A Landscape Plan for the Backyard

We had to have a new sewer line installed in our backyard and though it was financially devastating, it does allow us an opportunity to landscape the yard. Now, landscaping is just about always an expensive venture, and we are, of course, broke. So how do we take our backyard from a chaotic and cluttered space to an appealing outdoor oasis on a near zero budget? Well, I'm not sure yet.

Plan with the wish list added

I do know that having a plan is essential, for both the project and the budget. So since I don't have any money, I'll start with a wish list plan for the project.

The first step, then, was to create a drawing of the space, complete with measurements. My husband and son tackled that task, and the drawing gives us a foundation for what we can -and can't do- in the space.

I scanned the drawing into my imaging program, and added what I want in the new landscape. That's depicted in red.

We would like a covered patio and a work space for Bob for cutting wood and doing building type things. We would like a grassy area and a small rock garden on the west side of the house.

Future Site of Bob's Workspace

We can't extend the roof over the patio, because that costs about a bajillion dollars. So we're opting for shade sails, and we'll make a video showing you how to install those.

For the work space, we'll pour a smaller concrete slab next to the shed, using the tree to the south side for shade. We'll add a frame work of sorts to create a drop shade facing west. This gives Bob a space to work in without having to stand in the heat of the sun. We'll share video on that part of the project as well.

We'll cultivate a lawn in the area directly behind the house, and create a grassy area, using rye grass in the winter and Bermuda grass in the summer. The lawn is smaller, and won't require much water, an important consideration here in the desert.



The Mess on the West Side

A rock garden in the small area on the west side seems a viable solution, and for now, that's the plan. But the large evergreen there drops needles by the pound, and keeping the garden tidy may be a problem.

Shifting to the east side, we have a strip of land that lies between the sidewalk leading to the shed and the block wall fence. A section of the sidewalk had to be removed when the new sewer line was installed, and we'll have to pour a new section.

Right now, the east strip is a lumpy, rocky pile of nutrient deficient soil. The sunlight is brutal in that space; during the summer it gets about 12 hours of direct sunlight. I don't want flowers, or cacti or succulents or really, any living thing there. So right now, it's just a big question mark.

So that's my basic plan for the backyard. The shade sails provide relief from the sun; the work space keeps the construction zone away from the house; the lawn softens the landscape; and the rock garden to the west means Bob doesn't have to try and mow the lawn back there.

Now I just have to figure out how to pay for all this.

Aphids and the Precipitator 360

Zucchini Blossom Under Attack

Aphids are evil little creatures that invade gardens, stabbing innocent plants with their needle-sharp stylets and sucking out the life force. The brave plants struggle against the invaders, but alas, they have no real defense. Yellowish spots riddle the now curling leaves, and the plants no longer have enough energy to grow, to thrive, to produce flowers and fruits and vegetables.

It is left to us humans to battle the hordes of greenish yellow, or black, or brown, soft-bodied insects that, rumor has it, are born pregnant.

Walk into a room full of gardeners and ask them how to get rid of aphids and you'll get as many answers as there are people in the room.

But one answer prevails: spray the devils with a concoction of ingredients found in almost any pantry. Every gardener has his or her own recipe for "Death to Aphids" spray, and they all work on the same principle; the spray clogs their teeny tiny breathing holes and they die of suffocation.

Precipitator 360

 
Garlic spray is a popular weapon. My recipe is one spray bottle filled about two-thirds full with water, with two smashed garlic cloves added and left to stand overnight. Add about a teaspoon of liquid dish soap in the morning along with enough water to almost fill the spray bottle. Shake vigorously, and then spray the plants.

But any recipe you use, be it with garlic, lemon juice, ground chili peppers, vinegar or rubbing alcohol, must be applied not only to the top of the leaves, but to the undersides of the leaves as well. The enemy congregates there, on the darker undersides, and there you'll see the eggs, ready to hatch and continue the war.

I use the Precipitator 360, a spray bottle with a rotating nozzle that allows you to spray upward, so as to get under the leaves, as well as spray directly downward.

The nozzle on typical spray bottles only allows you to spray in one direction - forward. Try to twist the bottle around to spray the underside of leaves and the nozzle doesn't work. You have to pull each leaf up and point the nozzle directly at it.

With the Precipitator 360, you only need to twist the nozzle, hold the bottle just to the side of the plant, and spray. The evil creatures are drenched in your death spray, and, hopefully, die quickly.

A man for whom I have great respect suggested that I employ chemical warfare, and kill the hordes with Bayer Advanced Insect Control. He tells me the product is safe to use as long as I don't spray the veggies when they're ready to harvest. In other words, I can use this stuff to control the aphids and other damaging insects up to about four days before harvesting, and of course, wash the veggies thoroughly after picking them.

If my garlic spray doesn't do the trick, I just may have to resort to chemical weapons. If any readers have any suggestions as to how to fight these evil creatures, please leave a comment, and share your experience with other gardeners.