Backyard woes

Gloucester · 05-14-2008, 03:43 PM

My back yard looks like a war zone.

I have two large concrete slabs in the corner lot - don't know what they were ever used for. They have sawed off metal posts sticking out from the ground every few inches. They're just a couple inches tall but enough to make me say, WTH? (Estimate to dig up concrete was $5,000. 'Fraid that's a bit out of the budget.)

Then, the shed I moved out left a brown dirt pile. At first my dogs buried their bones and toys in there, and it was cool.

Then the dug out several spots in my yard....Not to mention the urine stays killed my grass in one big circle.

Ugg...I'm trying to sell my house, and I'm worried about the back yard.

Any ideas on how can I fix it without spending a lot?

ReadySteadyGo · 05-14-2008, 04:06 PM

Buy two cheap lawn lounges and put them on the slabs, then put a plant in between. People will think its like a far away patio maybe,

and I'm not sure how expensive to bring sod is, but it sounds like you could use it on the big brown spot.

I don't know...I hate yard work so much I am kind of useless, but I wanted to try anyway.

Gloucester · 05-14-2008, 04:19 PM

I usually like yard work, but not when it's large projects. Love the idea about chairs and plant...make it look purposeful. - I will do this! I love it more and more that I think about it...That will work!

Another thing is my front yard. I have a small courtyard with tiny white rocks and weeds keep growing through. So, I decided to pull the rocks up and move them somewhere else, and put grass in the courtyard so I could mow it.

OMG. Those stupid little white rocks are killing me. I offered DD 10 cents a rock and she racked up a $100 in several buckets!

Now my courtyard is missing 1/3 of its rocks, but I still have hundreds to go. I realized too late the the previous owner put several layers of the rocks there to cover what used to be a koi pond. I may just put the damn rocks back! :)

Sod is pretty cheap, but I need the pooches to not dig it right back up.

ReadySteadyGo · 05-15-2008, 12:38 PM

Maybe you can put trash bags down on top of the rocks before you put the rest of the layers of rock back on top. Doesn't that stop weeds?

Gloucester · 05-15-2008, 02:08 PM

It does a little. I put thick black tarp-like paper down before moving the first ones, and it's held back a lot. I wish previous owners had done that with the pond.

I've actually called for a professional to come in. I told bf, though, that we're pulling chairs out of the garage and setting up the "patio" in the back this weekend. :) I even have an old grill I can set up. Thanks for coming up with that! It's really perfect.

luluc · 05-15-2008, 02:29 PM

i'm on a ranch but our surrounding farm house is landscaped in rock (austin stone the natural rock here). have too many labs that would naturally dig up ANY flower bed.
the cheap way - KEEP the rock. go to tractor supply store (TX) and get weed killer and spray that on the weeds coming through 2 times - let 48hr go by before second dose. let it dry. then go get some "weed" prevention mesh (home depot has that) and lay down - then pile the rock back on. about once a month i take the weed spread and spray the rock no matter if i see a weed or not; no issues. moving rock is a PITA; but looks clean when no weeds are popping thru.

for the back portion; readyset go had a great idea - you can also get a market umbrealla and some potted plants and make it a second outdoor sitting area - put up "tiki lanterns"....

the dogs - well; might have to take them for a walk for their exercise - wear them out so the have no digging left in them:)

tapshoes · 05-15-2008, 02:47 PM

Given you are getting ready to show the house, you need fast and easy.
Go to the local garden centre/walmart/cheap store and get tons of colourful annuals and some cheap plastic planters/hanging baskets .

Rock courtyard - spray the rocks that are there with an effective 'kill everything green' chemical; pile the rest of the rocks back on. Put one or two nice plants with colour off-centre - maybe put a child's chair or table out there so that you can place them at different heights. Key - keep the weeds down, decorate with strategically placed bright colour floral arrangements at different heights - and keep the arrangement away from the centre.

Concrete slabs - RSG has a good idea with the lawn chairs, OR depending on the size, put more plants there, stick a few tiki lights in a few other pots filled with some of your white rocks or earth. Again, colour and different heights.

Urine spots - that's where I'd plunk a chair or two.

You want the yard to look inviting and flowers and colour and texture and different heights keep the eyes moving....theoretically, they won't focus on the 'why are there concrete slabs there' but rather on the splashes of colour.

Good luck.

Gloucester · 05-15-2008, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luluc

the dogs - well; might have to take them for a walk for their exercise - wear them out so the have no digging left in them:)

Yep! Better for me, too, that way. Now... I just need to fight that laziness that creeps up!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tapshoes

You want the yard to look inviting and flowers and colour and texture and different heights keep the eyes moving....theoretically, they won't focus on the 'why are there concrete slabs there' but rather on the splashes of colour.

Perfect! That may work much better than my wide-eyed: "What concrete slabs?"

Honestly, these ideas are fabulous, and easily within budget. This weekend is the big cleaning weekend and I will be rolling up the sleeves.

Tiki lights! I love those. I can do those. Why didn't I think of these?

I think the backyard has been the dogs' playground for far too long. Time to take back my yard!

Thank you all!

KristeyK · 05-20-2008, 03:19 PM

Urine Spots...For the life of me I cannot remember the name of it, but Petsmart has this stuff that you can spray on your lawn to help green it up faster. Also, come home every evening and water the spots on the lawn and anywhere else in the grass you think they may have urinated.

Gloucester · 05-20-2008, 03:52 PM

Thank you! I didn't know they made stuff like that.

I got some sod over the weekend, picked up every fricken white rock and moved them along my fence line (between concrete and fence) and placed some tables and chairs out in the back. It really looks amazing! I can't believe I didn't do this a looong time ago.

Now for that spray stuff for the urine spots!

Thanks everyone!!!

want_so_bad · 05-24-2008, 10:19 AM

i know you said you moved the rock already but i was reading an article that says if you put down layers of newspaper that the weeds/grass cant grow through it. dont know if it works, but thought i would through that out there.

Gloucester · 05-25-2008, 10:26 PM

That's weird...I would think the newspaper would fall apart with the weather.

But, thanks! I'll try anything at least once. I love homemade solutions like that. I always think, "who did that first?" Who thought of putting newspapers down?? :)

Thanks for the tip! Yard work is never-ending.