Our front yard has always left a lot to be desired. When we finished building our home we created two small plots in the front and got some cheap sod and left it to do what it was going to do. It didn't do very much...you can't grow much without dirt and we are such water misers that if it didn't get rained on it wasn't going to be watered.
There was also a problem with the bed that would be to the right as you walk out the front door. You either have to go to the end of the walk to get over to the shop or you have to cut back to the porch and go around or just go to another exit off the porch all together. Confused yet? Surfice it to say that it's very problematic and our dogs never respected the paths and tended to cut across the plot all the time. Then we began to cut across and suddenly it stuck us that because it was a natural way to go we should disassemble part of the plot and make it into two with a way more natural flow. So that is what we did.
We planted nothing but natives in the little soil that we had and then a friend offered to bring us some nice dirt that was in a river bottom. We thought that would be a good idea except that it wasn't. It was too sandy and it was sterile. It would grow nothing and it was washing away with every single rain storm that came our way.
Yes, yes, we had poppies in it earlier in the year but poppies are fairly easy to grow and we don't want just poppies...we want all manner of natives.
So we're at it again.
With the weather giving us a break from the heat we're going at it again. But this time we are starting with the path.....we've decided that the gravel did too much moving around and relocating itself. The stuff we are putting down now is crushed granite. Don't you just love the color?
Next we'll bring in rocks.....lots and lots of rocks. Big rocks and little rocks and all shapes and colors to make the beds more interesting....
It's a work in progress and will probably take 6 months or more to complete simply because we want to take our time and enjoy the process.
I'll keep you posted.
