What to do with a side yard?
Hello and Happy New Year. We live in New Jersey, near the jersey shore and just had vines, dead trees, and brush cleared from the side of my house. We have never used this area before because of the junk that was there, but are looking for help on ideas on what to do with the area. Anything from plants and grass or edible garden to hardscaping with a pergola, firepit/fireplace, pavers, waterfall/waterwall, etc., or a combination of both hardscape and plants. I will definitely be putting in screening between this area and my neighbors house (Hollys, Green Giants, Japanese Cryptomeria). The area is about 4500sq ft (45' wide x 100' deep). Thank you in advance for any feedback.
The area from the street (my house is to the left)
From the backyard to the street (my house is to the right)
Looking up the area (my house is behind me). I believe the trees are on my neighbors property.
Comments (22)
houssaon
2 years agoRelated Discussions
It is Finished!
Comments (3)Awesome... job so far!! For your consideration, move the eagle sculpture over a foot or two to the right to line up with the central line of symetry running down the path, plant another open shrubby thing to the left in it's place. This will give balance and unity....See MoreFrom Walkway to Side Yard Gate - What to do?
Comments (16)Old walkway was made of grass and tapered. I agree, I like it to be uniform width and yes, curved. Our plan is to replace the brick with concrete in the spring so we don't want want to use brick for this pathway - maybe flagstone as it was suggested? Do you use landscape edging with flagstone if I use grass or another ground cover as the "filler?" What about if we used decomposed granite? I like this look - http://www.greenerimagelandscaping.net/flagstonewalk.html Think it suits this space? How about this - http://www.flickr.com/photos/sinnickel/4544138134/ Wonder which is easier to lay out and then to keep up... And you are correct - relationships are far more important than landscaping which is why I'm struggling with the pros/cons of the situation. Steps are crumbling behind containers on steps which is why these containers are there. I didn't want anyone to walk on the crumbling parts anymore - steps to be replaced in the spring and containers removed at that time! (maybe nice/more plants in them would help until then though?) Yes - trellis/arbor posts are the gate posts and not changeable - even adding 2 more posts is out of the question. (I originally wanted 4 but they nixed that idea...) Karin - I'm intrigued with the string idea. So you are saying to put string from the other posts on the ends to the tip of both sides of the trellis/arbor? (note there will eventually be caps on the post next to the house and the one on the corner - just an fyi). Do you think cutting the crossbar so it isn't 12 inches wide would help? And then maybe putting it up not as high up above the gate? Another idea many have suggested is altering the gate but I'm not sure how hard that is for the guys to fix so I'd have to look more into that. There are 2 strap hinges but they covered part of the top one w/ the board across the top. We don't have a handle or latch on it yet but it will be on there soon - maybe that will help? deviant-deziner - as mentioned above, I agree it is too wide - the bars across the top are 2x4's so maybe 6" is more proportional vs. the 12" it currently is? Would you take off the end stacks? Where did you get yours premade? We looked around but didn't have much luck hence me having him make it... I'd love to see your entire fence - it looks beautiful!...See MoreSide yard. What to do?
Comments (4)If you need screening you could plant drought tolerant shrubs like texas ranger and cassia but if you don't why worry about something you have to water. A slightly winding gravel path with nice bigger rocks set in a matching gravel mulch could look quite nice and be very low work - a little weed control after a rain -and we don't get many of those! Maria...See MoreLandscaping Front Yard around existing trees
Comments (9)"Jap" is a pejorative dating back to the Second World War. Weeping Japanese lace-leaf maples of the size shown here are worth thousands of dollars on the retail market. Specialists in large trees catering to the demand for instant landscaping here "mine" them from old properties and re-plant them elsewhere, getting again, thousands of dollars for them in the process. If there is one of these kinds of operations working your local area you may be able to get one of them to take yours away for free, if nothing else. Of course, they may want to be able to drive up to it with a machine and scoop it up all in one move. With the tree right in front of your house, with buried utilities perhaps present and a lawn you want to keep this may not be feasible. If you are wondering the taller shape shown in the Dig Doug cartoon would be achieved by installing an adequate stake and training the existing specimen up, to be more tree-like. And visually effective....See MoreTom M.
2 years agoTom M.
2 years agoTom M.
2 years agoTom M.
2 years ago
PRO- PRO
Flo Mangan
2 years agoMore. I would get your boundaries understood. Then next rain mark how water flows. You can alter the flow somewhat but if heavy you need possibly some French drains. But from your photos I don’t think you have big slope? Here a few more. The beauty of doing it this way, is you can keep it organic and natural looking and that means less maintenance too.
Tom M. thanked Flo Mangan 
Fori
2 years agoTom M.
2 years ago
Ted
last yearAnd while you're trying to plant and naturalize your side yard, Bennet offfered the best guidance for your plot. Btw, you never mentioned what trees are populating that buffer.
This is a view from the street of my property, .....
Privacy and diverse plantings: clethra, sassafras, oak leaf hydrangea, inkberry, itea, viburnums, redbud and dogwoods
Tom M.
6 months agolaceyvail 6A, WV
5 months agocecily 7A
5 months ago
tfitz1006