Yard Help

lovemesomemonster

I'm hoping to get some opinions from someone who is better at this stuff than I am! I am hopeless when it comes to yard stuff, I can weed and mow, but when it comes to making a plan and making it look nice I suck. I have attached a picture of part of our back yard that is a bit difficult. Our house sits on a hill, we have a semi level lawn area in back and then it drops off to this hill of "wild growth". We have lived here for over a year and never even walked to the bottom until last night when I discovered that there are actually stairs down one side and they are pretty cool! Now I want to do something with it, I'm just not sure what. The stairs are completely overgrown since the house was empty for two years but at the bottom there is a level area that they obviously had done something with. My thoughts are clean it all up, get the stairs pretty again, and possibly put in a fire pit/seating area? Anyone have any other suggestions? It's a huge spot but I want to do something nice for FI before he gets home in November sine he loves having a nice yard. 

southernbelle0915

What zone are you in? It look shaded, is that the case? What's your soil like (i.e. sandy, clay, etc.)?

novella1186

I like the fire pit idea. I'm gonna post some photos of stuff that could be cool there  

You could do a really pretty landscaped path to the fire pit, and you could plant types of plants that naturally repel mosquitos as a bonus. (Plus if it's landscaped then all you have to do is occasionally trim it rather than worrying about mowing it or whatever) 

littlepep

southernbelle0915 said:

What zone are you in? It look shaded, is that the case? What's your soil like (i.e. sandy, clay, etc.)?

These are important questions. 

We have a lot of clay so when we dig a hole to plant something we incorporate a lot of compost and soil to help stuff grow better.

I'd also recommend planting some local/native plants that will be easier to maintain. 

labro

I suck a perspective from just a photo. Is the bottom of the hill level so you could put in a fire pit like you mentioned?

If the hill is just wild growth you could clean up by putting in terraces which would take some dirt work but it's do-able. You can terrace the hill, plant some shade loving bushes and plants like hydrangeas and hostas and fill it in with mulch or pine straw. I dunno, the hill looks so steep that is is probably a bigger project than you're wanting.

Our backyard is huge, but mostly level. We've left the back half just woodsy and we aren't doing anything with it. The leaves fall back there and we let them. I go back there throughout the growing season to keep branches cleaned up and cut down any small trees that pop up or large weeds, but we otherwise leave it as is. To create a definition between the more manicured part of the backyard I'm putting in a barrier of mulch and some bushes that will eventually grow large enough to generally screen the woodsy more wild part of the backyard from view. Eventually we'll put in a path to the woodsy part and put in a firepit, but that's not in the works right now.

lovemesomemonster

We are basically on the border of zone 4 and 5. Our soil is pretty sandy and there are LOTS of rocks (like big, not just the little pebbles). The stairs are actually really nice pavers, we just didn't know they were there because they are so overtaken with weeds, they are down the left side of that picture. The future plan is a retaining wall after we take out that large dead tree in the middle of the picture and level the lawn out but the hill is still just there.. We love that our lot is almost 1/2 acre but most of it is this dang hill! The only thing I can think to do with the side of that hill is just clean it up a bit otherwise I feel like we will be dropping a LOT of money. the bottom when you get down the stairs is where it flattens out and I was thinking of doing something? Seriously though, all suggestions are welcome!

Side Note: It's also impossible to get a truck into our back yard at the moment, we measured last night and it would end up a "fail" video on youtube. So we are limited with what we can get down there. 

lovemesomemonster

novella1186 said:

I like the fire pit idea. I'm gonna post some photos of stuff that could be cool there  

You could do a really pretty landscaped path to the fire pit, and you could plant types of plants that naturally repel mosquitos as a bonus. (Plus if it's landscaped then all you have to do is occasionally trim it rather than worrying about mowing it or whatever) 

I feel like with a lot of work that second one could totally be the back yard! Great inspiration pictures! 

novella1186

lovemesomemonster said:

We are basically on the border of zone 4 and 5. Our soil is pretty sandy and there are LOTS of rocks (like big, not just the little pebbles). The stairs are actually really nice pavers, we just didn't know they were there because they are so overtaken with weeds, they are down the left side of that picture. The future plan is a retaining wall after we take out that large dead tree in the middle of the picture and level the lawn out but the hill is still just there.. We love that our lot is almost 1/2 acre but most of it is this dang hill! The only thing I can think to do with the side of that hill is just clean it up a bit otherwise I feel like we will be dropping a LOT of money. the bottom when you get down the stairs is where it flattens out and I was thinking of doing something? Seriously though, all suggestions are welcome!

Side Note: It's also impossible to get a truck into our back yard at the moment, we measured last night and it would end up a "fail" video on youtube. So we are limited with what we can get down there. 

Obviously that hill needs a slide 

lovemesomemonster

@labro yes, the bottom is more level, and there is actually a level platform that makes it seem like the previous owner had something down there just not sure what. The hill is pretty steep which is why we had never even bothered to walk down to the fence (seems weird to say that now with how long we have been here).

lovemesomemonster

@novella1186 let's take it one step further.. GIANT slip and slide!?

novella1186

lovemesomemonster said:

@novella1186 let's take it one step further.. GIANT slip and slide!?

Well, duh  

lovemesomemonster

novella1186 said:

lovemesomemonster said:

@novella1186 let's take it one step further.. GIANT slip and slide!?

Well, duh  

don't worry, we will pad the fence and wear helmets. Safety first!

southernbelle0915

Two more questions, What area of the country are you in (west, midwest, east coast, west coast)? And what's your water situation (it rains a lot, barely any rain, you'd be willing to water, you're not willing to water, etc.)? And the question about the shade/sun is important.

lovemesomemonster

southernbelle0915 said:

Two more questions, What area of the country are you in (west, midwest, east coast, west coast)? And what's your water situation (it rains a lot, barely any rain, you'd be willing to water, you're not willing to water, etc.)? And the question about the shade/sun is important.

We are in the northwest, northern Idaho to be exact.. we get a decent amount of rain, it snows in the winter, and summers get mostly in the 80's, sometimes in the 90's. Yes, lots of shade with all of the trees down there and because of the direction it faces there is almost no sunlight on the hill. We are going to put in a sprinkler system and FI is super handy so if I want something like a drip system down the hill he will do that as well.

southernbelle0915

expensive

expensive

lovemesomemonster

southernbelle0915 said:

expensive

expensive

I love the cut out look on hills like this with retaining walls, might be a little aggressive since I can't get a truck down there? I do like the fire pit area with the little walk way, that might be doable with help! 

southernbelle0915

lovemesomemonster said: southernbelle0915 said:Two more questions, What area of the country are you in (west, midwest, east coast, west coast)? And what's your water situation (it rains a lot, barely any rain, you'd be willing to water, you're not willing to water, etc.)? And the question about the shade/sun is important. southernbelle0915 said:***************boxes****************


We are in the northwest, northern Idaho to be exact.. we get a decent amount of rain, it snows in the winter, and summers get mostly in the 80's, sometimes in the 90's. Yes, lots of shade with all of the trees down there and because of the direction it faces there is almost no sunlight on the hill. We are going to put in a sprinkler system and FI is super handy so if I want something like a drip system down the hill he will do that as well. lovemesomemonster said:***************boxes****************





Hostas and day lilies might do pretty well. They're pretty, hardy, good in shade (day lilies need some sun) good for your zone, low maintenance and they spread. The only thing would be with your sandy soil, you'd want to mix in some compost and you might have to water a bit more.

You also might consider a low ground cover to help with erosion. Goutweed (super appealing name, right?) is super hardy, does well in shade, is low maintenance, and is a vigorous spreader. Lily of the valley is a hardy, shade loving spreader that can grow in pretty crappy soil.

I'm suggesting plants that are low maintenance and spread since you don't have much going on back there and it sounds like y'all trying to pick plants that are pretty much "plant it and forget it". 

Look into master gardener associations around you. To become a master gardener, you have to do projects and get so many volunteer hours to get certified. You might be able to get some free advice from someone going for their certification. If you can't find one, bring in pics and a soil sample to your local nursery. Tell them your long term vision and be honest about the amount of work you're looking to do. They will be able to suggest some things.

etf boxes

lovemesomemonster

@southernbelle0915 thank you for the plant suggestions, I am writing these down now! I know there are some beautiful things you can do with property on a hill and I would love to do some of them, my biggest problem is the lack of equipment to get it down there so maybe I start smaller with a good clean up, plant some of these suggestions, and use all of the great pictures of fire pits everyone has posted to clean up the bottom. I will have to post pics from the side of the house later so you all can see the nightmare I'm running into! We can't even bring something up the service road in the back because a huge water line runs above ground right up against the fence!

lovemesomemonster

Here's another one.. anyone know how to get deer and moose to stop eating your flowers!?

southernbelle0915

lovemesomemonster said:

Here's another one.. anyone know how to get deer and moose to stop eating your flowers!?

Pick plants they don't like. That's the best fool proof way without a ton of maintenance. Fuzzy, bitter, and thorny plants are usually good choices. When you research plant types, look for "deer resistant". Also look for "rabbit resistant". Talk to the gardener/nursery about that because there are plants which deer/bunnies don't like. 

There are products you can buy to spray your plants, but the only ones I've found that truly work smell awful for a week or so (like musky animal pee). There are some natural home remedies, too. Like dish soap and cayenne pepper. But those take time and maintenance. It's better to just choose plants animals don't like to begin with.

lovemesomemonster

southernbelle0915 said:

lovemesomemonster said:

Here's another one.. anyone know how to get deer and moose to stop eating your flowers!?

Pick plants they don't like. That's the best fool proof way without a ton of maintenance. Fuzzy, bitter, and thorny plants are usually good choices. When you research plant types, look for "deer resistant". Also look for "rabbit resistant". Talk to the gardener/nursery about that because there are plants which deer/bunnies don't like. 

There are products you can buy to spray your plants, but the only ones I've found that truly work smell awful for a week or so (like musky animal pee). There are some natural home remedies, too. Like dish soap and cayenne pepper. But those take time and maintenance. It's better to just choose plants animals don't like to begin with.

So.. when am I flying you out here to give me garden lessons!? 

southernbelle0915

haha we've been working on ours for a couple years now. Some things worked out, some died quickly. I've spent HOURS on google and gardening blogs trying to figure out our yard. Ours is shady, not very well drained, and super moist with a ton of clay. Basically awful growing conditions for anything fun! 

But we've had really good luck with hostas, heurchera, hydrangea, lungwort, astilbe, bugleweed (it's almost spreading too much - might work well for you now that I think about it), lilies, shasta daisies, foxglove, boxwood shrubs, and climbing hydrangea. 

lovemesomemonster

Looks like I need to get on the research wagon! It's just so hard! I am the queen of killing stuff so i have started naming things to hopefully motivate me to keep them alive. Our new maple tree is Wilson and we have a dwarf lemon tree in the kitchen that I named Henry, he is almost at 3 weeks and still alive!!!

littlepep

southernbelle0915 has some good suggestions. We have hostas and they are so easy and look amazing! Camellias are great bushes that are good in the shade. We just planted some this year and so far are pretty easy to maintain. 

I really don't know a lot about plants, but I do know azaleas and rhododendrons are super easy to maintain, but I'm not sure how they would do in your area.

Lilly of the valley is a good ground cover that's deer reistant. 

lovemesomemonster

littlepep said:

southernbelle0915 has some good suggestions. We have hostas and they are so easy and look amazing! Camellias are great bushes that are good in the shade. We just planted some this year and so far are pretty easy to maintain. 

I really don't know a lot about plants, but I do know azaleas and rhododendrons are super easy to maintain, but I'm not sure how they would do in your area.

Lilly of the valley is a good ground cover that's deer reistant. 

Deer resistant.. I need to line my entire property in this stuff! I love the wild life we get in our back yard (moose last weekend) but I'm not exaggerating when I say we have a freaking game trail through our yard, aka a dead trail lined with poo.

labro

lovemesomemonster said:

Here's another one.. anyone know how to get deer and moose to stop eating your flowers!?

Nothing. My mom plants every single guaranteed deer resistant plant she can, and the stupid deer STILL eat them. Or destroy the plants trying to pick around them. It's pretty ridiculous.

I don't know a ton about your hardiness zones, but I do know the deer have never eaten my mom's azaleas. I think azaleas are cold hardy up to zone 6....sooo you may be too far north. I think camellias are also only cold hardy through zone 7 (they tend to bloom starting in Jan/Feb) so again, probably not hardy enough for Idaho.

I've read that with protection, you can grow some hydrangeas through zone 5, but you'll want to research specific varieties. I've never heard of them being a particularly tasty plant for deer either so it may be a possibility. My hydrangeas are all pretty low maintenance, they like shade/part shade because too much sun and heat can wither their leaves.