What are the grass free courtyard alternatives? I have a large patio w/a dog & kids, but it's full...
I have a large patio w/a dog & kids, but it's full of gophers hole, weeds & takes alot to wet it. I've given up on the gophers (just can't seem to fight them). Yard looks discouraging & is unusable the way it is & I'd like a grass free courtyard but am not sure what to do? Concrete it, mulch it, or ? I've seen some w/fine gravels that looked nice but where could I capture tips, suggestions on how to transform my yard to be dog/kid friendly
Answers: This is actually a honest choice for the environment, provided you don't pave over everything. A ton of our heavily treated safe-to-consume water goes on lawns. It doesn't involve to be that way.
1.) Don't use concrete or another impenetrable surface. You want rainwater to have a place to walk other than the storm sewer. Concrete and other hardscapes will create all sorts of issues next to drainage.
2.) Mulch is absolutely an option. It also let you put plants anywhere you want, peeking out of the mulch. Make sure you get a dye-free mulch so it doesn't leave your kids near red legs after playing. Buy in bulk if you're doing a lot of mulch.
3.) Gravels are also fine. You'll necessitate a way to confine the gravel to the spaces you want it in. (You don't want it contained by your neighbors' yards for instance.) There have nice, automatic edging materials, like stones of wooden pieces. They also make edging out of recycled, shredded rubber that's colored to meeting the soil or mulch.
4.) Consider a small amount of hard surface that will let the kids bounce ball, etc. Local experts can tell you what's available in your nouns, but some options include, again, shredded tires packed together to create a easier said than done surface. This is good if you have kids that resembling to jump around a lot. It give so the impact doesn't hurt their knees all the time. (A lot of school tracks are made out of this.)
5.) For the areas that you don't have need of a walkable surface, consider axing the grass and just sprinkling the area next to flower seeds. You don't have to pocket great care of a casual garden that's replacing grass.
What's right for you?
Make some call to local landscapers to see if someone who rates well with the Better Business Bureau deal in grass-free lawns. They might be willing to come out, hand over ideas and an estimate. Or you could talk prices on the phone.
To plan this yourself, I suggest you person in charge to a local park the kids like. This will show you some lower maintenance, kid-friendly option. The parks near me include sand areas, mulch areas, gravel areas, recycled rubber pellet areas, a few courts for basketball, etc. Just look at the ground surfaces and see what you like, how it's kept in attendance, etc.
Generally, a mix of these items is going to suit you best.
Whatever you choose, pat yourself on the back for not being one of the plentiful homeowners who endanger our water supply by watering all of the time.
I would never suggest removing adjectives the plants from your yard! Talk about cold for the environment! If you have to water your meadow a lot to keep it looking well brought-up, you probably have some soil compaction from construction or other activities surrounded by the yard. First thing surrounded by your project should be a soil test, preferably from a reliable local landscaper.You could talk to someone contained by your state's landscape association about who to use. Then, you can start looking for foot-friendly groundcovers to use surrounded by the yard. when planted properly, they can give you a delicate, sometimes flowery, soft surface to walk & play on. The "planted properly" part is where on earth the landscaper and soil test come in - as long as you're spending time & money to resurface, you might as resourcefully have something truly attractive.
For plant options, check out these net sites:
http://www.premiumplants.net/
http://www.stepables.com/
Good luck!