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| "Hillside" view to the west |
Four summers ago I decided to remove the grass from the "hillside"we had created six summers ago. I caught a lot of flack from the husband who leveled the area and created the hillside so I could plant it into grass. (It had previously been a parking area . . .) I caught a lot of flack from the son (not to name names, but his initials are Steven Lyle Smith!) who had to help remove the sod and prepare the ground for planting (really, how hard is it to run a sod-cutter?) I had a good number of well-meaning family members questioning whether or not I needed "to go to all this effort?" As you can see from the photo, the effort paid off--it's a beautiful addition to our yard. However, you might also notice the wheelbarrow full of debris; it is a maintenance issue every spring, yet what part of landscaping isn't? (OK, we're not talking about rocks and concrete . . .) Anyway, each year I divide ground cover and perennials, moving them to other parts of the landscape, adjusting the beds accordingly. Last summer I added "hillside" to the west end of the yard (there's just not enough space or time to cover the discussion the purchase of the load of dirt caused . . . )
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| View of "hillside" to the east before work began |
This summer's addition dealt with "shoring up" and defining the edge of the hillside. I added landscape timbers (garnered from years of buying load levelers for the truck business) to the south of the hillside. It looked so great I decided to carry on the idea to the east. I marked out new planting beds using a hose and spray paint. Steven volunteered (yes, he really did!) to remove the sod and haul it off, bringing back loads of dirt to take its place. Again, there was some nay-saying going on; people mentioned more than once the amount of work it would be, how long it would take, it's fine as it is, etc, but I was not to be dissuaded from my vision! It took just 2 1/2 days to remove the sod, bring in timbers and "plant" them, haul dirt, and water liberally to prepare the ground for planting. Yes, the rose bush that has yielded only weeds, not roses, for 2 years still needs to be removed, but I am very pleased with the end hardscape product. And no, I really don't think it will ever be a "done deal" project. These things are always a work in progress; I've learned that from the hillside to the west, but hey, these are the kinds of things I find great joy in doing each and every summer!
Here are some pics of the project (I was too focused on the work to take very many . . .)
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| A hose and spray paint mark the lines |
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| "El nino" hammer--the great leveler! |
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| The "almost finished" project |
Great pics! You will look back once you've finished (and posted the "after" photos) and say both "ahhhh" and some version of I told you so!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it looks like it is all coming together and all the different spaces you are creating in the yard are lovely!