Subscriber Garden Project 1

Hello there! My name is Keri, and I am preparing to landscape my home for the first time...I have been reading and learning for the past year, trying to figure out what to do and where to go, and am completely stumped as to what to do with an area in my front yard.

It is a small lot, sloped, and not very deep, so I don't know where to put grass, gravel, mulch, etc...I just don't know what my options would even be with this type of set up! Is it too steep just to grass the front, in front of the stairs?

I would love a little path to a bench in the cut out area near the house, and rock stairs extending down the front area possibly. We are also wanting to keep our landscaping water-wise and conservation-friendly, AND on a budget, but really need help so that I can know what my sprinkling system plans are...my neighbors are all waiting on me, and my code and restrictions for new housing developments has run out...I'm simply out of time, and unable to find much help in my immediate area!

Attached is a photo of the area in question...any simple, timely advice you could give me as far as what type of plan would even work with this small, sloped space would be INCREDIBLY APPRECIATED!!!

Warmest Regards,

Keri

Front View

Side View

Hi Keri.

Happy to help. Tell me about yourself. Where (what country, state) do you live? Do you have kids, what sorts of things do you like? You've shown me the front and side yards. Is there a rear area or is that not a concern just now? You mention grass, gravel and mulch because that is what you've seen but we can come up with better than that. Just tell me as much as you can (especially where you live) and I'll take it from there.

Keith

Keith,

Wow, what a response!!! Thank you!

We are in the Rocky Mountain/Utah area climate-wise, and the house is east-facing.

Our biggest issue is the front slope, as I do not know what would be most appropriate there...maybe slab free-form steps, with a little xeriscaping? Or just sloping grass...but that might be too steep to mow comfortably or look appealing?

We do have young children and so would like to keep the plants kid-friendly with no bee/wasp magnet plants, such as bluebeard or hyssop, etc. And we also have allergies in the family so do not want anything that is extremely fragranced. We'd like to use a longer-lasting mulch, such as nuggets or gravel or creeping thyme, so that we don't have the same old boring weathered, gray bark that needs to be refreshed every season (like our neighbors).

We'd like to keep it water-conservation friendly yet cozy, and low-maintenance yet clean-lined with a well-kept look. Is that too much to ask?! :-)

We're wanting to stay budget-conscious as well, of course, and are just trying to figure out a general layout plan of some sort so we can get our sprinkler system installed in the right configuration.

Our back area is just flat and rectangular and on the small side...35 feet deep by 51 feet wide. We'd love to lay bark nuggets or wood chips in a section/strip of the back, for a tiny kid's area, a small 10x10 canopy for a patio set, and a small elevated garden with drip irrigation. We'd like most of the rest to be just a rectangular area for grass, with a small butterfly garden strip to one side (with butterfly bush, creeping thyme, etc). Who knows what we're talking about, but those are our huge ideas for our small space!

Any expert advice you could give will be GREATLY appreciated!!!

Regards,

Keri

Hi Keri.
I am working with your property and would like to know if a low, dry-laid stone wall wrapping from the driveway around toward the back is in your budget. This would give you two level areas. Also, how far to the right, facing the house, does your property go?
Keith

Keith,

One of our ideas IS a low/wrapping wall as I think you are describing...however, we have not had an estimate for something like that, so I'm not sure what an estimated price would be (both landscapers I mentioned the idea to last year said, "oh, no, I'd just put some boulders there or something", and didn't give me a price range for that kind of an option. Do you have any idea as to a generic ballpark amount something like that would cost??

Our property to the right (north) of the house extends approximately 9.5 feet from the side of the house, obviously not including the cut-out portion by the front porch. Hopefully that answers the question correctly!

Many Thanks!

Keri

Keri,
Forget the guy who said he'd just put some boulders there or something.
Don't know costs in your area. It should be a dry wall and it should go up quite quickly so not a lot.
Yes, you answered the questions correctly.
KD

Hi Keri. Do you have a plot plan of your property that shows the dimensions? If not, can you measure the front and side yards from the house and sidewalk?
KD

Keith,

Attached is my extremely rudimentary drawing of our lot with dimensions (no plot/lot plan was included in our closing documents). I hope this helps...

Thanks again,

Keri

Keri's Plot Plan

Keri,
Excellent. Thanks. I'll have a sketch for you by early next week.
KD

Keri,
Here is your conceptual design. For valuation, I would like you to know that I normally charge several thousand dollars for a residential design plan. So I hope you like and use it. Use a local landscape person to help you with the plant selections. If you implement this, I would ask you for pictures. I forgot to state on the plan that everything below the stone wall is grass. You can use grass along the upper level too, or a low, 'stepable' groundcover.
KD

Design Plan

Keith,

Amazing, I thank you so very much...more than I can say! I sincerely appreciate all the expertise and the time you took out of your busy schedule to be such a great resource for us and so many others on your site.

A few brief questions...would you suggest drip irrigation/sprinkling system on the upper level (we are thinking about creeping thyme for the upper level ground cover)? And the stone retaining wall would taper off in height as it curves and the grass inclines and comes up to meet it toward the back?? (Please bear with my novice clarification questions above!)

Again, immeasurable thanks to you...we will get bids ASAP and begin the landscaping process quickly as soon as we find an acceptable landscaper in our area. I will definitely send photos when we have everything completed!

Warmest of Regards,

Keri

Hi Keri.
I would not use a straight drip but a drip/hybrid which also uses spray and popup nozzles but is low-volume. You don't want spaghetti tubes everywhere.
The lawn can slope up to meet the stone wall, so it will taper off in height, or you can let the lawn on the neighbor's side of the wall slope up after the end of the wall. I think you are seeing it correctly.
KD