Under construction: New path and gardens!
Look, I’m as into self-empowerment as the next person, and I’m generally a DIY gal. But is there anything more thrilling than inviting several strong, capable men over to do your bidding…in the garden? I think not.
I’m practically dancing with glee as I see how much progress has been achieved in just one day by these hard-working guys. Within a couple of hours yesterday they ripped out a LOT of grass, making room for a 5-foot wide path through the front yard and around to the back gate, plus a new courtyard-style entry garden, pictured at top.
Fully half of the front lawn is now gone with the addition of the path, soon to be filled in with compacted decomposed granite, and the streetside bed I planted last spring.
The view from the back gate, looking up the slope toward the street. There will be one or two limestone steps along the path to keep the decomposed granite fairly flat, to avoid erosion from runoff.
In the center island bed, they’re laying chopped limestone and a decomposed-granite parking strip to echo the look I created with the streetside bed.
That crisp edge gives much-needed definition to this large berm (original to the lot; the driveway was poured around it), plus it’ll give visitors flat, comfortable access to their cars.
Even my two next-door neighbors are getting into the lawn-removal spirit. We’re ripping out grass in the front strips between our houses, and I’ll be designing gardens for them next month. These shared spaces are not shaded by live oaks, which is amazing in my neighborhood (just look at all those trees in my front yard), so I’ll get to garden in the sun again. Salvias! Sotols! Grasses! I can’t wait.
For follow-up images of the path and new garden beds, click here.
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
This is going to look great! I really like the flow of the pathways. And what could be better than expanding your garden into your neighbor’s yards! Maybe it will catch on and go all the way down the street.
That would be lovely, Michael. We’ll see. I am excited about transforming the neighbors’ driveway strips. —Pam
Just seeing your project in flux makes me want to do something. Can’t wait to see your pathways and the gardens around them.
Me too, Lisa. The pathways will be done by the end of the week, the gardens by the spring. —Pam
Looks lovely – yes, male help is sometimes required, even by the most handy of us females 🙂
Is there a veggie patch there anywhere?
No vegetables, Dani. The deer would have a field day. —Pam
For several weeks now, I’ve been kicking around in my head a pathway project for my front yard (much smaller than yours), so after seeing your project I’m feeling really inspired.
Go for it, Ed! Paths don’t require watering, plus they look so great. —Pam
Wow! That all looks great. I can see why you are so excited. It’s so fun to watch the process — even in someone else’s garden.
It is fun, Diana. I’m excited about the changes, many of which I’ve been planning for years. —Pam
Getting rid of grass – yea!!!! I have way too much of it to get rid of it all, but I’ve made some inroads. It’s a tedious job so I’m glad you had some strong backs for such fast forward progress. Can’t wait to see the progress.
Progress is definitely faster with help. This work would have taken me a month or two of weekends on my own. I’m looking forward to the fun part of planting soon. —Pam
Looking good there, Pam. When you said you had plans to rip out more lawn, you really meant a lot of it! The project will turn out even better with the coordination of the neighbors too.
That bamboo muhly looks great under the trees, very green this time of year. I’ve seen some great installations of it around San Antonio too so I’m planning to put that under the oaks in my back yard.
I love bamboo muhly, Shirley. While it doesn’t like heavy shade, it will do fine in part shade or dappled shade. And the deer don’t like it one bit. —Pam
Shut the front door Pam~~~this is amazing work and I am so curious to see the end result! I would love for you to be my neighbor.
Darla, it would be great fun to live next door to a fellow garden nut. If only! —Pam
Yippee!! Can’t wait to see what you decide for the ‘courtyard’ style garden!! That space has tons of potential!
It does, Cat, and this space has been driving me crazy for 3 years since I see it every time I go in or out of my house. I’ve held off for so long because we’re planning to rework the entry porch of our house eventually, but I finally decided the grass there had to go. —Pam
There’s nothing better than having a new garden to plan. Your project looks great!
Thanks, Cynthia. You’re right—a new garden is always fun. —Pam
Hi Pam, would you be willing to share the names and contact info. of your hardy helpers? I am wanting to do the same type of work in my front and back yards. THANK YOU! Kathy Vale
I sent you an email, Kathy. —Pam
WOWZA!!! Oh my gosh, HOW FUN!!!! droooling.
Oh yeah, lots of fun! I look forward to seeing your side-yard project evolve too, Mamaholt. —Pam
So exciting! We hired help to rip out a lot of grass and it was so quick and gratifying. The spirit is willing but the flesh is slow and weak, at least for the heavy lifting projects!
It’s a revelation to hire this work out, Jane. My back is thanking me. Plus, I can justify it as doing my part to stimulate the economy. 🙂 —Pam
Oh my, that is SO exciting! Nothing like seeing your design come to fruition, and getting someone else to do it too! Love how your bamboo muhly grasses are looking. I think they always look nice under live oaks.
Thanks, Jean. I really love bamboo muhly. It looks good all year long unless a deep freeze hits. Then, not so good, though it usually recovers, albeit slowly. —Pam
You’ll be the showplaces of the neighborhood. Great that your neighbors wanted in. We did a cooperative tropical garden with a Florida neighbor some years back and it made both our properties more handsome.
How nice! I love hearing stories about cooperative gardening with neighbors. —Pam
Pam, I am excited for you! It already looks wonderful and I know exactly what you feel about gardening in the sun again. gail
Ask me if I still feel that way come July, Gail. That’s when I start calling the sun the Death Star. 😉 —Pam
Hey Pam – wow – you go girl! What an inspiration of ideas are spinning around in my head. I put down weed block and mulch over the grass in my front yard – it was really looking awful from last year’s drought so I just pounded the last nail in the coffin, so to speak. I still want to put in some drought-tolerant plants here and there and some more hardscaping. I’ll watch the progress on your project and I’m sure it will influence my plans for the front. Good job!
Drought tolerant is definitely the way to go these days. I’m hoping I can get some tough plants established before summer. —Pam
Nothing like coveting the neighbor’s yard. I do the same thing. My next door neighbor has a yard he’s not using. I only have a few more projects in mine so I think I’ll be “suggesting” I help take care of his. Incorrigible.
Ha, yes, we are incorrigible, Sheryl. Or shall we just call it “sharing the love?” —Pam
Was just thinking Pam, if I live in my neighborhood long enough I may creep around the corner and start gardening at your Mom’s. You should warn her.
She reads my blog. Consider her warned, Sheryl. —Pam
Wow, that is an amazing job so far. Will be excited to see the finished job. That strong back help sure makes a difference. Need help just to mow the grass.
They’re doing such a good job, Lola. I just came in from a progress check. The cedar fever has gotten hold of me with a vengeance (after I thought I’d gotten past it!), so I wouldn’t be able to do outside work myself right now. —Pam
Looking really good, already.
A path around the house is on my list of wants. It’ll be fun watching yours evolve.
Three days in, and they’re still working on everything, Linda. So glad I hired help for this round. —Pam
You’re always such an inspiration! Tell the guys their next assignment is up north at my house.
Will do, Vicki. 😉 —Pam
I, too, would love the info for these hardy helpers, Pam! I have a project started where the original worker is having second thoughts about all the work, so I potentially need to find some other help to complete it.
I’ll email you, Vickie. —Pam
Oh amazing!! I love new projects and this looks really great! Can’t wait to see the finished plan!
New projects are the best, aren’t they? They feed that creative impulse. —Pam
Too exciting for mere words, Pam! Way to ditch that lawn. I love the idea of a level, dry place for people to get in and out of their vehicles. Nice wide, inviting paths are perfect. I can’t wait to see the finished project. Your neighbors must be thrilled to have you land into their midst. I certainly would be.
I’m pretty glad to have such great neighbors myself, Frances. I look forward to enticing a few butterflies and hummingbirds to their new gardens soon. —Pam
Fun in the sun. Your project is definitely inspiring. I wish I had dg available here but I’m going to have to stick with limestone. I too got out tonight in 50 degree weather and worked on my new construction project. It’s good for the soul. The gardening soul that is, as well as my testosterone. he he.
Ha! Yes, and one’s muscles too, right? Do you mean that you use limestone slabs or chipped limestone for your paths? I’m curious now. —Pam
How exciting!
Gotta love a new gardening project, Sheila! —Pam
I love the gentle curve of that front pathway and of course, the less grass, the better. Have fun!!! I’m excited for you.
Thanks, Laura. It’s fun to start something new, and cross a few items off my wish list. —Pam
Looks like a great renovation!!! And, hey, I had to learn the hard way that sometimes it just makes sense to get some hired muscle to do the hard work…save yourself for the design and planting 🙂
Me too, Toni. I hurt my back the last time I moved a lot of dirt. But planting is the fun part, and I’m more than happy to do that. —Pam
Yahooser bears! Looks great. I’m in the bid stage for some help myself! Yes, DIY gals need some help sometimes.
Yahooser bears! (I’m cracking up!) Linda, I can’t wait to see what you have on tap in your garden. —Pam
I am most definitely in favor of inviting brawny men in to do the heavy lifting! Looking forward to seeing what you do with all the new beds. Also that courtyard area — I’m very curious about that.
I’ll have more pictures soon, Alison, and hope to have most of it planted by mid-February. —Pam
Everything is looking so awesome! This is going to look so great! I can’t wait to see all your plantings when you are done! Now if I can only get my hubby on the grass removal band wagon!
It always seems to be husbands who want to hang onto grass, even if they’re the ones who have to mow it. My son mows ours, and he’s watching the lawn shrink with glee. 😉 —Pam
OMG Pam…I’m SO JEALOUS!!! Can you tell them to just keep heading north after they are done there 😉 Seriously, how super-exciting is this…I can’t wait to see it take shape…and you’re converting your neighbors…that’s fabulous! One of my (many) secret dreams is that all my neighbors will just concede that it would be best for everyone if I was allowed to plant the entire street as I please 😉 I cannot wait to see what you have in store for this!
Scott, your own project you’ve been blogging about was so completely inspiring, AND you guys did it all by yourselves. Very impressive! I hope your neighbors tell you to go for it up and down the street. I would! —Pam
Sounds like you are having SO much fun, Pam! Looking forward to the next installments!
Oh, so am I, Chookie! Won’t be too long. —Pam
I always admire your landscaping ideas and it will be interesting to see your future photos. If you don’t mind sharing the name/contact info of the guys who did the work, I would really appreciate it. We’ve also ripped up large areas of lawn in the past and have plans to do the one remaining section of our backyard. However, the guy who helped us with the manual labor of the projects is no longer available for this type of work. Thanks!
Good luck with your project, Frankie. It sounds like you’re well on your way to having a no-lawn yard. —Pam
It’s going to look great! Can’t wait to see how it goes!
Thanks, Melissa. Me too! —Pam
It looks wonderful Pam. Yes, a crew of strong men with good backs are a blessing.~~Dee
Yes, indeed, Dee. My own back is thanking them. —Pam
This looks fantastic Pam. I love your website and it is fun to see your project as it progresses. We recently took out 1/3 of our yard grass in Fort Worth. It was so exciting and I got to plant a lot of native and drought tolerant plants in a large bed. I cannot wait until Spring to see everything growing. We now have a really small area of grass which will be a breeze to mow, and have been using just an English mower for about 5 years. Our neighbors think we are a little nuts, but they love the new beds and walkways we had installed. (Pea gravel and flagstone). Cheers!
Your new garden sounds wonderful, Donna. It is so exciting to see what the first spring will bring. Enjoy! —Pam
Pam, that is so awesome. Having had the luxury of being to your home, I think those paths will be well-used from visitors parking on the street. It will be like walking through a park with your creative touches and those big oaks. Great ideas and good on you for hiring large muscles.
Thanks, Robin. I’m pleased with how the paths turned out. Now on to the plants! —Pam
Your paths look kind of deep, maybe 3 or 4 inches? Could one do this and then laydown weed barrier and fill it with mulch? How will the grass be kept from growing ‘into’ the path? I’m planning a whole front yard re-do to get rid of lawn. thanks!
Katzien, I just added a link you can follow at the end of this post for follow-up pictures. But yes, you could certainly make a mulch path the same way. You’ll need to use edging to keep grass from growing back into your path. I chose flexible and economical steel edging for my decomposed-granite path. —Pam