DIY Message Boards
Help on backyard ideas.

This topic can be found at:
http://boards.diynetwork.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8421916776/m/4833922167

Jul 16, 2012, 04:27 PM
Staci D
Help on backyard ideas.
I have a pretty good size yard. No trees except large tree like WEEDS. I have a shed off to the side and not color or seating at all. I need ideas of how to make my yard a place I would love to be.
Jul 17, 2012, 08:03 AM
garethcooper9
If you are planning to do it yourself then you may want to search for some forums or blogs on the internet to get some ideas. They tend to be quite useful. I guess the hardest part will be to get rid of these tree like weeds in the first place so you can start transforming it the way you want it.
Jul 17, 2012, 10:49 PM
mosternaz
First thing to do is to get to a blank slate. Work a little at a time to remove all the growth you don't want. Rake and remove all debris. This will be the first part of the project no matter what else you choose to do. My back yard looked like this at one time. Do it in sections from start to finish so you can see your progress. This also gives you plenty of time to thing about what you want to do next.

Where do you live? That will play a big part on the next step. Post a drawing or picture and your area so we can help.
Jul 18, 2012, 05:41 PM
swschrad
weeds as big as trees -- better do some investigation first. if you've got a southern scourge known as giant pigweed, beware! that stuff is pure evil, it will scar and blind you for life on touch and contact with the sap.

wild mustard as ground cover is half as evil, but it's still too evil for me.

for this or oleander bush, I beseech you, hire a pro. they have the disposeable protection and a safe place to dispose it in.


sig: if this is a new economy, how come they still want my old-fashioned money?
Jul 18, 2012, 07:07 PM
Staci D
I tries to upload a picture. Could nit figure out how to do it.
Jul 18, 2012, 10:45 PM
GardenSprite
So many variables ... Echoing what the others wrote, we need some more information.

In what part of the country, and/or in what gardening zone do you live? With no trees, I assume you have full sun all day? Or is there shade from neighborhing yards? What kind of soil do you have? Is there any grass, ground cover, or anything except tree like weeds? And what kind of weeds are they? Invasive and hard to eradicate, like thistles? Big weeds to me suggests something like pokeweed.

You might want to take photos to a local agricultural extension service or post online at one of the weed ID sites so you know what you're dealing with.

Has the yard been wild for a considerable amount of time?

What kind of place is one in which you "would love to be"? Do you want the satisfaction of a vegetable garden and growing your own food? Do you want perennials and/or annuals? Do you want to grow things from seed or buy them from a nursery? Flowering bushes and/or shrubs?

How much time do you want to spend on creating and subsequent maintenance? Do you want a space to entertain?

You might want to start by creating a checklist or outline of what you want in a yard, then look at gardening magazines for ideas. Design and plan your yard first, then do it sections at a time, unless you have ample help for all the digging and/or planting and/or installation.
Aug 09, 2012, 04:52 PM
jeffreyerb
if you have a lot of space and a limited budget make sure to focus on one area and make it really nice. Group plants together in clusters to get the best effect. Don't spread everything thin!


-Jeffrey Erb
http://www.jeffreyerb.com
http://www.erbology.com
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheErbGarden