Transformation Tuesday 09/29/2020

Today we check out a backyard that had stacked moss rock flowerbeds full of weeds & grass as well as a raised flowerbed framed with railroad ties which was also overgrown with Russian Sage. Besides a few healthy pinion & ash trees, the rest of the yard was bare. Additionally, every time it would rain or snow, it would create a muddy mess!

To get started, we removed the moss rock & weeds from the backyard. The flowerbed was then designed to overlap some of the railroad ties so that it blended nicely.

Next, the outline of the landscape block was trenched & an irrigation line was run below the first level of block for easy irrigation access to the flowerbeds.

Blocks were then stacked below grade while simultaneously backfilling with fresh soil, working to build the soil to the same height as the blocks before the next level was stacked. Once the blocks were complete & the capstone glued & cured, it was time to start planting.

A variety of plants were chosen to fill the raised flowerbed: Blue Mist Spirea, Walker's Low Catmint, Stella de Oro Daylily, Lavender, and a Butterfly Bush were added to the beds.

Two dry riverbeds were also trenched: one from the left corner of the yard & the other in front of the railroad ties. We sloped them down toward the left side of the house, where they eventually merged into one dry riverbed that went to the front yard. This helped direct water to prevent flooding in the back.

These locations were chosen because water would seep under the neighbor's fence whenever it would rain as their yard was sloped toward this house.

Once the final apricot tree was planted with irrigation, it was time to level out the rest of the yard & prep it for gravel. Weed barrier was rolled out over the entire yard & pinned down. Pueblo Brown gravel was used first, then river rock for the dry riverbeds. A few final touches & our client was extremely happy with the new landscape & properly drained yard!