Anybody doing any big landscaping projects this year?

I think we spent about $5-6k to have trees cut down, stump grinding, and sod put in our back and front yards. It's expensive! I love all of the grass, though. This is why I can't come to grips with ripping it out for a pool! It's really nice sod :rofl1:

I can't seem to grow indoor plants very well. I always kill them. But outside ones I have better luck with. I think you live in a great place for growing outdoor stuff. I have to start a lot inside from seed early because our growing season isn't very long...better than it was in north Idaho though. Basil is my favorite herb and I have started some of that inside. That's neat that yours came back and you don't have to plant a new one. Here, basil is an annual.

A green house would be lots of fun, wouldn't it.

Jessie, those screened in, covered patios are so cool. But then, so is a pool. I vote you get a pool and keep the grass for the front yard. lol. Of course, that's more maintenance. A koi pond would be very nice. My sister has one and she loves her fish. So, unfortunately do the raccoons. She has to cover it with chicken wire. I think if I do a water feature, I'll skip the fish because that's more maintenance than just a "river bed" type thing with water falling into it. I'm not sure though. Maybe I'll find it's too much $$$.

Well, they'll sure fertilize it.

I'm getting 2 decent sized oak trees taken down within the next few weeks. I also have to replace some of the boards on my deck then we want to put up a hardtop gazebo on the deck for dining under. I've been neglecting my front yard for the last few years and it is starting to show. The shrubs lining the walkway really should be replaced but my husband and I can't agree on what we want so until we see something we both like I think I'll hold off on that. I have good luck with outdoor plants but I am the kiss of death with outdoor plants. We also need to re-cement around our pool but that is going to have to wait a few years.
My neighbor has a really nice Koi pond, and another neighbors cat kept stealing her fish and leaving them on my front stairs. Finally she put a screen over the top so the cat can't steal them anymore.

What a gift you got! LOL. Actually, it's not funny. Those Koi really seem to have personalities. My sister really, really loves hers. And was so mad at those raccoons.

Those oak trees....can they be used for something? Fire wood or to build something out of them?

A gazebo would be really neat Linda. I'd love even a small roof over the existing patio, but that will have to wait or never. I do have a covered front porch. But it rains so much here that it would be so nice. I always go out with the dogs when they go pee pee and then I have to get all wet too. LOL.

I'm debating over whether to make a place along side the house, replace the bark with those other kind of chips...larger, not cedar or anything...for dogs to do their business there. But I'd have to train them to go only there and that's such a hassle. But I worry about my grass in summer when it doesn't rain so much. I'll have to run out there every time they pee and hose it or it will get brown spots. Ugggg. I hate training that trick after the fact...really a pain. Ya gotta use leases every time and treats and prevent them by watching like a hawk from going anywhere else. A big, pita. So, I'll probably wind up with lousy looking lawn because I'm too lazy to train them to their designated place.

Yes! We have an awesome large yard but it has major drainage issues and since we got Aura, and having a very wet fall/winter, most of the grass got destroyed. Its also clay so we are planning in the next few months to 1) add a dog run along the one side with chain link and 2) digging up the rest of the yard, laying new drain lines and then putting nicer soil and planting new grass. It's going to be quite a project, I'm not really looking forward to it, but on the other hand I cannot handle another winter of mud!

We also have to redo our front steps and back steps (hopefully build a patio in the back as well).

This is our yard with puppy Riley:



And this is our yard now :



We have a ton of plans for it but it will take a few years since we can't afford everything at once!

Since we're buying a house we have some landscaping plans. I got my 12 Arbor Day Foundation trees today, so we'll be planting those along with our Christmas tree. We might be starting a veggie garden, but I'm not sure on that. We might hold off until next year and just work on getting the ground ready. I also want to put in a fence and a patio.

You can put some lime down. That will help break up the clay. It doesn't look like Riley minds at all. lol. I have the same problem in the back yard, up close to the house. It's awful...doesn't drain. I know the new sod won't do well so that's where the patio is going. The rest of the yard isn't too bad and I'll just keep liming it and maybe top dress it from time to time with some new top soil. You have a nice big yard though. Mine is very tiny...something I've never had before. But I asked for it...wanted low maintenance, not too much to mow or anything. One thing about these new neighborhoods with tiny lots is that there aren't any big, old established trees or anything. So, I'm having some trees put in, but they won't be very big. Of course, if they were very big, they'd totally take over the whole yard. lol.

The picture with puppy Riley was nice - the grass was nice and thick. But now with two dogs running on it, it didn't stand a chance lol. My hubby's bringing in an excavator to remove the clay and dig the trenches... he's got it all planned out so I'll just have to wait and see how it goes! Thanks for the suggestion though I'll have to take progress pictures.

I wish that was for sod! That's for seeding the grass. It's going to be another $5-10k to put sod in (and our whole property is only .3 acres--the back is maybe half that!)

*sigh*

One year we'll have to choose not to vacation at all and take care of the yard or re-do our kitchen instead.

I'll be re-seeding my lawn. It all looks like this:



Patchy and muddy. Nothing huge there.

I'll also be doing some renos on my huge back shed. I want to turn it into a proper storage shed for a lot of the crap accumulating in the house, but right now it has critter holes and some rot happening in the walls. The roof is in great shape and the framework is great. Just need to to repair the walls with some new wood and clean out the interior.

Yikes! We have .3 acres total as well... maybe St. Augustine grass (typical Florida sod) is cheaper than the type in your area. Do you have a lot of trees? I think we had 4 or 5 taken down.

Vacations are better than home repairs! We're the same way- while I'd love to redo my kitchen, I don't want to give up my vacations for it!

Yeah, this is my back yard:





Terraced, and overgrown with trees and bushes. I think there are 10-12 trees of various sizes that the landscape architect said would need to come out to make grass viable. I'm choosing to disregard all their advice, spent $100 on various things at home depot, and am going to see what happens if I dump lime/fertilizer/grass seed back there this year. Worth a shot to possibly save a portion of $10k!

Yeah Cali, a lot of your grassy area looks quite shady...lots of trees branches over head. That's hard to grow grass without plenty of sun. There are varieties that can tolerate more shade than others, but I think all grass needs at least 5 hours a day. If it will grow, it's good to not mow too short...allow as much of the blade to get light as possible. Maybe some kind of ground cover would work well. (?) It sure is a pretty yard though. I love the stone/paver work. (I think that St. Augustine is one of the more shade tolerant grasses) But with those tree roots, again...hard for grass to put down roots near them.

I bought shady grass seed--we'll see. I'm waiting for it to rain so the ground isn't rock hard! I'm fully expecting nothing to happen, but the weeds are growing quite well lately, so I know it's possibly for something to grow back there!

Unfortunately, I really want grass so I can set up agility equipment to practice without Lucy becoming a total mud puddle.

One day I'll probably suck it up and pay to have the trees removed. But not yet. I just moved in ~6 months ago, so I've yet to see a summer yet. I may like all the shade on the deck in the summer time--we'll see!

Well we're Doing a vegetable garden and hoping to add a bunch of flowers in the front yard as well as some flowers in our backyard and hopefully even a tree. We have NO trees in our backyard and only one small one in the front. I'd love a tree or two in the back.

That's what the dog yard looks like since adding Charlie. She acts like it's Indy500 out there! Will be doing the lime/fertilizer/grass seed type deal and see if I can at least grow some of it back.

We were thinking of a veggie garden as well but we thought we'd see how the easily contained the goats will be before we put temptation in their way!

Yup...those little buggers would love a veggie garden. Maybe you could make two, one for them and one for you...in another area where they can't get to it. lol.

I stopped at the 99cent store while I was getting an oil change, and bought some seeds and bulbs. We'll see if I can get anything to grow from them.

I also got a nice sized-clay pot, for the bulbs, and some fertilizer. Yay!