Tag: hedge

Another 25 tons of rock

North Rock Berm

The two front rock berms are finally done.  There’s a total of 25 tons of black and red granite on each berm: 12.5 tons of large boulders, and approximately 12.5 tons of 6-12″ rip rap.  Jester and I worked on these berms for an entire week.  We set each stone so that you can walk on it and it will not move.  When I’m weeding or tending the plants on the berms I can walk from rock to rock without worrying about it moving out from under my foot and possibly turning an ankle.

I bought a variety of dwarf evergreen shrubs and xeric roses to go on he berm, and snaked the irrigation lines down in  between the rocks, out of sight.  It took me 18 months, shopping at sales and getting lucky at the nursery to get all the shrubs I needed.  The tree in front of the berm is a brilliant fushia crab apple.  the catalpas that we planted (the most expensive trees we have purchased to date) died in this springs early freezing temps.    I called the nursery where we purchased them and they said that 100’s of Catalpas had died that winter.  Apparently they pulled their sap up into their branches during a warm spell in February, and then when it went down below free double digit temps, the sap froze and burst in their veins.  So sad.

Fall 2010: Hot pink Mums.

This isn’t the best picture, but take a look at how much the privet hedges have grown!  they are about 24″ in this pic.  And we put a rock edging in front of the lily bed too.

The Great American Way – Lawn.

3 years in the making, we finally put in the lawn.  I’m sure our neighbors are relieved!  But first I needed to figure out how wide the hedge border was going to be; then we needed to figure out where the concrete border was going to go; then I had to plant 4000 crocus; then we had to dig in the irrigation lines and the sprinkler system (the digging of which killed  many of the crocus!); and finally, after much research on grass varieties, we planted the lawn in our 3rd summer. (2007)

All hail the Great American Lawn!
Concrete edging installed by L&P Concrete.
Concrete edging, south side, including a tree ring for the catalpa, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

Trenching in the irrigation lines for the sprinkler system
Lawn grew in really well. Soo happy!

 

Lawn, north side

We planted 4 types of grass.  2 types of warm season grass, and 2 types of cold season grass.  Our plan is that the lawn will look great during both seasons, which should be April through November.   Blue grama, crested wheat, buffalo and rye grasses.  We’ll see how it does, but so far it looks great!

Also, in this last pic you can see my lovely little baby hedge shrubs starting to grow.  (The line of green between the lawn and the edge of the driveway.)  They made it through the winter; I had my doubts as they were completely buried in snow for 2 months.

And the green scraggly looking plants in front of the lawn are orange day lilies which we brought back with us from a visit to Brian’s  grandparents farm in Missouri.  Aunt Judy was all too happy for me to dig a bunch of them out for her.  I planted 75 on both sides of the driveway, in front of the lawn.