Stogie1020 wrote:That was a pic of the "pre"... I don;t have a good picture of the "post" yet, I am still adding a few plants. I did 90% of the labor myself. Removing boulders, tearing out the border, moving about 6y yards of landscape gravel. Twice. Removing all the plants in that last pic except the two large trees. I had some guys with a small skidsteer level the ground and also hd someone extend the irrigation lines to make room for new heads in the expanded areas. I did all the sprinkler head removal and installation, all the new border edging, all the grass installation (seed), final levelling of 5 yards of topsoil, and the planting of new plants. I still need to plant a few Star Jasmine vines and some Euphorbia tirucallii.
The reason for all of this was that I needed to expand the grass for a big playset for my kids, and the lawn was not level enough, not large enough, and I hated the curvy border when I had to mow.
I am into the lawn, shrubs and flowers, but just don't do the work myself anymore. Did the entire yard and lawn design myself 20 years ago, after taking a four week course on landscape design.
I have perennials and year-round plants that all flower at different times and seasons, There is always color giving the "pop" appearance without having to replant flowers every season. All the different shades of contrastimg green, some with variegation (like ginger) and purple ground cover that blooms pink flowers.
My plants are palms (robelini), Ligustrum trees, sago, cardboard palm, variegated ginger (yellow and green), holly, pittosporum, African Iris (year round bloomer), lorapetalum, jade trees, aloe, mother-in-law's tongue (sanseveria), lilley of the Nile (agapanthus) and India Hawthorn. We use four inches of pine straw, pine park and hardwood mulch in all the beds.
My son's hobby is growing succulents and cactus. They are all miniature (2"-4") pots and some xeriscaped plant bowls on the back porch.
But, most important, I cannot imagine having to move all that rock by myself anymore. Once, I ordered 3 yds. of mulch and it took forever to scoop it and wheel barreling it to the shrubs. Took me two days. Must have killed you such that you will never do that again, right?