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I bought a house in May. Got a good deal since because the yard...well there isn't really a yard...it's more like dirt and weeds.... I planned on tilling, adding organic material and soil, and sodding. The drought has changed those plans. Any suggestions on what to do with the yard given our current conditions?
If you want a cool climate grass like fescue, I think you are nearly toast for 2008, but you can give it a shot. It is getting late in the year to have it established prior to the summer season. Not impossible, with some luck, and rain, but..............
You might sow some annual ryegrass and consider a warm climate grass like zoysia or bermuda that you can install in the spring of 2008. That grass may be happier than fescue, and less work over time.
because it is traditional here to have a big expanse of velvety green lawn year 'round. The problem is we've been fighting Mother Nature here, never a good thing to do. Bermuda is the toughest, but it will invade your flower beds and neighbors' yards and is impossible to get rid of, so don't plant it unless you have lots of space and nothing to protect. St. Augustine and centipede are suitable for our climate and water supply. Fescues are great, but in spite of what some people on these forums have claimed, they are very high maintenance and thirsty. Ask the people who sell sod or do lawn care what it requires and you will see what I mean. Centipede is my favorite because it requires virtually no watering, needs little mowing and does not like much fertilizer. I use Centipede Weed and Feed occasionally. It does not like lime, either, and it is easy to establish. It can even grow in clay, although it takes longer to spread. Yes, it does go dormant in the winter or during severe drought, but do you glue each leaf on the trees and paint them green in the fall?
Flower beds with low-water plants and lots of mulch are great, too!
Just my two cents' worth, but I am, like you, considering a change in my yard, too. We are on a corner lot, and the grass (fescue) suffered BIG time during the drought. While I'm not a pessimist, I just anticipate it not getting any better any time soon. I think centipede or zoysia may be better choices, and I guess if I have to have a brown lawn, I'd much rather it be in the Fall/Winter when I have evergreens to offset the drab of the dormant grass.
I am thinking I will use narrow grassy areas to suggest footpaths between large beds. I want to till the yard closest to the sidewalks, and plant formosa azaleas, and encores, and mulch with straw, possibly leaving small areas to put in some low-maintenance, heat-thriving annuals that won't require much water. The vincas around the drive did well this summer, in spite of little water. Plants indigenous to the area make good choices, too. Our crepe myrtles, hollies, boxwood, camellias, ivy, and wigelia have done OK.
Where you plant things -- ie. what exposure -- will help too. Our hydrangeas survived largely because they have a NE exposure, and the Miss Huff lantana made it on the western side of the house. Ivy can be incredibly invasive, but it acts much like a cool mulch around the roots of things. (Don't plant it if you won't 'manage' it, or don't like critters like lizards and skinks and snakes, though.)
I also like multi-purpose plants -- for example, the hollies are evergreen, and this time of year make beautiful Christmas trees, strung with lights.
Being a bit creative, and smart, and getting over thinking we have to have expansive lawns, I think we can still have attractive yards. People often criticize us, in Cary, for having 'cookie-cutter' houses in a 'beige city,' but we can really do some things to make our yards 'unique.'
Thanks for the tips...and keep them coming... I really don't buy into the notion of having a huge, perfectly green lawn. I want grass and/or trees and flowers. (I've saved the advice given for reference.) I, too, do not see the drought/water restrictions/etc leaving us anytime soon. I'm all about out-of-the-box thinking...BUT I don't really have enough knowledge about landscaping, plants, horticulture and the like to think out of the box. Heck...I don't even know what's in the box.
So my plans changed a bit. I decided to go with Bermuda seed instead of the sod. After the past couple days of warm weather, I see little tiny starts of grass. I'm so freakin' excited!!!! Woo Hooo
So my plans changed a bit. I decided to go with Bermuda seed instead of the sod. After the past couple days of warm weather, I see little tiny starts of grass. I'm so freakin' excited!!!! Woo Hooo
The only thing with Bermuda grass is that you get 4 months of green and 8 months of brown.
The only thing with Bermuda grass is that you get 4 months of green and 8 months of brown.
True, true... It's a trade off. My neighbors with fescue are struggling right now with their over-seeding. I wanted something quick and easy because my yard was so...well...it wasn't there.
Also... I wanted to mention.... If you live in Raleigh and you are installing a new lawn, you can purchase a permit to water for 45 days for $50.
Also... I wanted to mention.... If you live in Raleigh and you are installing a new lawn, you can purchase a permit to water for 45 days for $50.
Apex residents can get a six week watering permit (no charge). Well, except for the cost of the water you use (I don't even want to know how much I'm using on my zoysia sod!).
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