Jacksonville Gardening Thread

[FLPL75]

Originally Posted by Karla with a K

There is this really great mix that quite a few of the master gardeners use I will try and hunt down the name

#3 mix from Mulchmasters. They are on Lee st, just N of Atlantic, just west of 9A. They sell it by the bag and by the yard.

[KerryB]

I was gonna make about half our backyard into a play area for our daughter. We have an in-ground pool, so I thought Pea Gravel would look nice, provide adequate protection if she falls, & its also pretty affordable with low maintenance. Was gonna do wood chips, but its not great protection (too hard), has a lot of problems (mold, bugs, etc) & needs replaced pretty much yearly. Was also considering that rubber mulch stuff for playgrounds, but I just cant justify the initial cost.

Anyways, I need quite a bit, so does anyone know of any place in town that I can get some good quality Pea Gravel in bulk?? Cheap as possible of course. And if they'd deliver, that'd be even sweeter. Thanks!

[FLPL75]

Kerry
I am glad you are not considering the rubber mulch, it is not a good idea if because of your dogs. It is not good for them if they should eat it.

I have a small area by our fence gate that we used the pea gravel even though I used the weed block it is a constant battle with keeping the weeds and the St Augustine runners under control.

I have on occasion had to kneel on the gravel while weeding and it is not very comfortable so it makes me wonder how it would feel to a little one if they fell on it.
You might want to reconsider the wood chips, many schools and playground use it under the play equipment.

Which ever you decide on make sure you get the heavy duty weed block to put down first, it should be strong enough so you can not tear it with your hands.

[KerryB]

Originally Posted by Karla with a K

Kerry
I am glad you are not considering the rubber mulch, it is not a good idea if because of your dogs. It is not good for them if they should eat it.

I have a small area by our fence gate that we used the pea gravel even though I used the weed block it is a constant battle with keeping the weeds and the St Augustine runners under control.

I have on occasion had to kneel on the gravel while weeding and it is not very comfortable so it makes me wonder how it would feel to a little one if they fell on it.
You might want to reconsider the wood chips, many schools and playground use it under the play equipment.

Which ever you decide on make sure you get the heavy duty weed block to put down first, it should be strong enough so you can not tear it with your hands.

Thanks Karla. Yeah, I was def gonna just use a tiller to get up all that sod (its old sod, weedy, etc) & lay some of those weed barrier drape things down over it before I did anything. We live backed up to a nature preserve, just separated by a fence, so the weeds can get pretty crazy. Wanna make sure they dont spring up in the area.

I've heard that too about pea gravel, which makes me kinda leery about it. But then I've seen some killer looking backyard playgrounds that used it too & people bragging on its abilities. Im wondering if the size, shape & just overall quality of the gravel has something to do with the inconsistent feedback? Perhaps they make "playground grade" pea gravel??

The thing that has me concerned about the wood chips is the land we're on is REALLY moist & stays that way. Im concerned it might mold or rot faster & be some kind of hazard & need replaced quicker. The ground now feels "spongy" when you walk on it, we've had some epic battles with those disgusting "lawn shrimp" that came outta the ground into the house/pool, etc.

But Im still really open to whatever's best. As long as its safe, cheap & looks decent, without a lot of headaches.

[KerryB]

BTW, here is the area I want to do it in. It slopes down a bit towards the fence. Also, these were taken when the sod didn't look like a weedy mess.

[FLPL75]

Kerry

lol you know my gardening bug would go nuts in your backyard !!!

If the ground feels spongy when you walk on it the pea gravel will just sink when you step on it.
Here is another option to consider which will also save you the hassle of tilling. Make a raised play area. Get some of the landscape timbers they come 4 feet long and about 3" high they are around $3 or $4 each you can stack 2 on top of each other and secure them into the ground by drilling a hole and using really big screws.

Using the mower set at the lowest setting or even your weed whacker remove the grass as close to the ground as possible. The benefit of doing this is your not "fluffing" up the dirt which is what happens with the tiller. You would then have to tamp it down for a firm surface. You can then spread a layer of sand which may help with draining extra water then the good weed block. The weed block will kill the weeds and remaining grass roots. Then you can put down the wood chips.

Another reason I am not a fan of the pea gravel, is should you want to make a change down the road removing all that gravel will be a nightmare. We had a small garden that we used the gravel and when I went to change it it took forever to get the gravel out of the soil. Even now 3 years later when I put in new plants I am still finding the stuff !!!

[KerryB]

Originally Posted by Karla with a K

Here is another option to consider which will also save you the hassle of tilling. Make a raised play area. Get some of the landscape timbers they come 4 feet long and about 3" high they are around $3 or $4 each you can stack 2 on top of each other and secure them into the ground by drilling a hole and using really big screws.

Using the mower set at the lowest setting or even your weed whacker remove the grass as close to the ground as possible. The benefit of doing this is your not "fluffing" up the dirt which is what happens with the tiller. You would then have to tamp it down for a firm surface. You can then spread a layer of sand which may help with draining extra water then the good weed block. The weed block will kill the weeds and remaining grass roots. Then you can put down the wood chips.

Thats a great idea! But are those timbers pliable? Because I'd like to take up almost that whole area & its at quite a slope going towards the back fence. Which is why I was thinking of tilling it & then trying to even it out a bit with soil. Its not terrible, but def not level.

A couple Qs. What would I tamp it down with after mowing inside the area?

And what kind of sand & weed block would you recommend? Would the weed block be ok as far as being used in a play area for children??

[FLPL75]

Kerry
They aren't pliable. You can level it out with fill dirt once you have mowed down the grass.
You won't have to do any tamping of area where there was grass. The only soft area will be where you add the dirt to level it out. If it is really huge area I think you can rent a soil roller(not sure if that is the technical name) from Home depot it is like a big drum roller. that landscapers use to level before sodding the area.

Is the soft wet areas near the fence ? If so that would be because of the slope and the water draining to the area. if you didn't want to go through the leveling process another option would be to stop the play area right before and put a garden in that area with plants that like soil that is moist. You could do a mix of butterfly plants and even some simple eligible plants that your daughter would enjoy watching grow and then see on the table at meal time .

The weed block I have had good success with I got at Sams club and Costco it is perfectly fine around kids. I would also use plain old sandbox sand.
For the mulch I would use the smaller pine bark if you have or know someone that has a truck you can get it bulk which is so much cheaper, might even be able to find the sand bulk.