What to use under my deck? (Grass won't grow well)

[Jeff Wisnia]

Our home (Boston area) has a 12'x14' deck 9 feet above the ground. Because of
shadowing, I can't keep grass growing very well beyond about "half way" under
the deck, and rain water dripping down between the deck boards doesn't help
keep the grass either, it washes away the grass in lines.

I'm ready to give up and try something else.

I'd appreciate suggestions for DIY solutions. Pavers (those cement "hexagonal
with a tail" shaped bricks) look like they'd do well, but I haven't learned
much about them, like are special edge and corner bricks needed too, and will
they work OK just set onto well settled soil, or do they need sand or some
other base?

Are their other attractive materials I should look into?

Thanks, guys..email copies of replies appreciated, my ISP's news server is
sometimes flakey.

Jeff Wisnia W1BSV "Common sense isn't very common"

http://www.tiac.net/users/wkrp For multisensory phonics based reading

[Joseph Meehan]

How about gravel. I would get the large smooth stuff, 2-3 in
diameter. Put it over some landscape fabric to keep the weeds down.

--
Dia 's Muire duit

Joe M

[ace]

Pavers sound like the solution for you. As you probably know, grass
doesn't do too well in a shaded area anyway. And yes, most of them
require edgers, which are mating pieces, but with a straight edge.
Depending on the design, there are also corner pieces.

If you decide to use pavers, it's standard procedure to lay down a bed
of "river sand" or some other suitable base. River sand supposedly has
sharp edges as opposed to masonry sand.

The base will allow drainage of rainwater,etc. and facilitate
installation. If you go to a place which specializes in this type
product, they should have sample layouts for you to look at in addition
to "how to install instructions"

Good luck!

[Thomas G. Baker]

Try posting on < alt.landscape.architecture >. I would think that ferns or other
shade tolerant ground cover would be more pleasant than paving.
TB

[RamblinOn]

River rock over landscape cloth might work. Relatively inexpensive, easy to clean
off with leaf blower. Edge with narrow (4"x16") paver or timbers to contain the
stone and keep it out of the lawn mower. I like ferns but think they would harbor
mosquitoes. Pavers allow edging lawn without disturbing rock. Landscape cloth
keeps down weeds and allows drainage. Nine feet up allows use of the area, too.

[Richard Wiebe]

Since grass does poorly, use flagstone (or some other hard-surface
cover) to convert the area to a "shaded patio". You could also plant
flowers or shrubs which do well in shaded areas.

Getting older (and wiser) - but - it beats the alternative!

[Brad]

How about some Ivy?

[Hamm4fun]

One of my neighbors had a similar problem. He graveled it in and enclosed the
area using it for storage.

[suenoir]

Pachysandra terminalis, grows any where in the country, takes deep
shade, is an evergreen groundcover, very lush looking and beautiful.
Hosta, a great looking plant but goes dormant and disappears in the
winter. Ajuga is a nice low ground cover that has blue flowers that
can take alot of shade. Cast iron plant (Aspidistra), which is usually
grown as a house plant grows everywher also. A mixture of plants would
look nice. Pachysandra is aggressive so it may end up being the only
plant after a while in a mixed planting. Except for the hosta, these
plants are very tough and can take less than perfect soil.

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[Wally Wilson]

Consider wood chips. You can get a truck load cheap from you local tree
trimmers.

--
Wally Wilson
Outdoor Designs Unlimited, Inc.
Brighton, MI
http://www.outdoordesigns.net
RamblinOn <Ramb...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:39A060C7...@mindspring.com...

> River rock over landscape cloth might work. Relatively inexpensive, easy
to clean
> off with leaf blower. Edge with narrow (4"x16") paver or timbers to
contain the
> stone and keep it out of the lawn mower. I like ferns but think they
would harbor
> mosquitoes. Pavers allow edging lawn without disturbing rock. Landscape
cloth
> keeps down weeds and allows drainage. Nine feet up allows use of the
area, too.
>
> "Thomas G. Baker" wrote:
>
> > Try posting on < alt.landscape.architecture >. I would think that ferns
or other
> > shade tolerant ground cover would be more pleasant than paving.
> > TB
> >
> > Jeff Wisnia wrote:
> >

[RamblinOn]

Wally Wilson wrote:

> Consider wood chips. You can get a truck load cheap from you local tree
> trimmers.
>

Termite bait.

[Ken Schumm]

Would wood chips close to the house encourage termites?

Previously, Wally Wilson wrote in alt.home.repair:

> Consider wood chips. You can get a truck load cheap from you local tree
> trimmers.
>

> --
> Wally Wilson
> Outdoor Designs Unlimited, Inc.
> Brighton, MI
> http://www.outdoordesigns.net

[...]

[gall...@nsd.ie]

Phisherman <no...@noone.com> wrote:
>If the chips are cedar, that may be okay. Else the rotting wood>WILL
attract termites!!!

>
>On Tue, 22 Aug 2000 06:26:18 -0400, "Wally Wilson"
><wwi...@ismi.net> wrote:
>
>>Consider wood chips. You can get a truck load cheap from you
local>tree
>>trimmers.
>

I suspect that you want to grow something. If theres enough light, you
could grow a lot of things, even though grass fails. There's a whole
list of shade-tolerant plants on various gardening websites. For my
region these include hostas, cyclamen, hardy geraniums and hellebores,
but your region may have different tolerances.

Best wishes,

Seamus

--{ Posted at BuildFind, http://www.buildfind.com/ }--
The Construction Super Network - Everything Construction

[Jeff Wisnia]

Thanks, I do like Pachysandra, I've got quite a bit of it growing along
the foundation of the house on BOTH SIDES of the deck, but curiously
enough it doesn't even TRY to spread under the deck (15 years it's been
there too, and the stuff sure pops up through the lawn grass in the
UNSHADED areas, and even pokes through the too thin edge of our blacktop
driveway).

The stuff is, as you say, very lush and beautiful and requires almost no
maintenance save for rakeing whatever dead tree leaves manage to find
there way into it in the Fall.

So, I doubt if it would spread fast enough under the deck to look good
for MANY years. (It takes 2-3 years for patches to get really thick in
sunny areas when I plant them about 6" apart.)

I think I'm going with "river stones" over landscaping cloth with either
a single or double (with a little soil and plants/flowers in between)
landscape timber edging.

Jeff Wisnia W1BSV MIT '67 ee

[RamblinOn]

Jeff Wisnia wrote:

> Thanks, I do like Pachysandra, I've got quite a bit of it growing along
> the foundation of the house on BOTH SIDES of the deck, but curiously
> enough it doesn't even TRY to spread under the deck (15 years it's been
> there too, and the stuff sure pops up through the lawn grass in the
> UNSHADED areas, and even pokes through the too thin edge of our blacktop
> driveway).
>
> The stuff is, as you say, very lush and beautiful and requires almost no
> maintenance save for rakeing whatever dead tree leaves manage to find
> there way into it in the Fall.
>
> So, I doubt if it would spread fast enough under the deck to look good
> for MANY years. (It takes 2-3 years for patches to get really thick in
> sunny areas when I plant them about 6" apart.)
>
> I think I'm going with "river stones" over landscaping cloth with either
> a single or double (with a little soil and plants/flowers in between)
> landscape timber edging.

Something I tried recently that worked well is to put some pots in the
ground before laying out the landscape cloth and stone. Remove the pots,
lay out the ls cloth, cut across the hole about four times and then replace
the pot. Dump out the stone and you're done. I live in Florida and this is
in an atrium that gets little sun. I've tried several plants that haven't
worked so I decided that with the pots I can change plants without
disturbing the stone. I've used stone - different sizes - in areas where no
grass will grow or where there is a downspout emptying. It stays in place
and has a natural look. I dislike lava rock, not only because of the color
but because it is harder to clean. Leaf blower blows lava rock around but
not river rock unless the nozzle is right up against it. River rock makes
the surface useable, easy to clean and can be mixed with stepping stones,
etc. Set pots on it. Put up chairs and table or let kids play. Doesn't
decompose. We have an odd set-up, with downspouts on both sides of our two
patios - lots of water during heavy summer rains. I've gotten some
inexpensive flower pots - black plastic with drain holes - put them in the
ground, fill with river rock, and it makes a good spot for the downspouts to
drain into without eroding soil. Have some dark grasses and ground covers
which look pretty against it - kind of Japanese garden look. Do love to get
my hands dirty.

>
>
> Jeff Wisnia W1BSV MIT '67 ee
>
> suenoir wrote:
> >