow sparsely.
And since you don't want to have to move any ot these built-in garden
components, plan it out first on paper, then lay it out outdoors,
using hoses, 2x4s, whatever you have, to show the locations and
outlines. Then you can walk around and move parts of it until it seems
right.
Good luck,
C.C.Three Gardens