Jim
has been fighting with his lawn since we met. It looks ok during the
winter months when it's flooded with rain, but come summer it becomes a
patchwork of tan, light green, dark green, and clover. I've often joked
that if we are going for a camouflage look, we're super successful. But,
since a solid green patch has been his goal, we've missed the mark.
About
5 years ago, Jim and his brother dug down a foot, carted away all the
yucky clay, and put down nice soil. Then, the brothers put down sod.
You'd think that if all the sprinklers are working, and they are, that
would have been "problem solved." He sure did! But, unfortunately,
you're both wrong.
As
I LOVE gardening, I suggested that we do away with the hateful lawn and
try a more woodland setting for our front yard. I enjoy walking around
neighborhoods and always am drawn to front yards that show some
imagination and thought. I'm especially fond to front yards that have a
path and make you feel like you just want to wander into the yard to
explore.
So,
that's going to be our goal at our house. Since this is a gardening
blog, I thought I'd endeavor to share the whole experience with you. It
seems daunting right now, and I know that I still have rose colored
glasses on as I've never worked on a project that was easier than I
thought it would be. Quite the opposite, it always seems that when I'm
halfway finished, I feel that it was way more than I could do. In this
case, I'm working with Jim who is a hard worker, comes up with great
ideas, and is fun to boot!
What
we have is a pretty blank slate. What we plan to have is a woodland
garden with raised little hills, trees, plants, and a couple of paths.
I'd like to sprinkle in some whimsical elements as time goes on.
This
first phase will consist of running water to where we need it, creating
the first set of mounds, and planting our three Coastal Redwood Trees.
I've taken "before" pictures for you to see. We've already progressed past this point, so tomorrow I'll show the next step.
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| full view of front yard... You can see the problem! |
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| from this angle it doesn't look that bad, but you can see various colors of green |
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| Here you can see some dead patches |
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| This is right where we park. So, this is the view we come home to. Yuck! |
