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Landscaping and Gardening
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I want to landscape my yard. Where do I start?
First, look at your yard,
and sit out there for an hour or two and think about what you would like
it to be. Look at what is already there and see how you can incorporate
the natural aspects. If it's rocky, maybe some large rocks would add a
focal point or give the effect of a small Zen garden. If it's sloped,
think about terracing it. Regardless, think about what you really want
from your yard and what you want to give to your yard. How much time and
effort will you realistically provide?
Next, go to the library
or a home supply center and look at the wide variety of landscaping books
available. Choose some that seem relevant to your needs. If, after all
this, you are not satisfied, go to a landscape architect, who can save
you a lot of time and anguish. Even if you couldn't come up with the design
yourself, you are now better informed and can work with the architect
to achieve what you desire.
We would like more privacy for our yard without giving up the view. Is there
any solution?
For a low barrier,
one idea is to plant dwarf trees, including the fruit-bearing varieties
that will give you great spring blossoms and summer fruit. But they will
lose their leaves in the winter, reducing the privacy aspect. If you plant
such trees, keep them trimmed to the height you want rather than waiting
until too late and then just chopping off the tops.
Another solution is
a hedge, again trimmed to the height you wish to maintain. There are a
great number of hedge varieties out there, so look around. You can also
make a great hedge with dwarf lemon trees planted close to each other.
There are also numerous flowering hedges.
If you plant taller
trees, the view will be obstructed, but by spacing them, you will still
retain some view between the trees. At the same time, people looking at
your house from a distance will focus on the trees, not the house or property
behind the trees.
If you want real privacy,
then fast-growing trees will do the job. One good choice is the hybrid
Austree, which grows 10 feet or more the first year. Also look at flowering
We live near a busy street. Is there any way to reduce the noise?
The most effective
way is a high masonry wall that uses its mass to deflect the sound waves.
Thick hedges or solid wooden fences will help only a little. One method
that will help a great deal is to install double-pane windows in the house.
That will significantly cut outside noise.
I got rid of this
ugly old tree and now I have an ugly old stump in the yard. How can I
get rid of it?
Cut it as close to
ground level as you can, then rent a stump grinder. This machine will
chew the stump down as far as your strength holds out. You can also drill
several large holes in the stump, then pour in a chemical you can purchase
at large home centers. In a couple of months it will make the stump soft
enough to readily burn out or chop out.
Water pools in
my yard and around the house every winter. How can I get rid of it?
You need to keep standing
water away from your house because it will soften the earth and allow
your foundation to settle irregularly. Water can also damage your foundation.
To keep water out of the yard and away from the house, dig drainage ditches—or
better yet, have them dug. If there is a slope on one side of the house
that carries water toward your house, put the ditch near the top of the
slope. Make it about 4 feet deep and backfill with 6 inches of gravel,
then put in a perforated 4-inch diameter drain pipe and cover it with
gravel. Slope the ditches so the water will keep running through the pipe.
Put ditches around your house in the same manner to keep water away from
the foundation.
If extensive ditching
is beyond you, dig a hole down 2 feet or so and a couple feet across in
the lowest spot and put in a sump pump. Pump the water to the storm drains
or a natural drainage system away from the house. You can disguise the
sump hole with plants and put the piping underground.
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