Racing El Niño

In late September, we had our remaining lawn, a long strip in the back averaging 8 feet in width and a section along the street in front, removed.  Although the service provider assured me he and his crew would do more than strip the top layer of sod, that was not the case.  As a result, my husband and I spent hours upon hours digging up the soil to clear it of grass roots, sod netting, and some of the rocks that riddle our soil.  We completed that effort in the backyard this week and also spread 3 cubic yards of new topsoil, which we tilled in to raise the soil level and improve drainage.  While we haven't yet touched the former lawn area in the front yard and still need more topsoil for the back area, we nonetheless got started laying a new flagstone pathway through the backyard.  Frankly, we were tired of tracking in dirt every time we walked through the backyard.

The new path through the backyard continues from the point the side yard path leaves off, marked here by the 2 green pots.  The new stone we've laid here represents only one-quarter of the new path through the backyard.

We brought home, unloaded and laid 1000 lbs of stone, which is the maximum my husband's truck can carry.  Now, spatial relations has never been one of my strong suits but it dismayed me to discover that it'll take at least three more trips to the stone yard just to complete the pathway through the backyard.  I suppose this shouldn't have come as a surprise given the time it took just to complete the digging process - the area is much larger than it seemed when it was laid with lawn.

The last section we dug, shown here covered by the bender-board that formerly divided garden beds and lawn, was 25-33% rock, which was especially time-consuming to "sift" out.  This property was part of a large rock quarry in the 1940s and we've found large masses of rock here and there throughout the garden.

My husband handled most of the heavy lifting in laying the flagstone.  I took care of filling in the soil between the flagstones and laying the creeping thyme (Thymus serphyllum 'Minus').

It's hard to believe that's 1000 lbs of rock, isn't it?

'Minus' thyme grows only 1-inch in height but it spreads more slowly than some of the creeping thyme I've used elsewhere

I'm also responsible for plant selection once the path is completed.  I expect I'm going to have to move some of the low-growing plants that formerly lined the lawn area forward and fill in with taller specimens behind those.  In addition to replacing plants that didn't make it through our hot, dry summer, I'm going to need a lot of new plant material to fill the area created by taking out the lawn.  I'm already eyeing some of the plants I have sitting around in pots for in-ground installation.

Agave bracteosa is screen testing for a role in the backyard

Furcraea foetida mediopicta is outgrowing its pot and looking for more root space

I may take cuttings or relocate other plants.

This hybrid Cotyledon orbiculata 'Silver Storm', supposed to grown just 18 inches tall and wide, is already expanding its boundaries in the front garden and may be a good candidate for relocation

Buying sprees, by mail order and road trip, are also in the offing.  I'm racing El Niño to get what I can planted before the rain that accompanies that weather phenomenon arrives.

I have no idea when I'm going to get around to tackling the denuded area along the front of the property.

Grass is already growing back in this area but it's taken a backseat to work in the backyard

What garden projects do you have hanging over your head as winter approaches?


All material © 2012-2015 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party