# Crowdsource - Landscape / Hardscape Ideas



## robbybobby (May 15, 2017)

In need of some ideas of what to do for our backyard. Figured forum sourcing some ideas would bring about some items I haven't considered. Id like to think I have more or less have a blank slate.

*Basic backyard specs​**Orientation* - Picture North is True South. Aka back wall is South.

*Grass* - 13k sqft of mostly common bermuda + small sections of a hybrid.

*Trees* - (6) Sissoo trees. I've heard many concerns about evasive roots but we have flood irrigation every 14 days in the summer, I don't foresee roots coming to the surface anytime soon. These trees are growing like wildfire, will be about 40ft tall / 25ft wide once mature. Should provide a really nice privacy perimeter when that time comes.

*Power* - Fortunately the previous owner hooked me up good. I have power sources on the West, South West, and South perimeter walls + directly behind the pool. Back garage has its own sub panel too.

*Septic* - Tank is just east of the pavers by the pool. So id rather not build over this only to tear it up every 5-7 years.

*Short Term Ideas (this year)*​
- I'm pretty hell bent on a 2ft retaining wall that frames the yard just in front of the trees and along the grass side of the rock drive to the back garage. Someone tell me why I wouldn't do this?
- What else??

*Long Term Ideas (2-5 years)*​
- Replace the pavers with a nicer tile. Bellying up pavers to the travertine pool deck just doesn't sit right. 
- Covered Outdoor kitchen / bar + seating area. Thinking on the west side of the pool pavers. _*Section of grass/pavers in the forefront of the 2nd picture*
- Redo the back garage. Currently is just a shell. 
- Resurface driveway to back garage. Don't want to paver or cement it but the current rock there is ugly.

No idea is a bad idea! Let me hear what you would do!

_


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

If you really want something over the septic tank, it's fine to put a deck there and just leave a hatch for access to the lid. Just don't put it over the leach field.

The real question is, what level of maintenance do you want?

Your 2-foot retaining wall in front of the trees is a great way to kill them. Why on earth would you do that? You just want a raised bed there or something? Do you just like the look of raised beds? What you need to do there is create a bed and just mulch back to the wall. That will frame it in fine.

If you want a retaining wall effect, I'd put in a bench/wall alongside the patio and make a raised bed there to separate the pool area from the rest of the yard. It would give more seating on the patio side and give you the vertical element you seem to want. Make the planting space at least 5' wide. You can go one of two ways with planting it: Either go tropical paradise or else go modern with rigidly spaced grasses.

The waterfall feature area seems to desperately need tall wall behind it to frame in the pool area and create the focal point for the pool that it's trying to be. You kina have the right idea with the grasses, but they are not enough. A wall spaced a bit behind it with something growing over it, and on either side accented with strong vertical plants, perhaps in large built-in box planters to really ground that end of the pool.

Do you have the $80k-$120k for your planned 2-5 year project? Because fully landscaping it with a new travertine patio is going to cost that much. Most landscape companies take cash only. At best, watching pennies, I'd say you can get away with $40k with the bar area and some retaining walls for raised planters, etc, and the new driveway if you don't get to ambitious with the pool deck. Also, I wouldn't do natural travertine around the pool, regardless, and would do a stamped concrete because it's going to be less susceptible to damage, it can look every bit as good, and it's considerably cheaper. I don't like paying more for stuff that ends up just getting damaged.


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## robbybobby (May 15, 2017)

@Lawndress I appreciate the ideas! Im not big into small gardening at all. Pruning trees and reel low grass, im all in.

For the retaining wall I'm more so looking for a way to frame out the grass. There currently is a raised berm in the last 5 feet to the wall for water retention when we flood irrigate. So maybe not "retaining" wall so to speak but was thinking a little wall/sitting ledge that frames the yard. Idea being that I can run power for lighting in this wall to illuminate the trees.

Agreed! on behind the pool…previous owner has additional shrubs that span the pool from East to West but they were ugly and too close to the pool.

I do like the idea of stamped concrete. Stays far and away cooler than my pavers.


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

In that case, the grasses idea is better than the tropical one!

So you mean a wall that won't actually have to retain anything? You won't be raising the level of the dirt around the trees?


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## robbybobby (May 15, 2017)

Lawndress said:


> In that case, the grasses idea is better than the tropical one!
> 
> So you mean a wall that won't actually have to retain anything? You won't be raising the level of the dirt around the trees?


That was the original thought but if you're saying it will kill the trees then it is a no go. My vision was to frame the grass but also envisioned kids using the wall as a bench while the yard was being used for a wiffleball game or something. 
Certainly open to other ideas now thar tree health is in question.


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

robbybobby said:


> Lawndress said:
> 
> 
> > In that case, the grasses idea is better than the tropical one!
> ...


If it retains nothing, it won't hurt the trees. I thought you meant that you wanted to actually put in raised beds! You could put in the wall and then just mulch the tree area.

My thought is that the wall/fence already defines the edges, but right now, the pool looks like it's kinda floating in the lawn. So I would just define a bed edge where that back wall is and mulch under the trees. I would put some shade-tolerant smallish freeform shrubs between the trees and the wall because there's lots of room and mulch isn't going to like staying on that berm. Like this: https://www.pebbletec.com/tag/pool-planter-bowls/ (look behind the trees--just the tree area is all I'm talking about). If you really want a very strong line at the front of the trees, you could go all-in and plant one of the large varieties of variegated liriope along the front line to make a solid line, too. You could even plant the rest of the area is mondo grass as a kind of geometric ground cover. As much or as little as you like. Here is a large lirope as an edging:


__ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/163748136424945899/

Then I would ground the pool with a raised planter with the bench along the long side. That way, you'd define different areas and have that sitting space, both. For someone with no interest in gardening, I would definitely go for the ornamental grasses. They are easy. These kinda sorta look like what I'm talking about:

Grass like this, but behind wall: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/miscanthus-gigantic-grass-in-autumn-colors-and-scenery-gm1056710444-282166615

Grass and wall, but wrong grass and wrong wall lol: https://images.app.goo.gl/C8PkpxsYRbK6rMKMA

Sorta like this: https://images.app.goo.gl/sMiDJC67ymgD4vrf7

Of course, you can ground it without a wall with a line of rock as in the first picture or like this: https://www.katrinaleechambers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/dbad0ba1541b3e4d07b2469d72b04e81.jpg

Or even transition straight to the edge like this: https://images.app.goo.gl/5FV6PNhazwbKmi4r8

Higher maintenance is making the demarcation with a clipped shrub and skipping the wall completely, sorta like this: https://blog.techo-bloc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2019-CA027-7766_soft.jpg?width=7360&name=2019-CA027-7766_soft.jpg

Or this: https://images.app.goo.gl/LKuavdFXHS9KZDBX9

I don't know what the orientation is (N/S/E/W), but I was thinking that the outdoor kitchen could go opposite it, along the side that's also along the house.

Then ground the water feature with the wall and planters, with wide spaces to walk out into the yard on the short end on either side of the water features and near the outdoor kitchen.

This all would create edges for the pool area, so it doesn't feel like it's floating, and provide the definition for the lawn.


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## robbybobby (May 15, 2017)

Thanks @Lawndress ! I do like the look of the mondo grass for that strong line. Really neat idea. To you point, there is a lot of space between the trees and the back wall. Thoughts on how the mondo grass or any liriope would do with flood irrigation? these plants would be submerged in water for about 6 hours every two weeks, wouldn't see any irrigation beyond this unless necessary (I have drip lines feeding the trees but have the need to use them).

Agreed on behind the pool. The previous owners had the thought of executing something to that effect but didn't turn out well. Plus they stopped watering everything in the 45 days before we closed so all were dead when we had the property. I ripped everything out except for the grasses. I left those to block some piping and electrical, I'm not a big fan of them otherwise. I may have to build a small wall right there to serve the same purpose. The pool company had suggested I extend pavers or add natural drainage (rock) for another 3-5 feet beyond the backside of the pool to ensure it wouldn't affect the pools walls with soil saturation. The bench idea could certainly help facilitate that.

See previous:

See current:


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

robbybobby said:


> Thoughts on how the mondo grass or any liriope would do with flood irrigation? these plants would be submerged in water for about 6 hours every two weeks, wouldn't see any irrigation beyond this unless necessary (I have drip lines feeding the trees but have the need to use them).


They are bulletproof. They're something I feel comfortable recommending for a wide range of zones and conditions. I don't think I actually know anyone who has killed either of those. I even stuck some miniature mondo grass in deep shade and didn't kill it.

Glad I gave you some ideas! And I can see how they started. That's a really upscale pool, which unfortunately makes the pavers look cheaper. It's an unfortunate combination.


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