The Fence Project 1st for 2011

Spring has sprung and at my house that means it is project time.  All of my gardening endeavors move from a figment of my imagination, to a “to do” list, then to a shopping list and are followed up with a trip to my chiropractor.  This year is really no exception.  We have already dethatched and aerated the lawn, spread lime to help neutralize our acidic soil, put down some weed and feed and will follow up with grass seed in another week.  So the lawn should look pretty good in a few more weeks.   However, the flower beds, edges and other outdoor areas need a lot of work.

My first project, which is going to take a lot more time than I originally anticipated, was born out of a need to keep my dog in the yard.  Bonnie is an adventurer and she loves to travel about seeing exactly what type of mischief she can get into.  We trained her to an electric collar and fence, but she is quite intelligent and has figured out how to circumvent the correction her collar would offer any normal dog.  So we had two ideas, we could run chicken wire all around the fence, like it is on the wooded side of the yard or we could
put an extra board at the bottom and see if we could stop her from going under in that way.

Option 2 won by a landslide, because everywhere we have the chicken wire the weeds and grass are embedded in the fence making it impossible to keep it neat looking.  In addition to keeping the dog in the yard and avoiding the weed laden fence, I was trying to find a long-term fix to improving the appearance of the

area next to our driveway in a manner that didn't involve mowing, weed whacking or other ongoing labor intensive methods.  What we came up with is going to be a challenge to get done to begin with and for the first year or two will require some upkeep and maintenance, but after that should become a relatively carefree
and beautiful landscape edging project.

So what did we do?  We bought some boards and stained them to match the existing fence color.  While I was at it I repaired the fence where the tree branches had damaged it this winter.  Then we attached the boards to the bottom of the fence posts at ground level.  In some places we had to dig out a little in order to get the boards to reach the ground on both sides.  Then after we had each of the boards attached we started cleaning out the weeds, grass, and rocks etc. that were in the soil.  In the low spots we added additional topsoil in the high spots we took some soil out and used it to fill holes or other low areas in the yard.  Then we worked the soil to a level about 6 inches deep.
In another area of my yard I had built a low wall with flat rocks to border some installed equipment and keep it from being such an eyesore.  Unfortunately my children can’t seem to stop knocking over the stone wall with the riding lawn mower, so I have decided that I am just not going to fight that battle anymore and I have a new plan for that area.  That will be the next project that we talk about.
Anyhow, I collected a selection of the large flat rocks and placed them in the beds, then added a variety of ground covers.  My initial plan was to do the entire edge with Liriope Muscari, but the sheer amount of that and the cost involved changed my mind.  I have many different ground covers planted around here already and I just started taking starts from each of them to fill in.  I really liked what I saw.  It will be a while before I have a completely finished project, but I can see that it is going to be very nice.  If you like it – press the like button and say so.

Yes I will have a few years of weeding, but after those ground covers take hold the only thing we will have to do is take off starts to keep it from growing over onto the driveway.  I will make certain that I put another picture in here when the project is complete and will do some follow ups over the next few years so we can enjoy this together.

My Favorite Garden

 Gardening is an artform that is a very personal expression of who you are. While I may not choose a particular style of garden edging or decoration for my own home, it doesn't mean I can't appreciate what someone else has done
 with theirs. In my community this is one of my favorite gardens to enjoy.  It is well...eccentric... for lack of a better term.  I love looking at whimsical gardens and appreciate the creativity and effort that goes into making them come to life. This is no exception.  This garden changes with each season and every holiday. I have seen bunny rabbits riding egg accented bicycles, baskets of poinsettias and bows, paper flowers and strings lights decorating this setting.  It is a constantly changing frenzy of color and ideas and with Easter right around the corner, I can't wait to see what they come up with this year. 

If you are into flights of fantasy for your garden some of these items might interest you.

Whimsical Garden Decorations For You to Choose From

Do I Need a Contractor?

Dependent upon what type of look you are trying to achieve, the grade of the area where you are installing your border, the type of border you want and your skill level, it is sometimes best to hire a professional to install your garden edging.  If you are building a retaining wall, raised garden or entry way and want a clean look with corners and relatively straight sides, unless you possess the tools, skill and know-how, a professional is definitely the way to go. For a less structured appearance, a short wall (not a retaining wall) or a recessed border even a novice do-it-yourselfer can handle these projects with the right know-how.

When choosing a professional stone mason or landscape company specializing in edgings or hardscapes to do a job, the very first place that I look is the Better Business Bureau website.   I click on type of business and enter the zip code where the work is to be performed. This will bring up most businesses in that area. You can choose which ones you want to check out or if you have been given a suggestion by a friend or colleague you can check out the individual business and see how they rate with the BBB. When I am choosing a professional, they have to at least be listed with the BBB even if they are not a BBB member. In my experience, if they are not listed, they are usually either not licensed or not insured and often not reputable.  I do not work with contractors who do not have at least an A- rating.

I always look to see how many complaints a business has had in the last three years. Every business gets complaints, so having a few complaints is not necessarily a bad thing. I am looking for the complaints to have been resolved. I usually exclude businesses with too many complaints or with any outstanding complaints. I limit the number of complaints they can have in three years to four or five, as long as they are all resolved.  Larger businesses with more employees and more work crews are going to have more complaints.  I very rarely choose contractors with unresolved complaints because they are showing me that they are not concerned about my satisfaction as a customer.  

The website also tells you how many people the business employs.  I personally prefer smaller, Mom and Pop businesses, but always consider the size of the job. A big job may be too much for a company with less than 10 employees. Don't be afraid to get estimates from several contractors or to ask for references from any contractor that you are considering. Always try to see some of the work that they have done.  

Stone Driveway Entrance

Found this in my travels.  A really simple and easy way to use stone to edge your drive.  Do you like it?  

Liriope

Just a quick note about  Liriope.  It is a decorative grass that blooms with either a purple or yellow and white spike of flowers.  Grass is actually a misnomer as it is a part of the lily family.  There are two types of Liriope, spicata and muscari.  Liriope spicata is a rapidly advancing ground cover and will spread very quickly.  Care must be used in planting this type of Liriope to ensure that it has room to run and that your garden will not become overwhelmed by its presence.  The other type, Liriope Muscari , grows in clumps.  It does spread but not anywhere near as rapidly and it does not send off runners as the Spicata variety does.  Both varieties enjoy shady, well-worked soil, but will grow almost anywhere.  It is a very effective groundcover for steep banks.  Once established it is very difficult for weeds to come through the thick tuberous root mass.  An added bonus is that it doesn't require mowing.  Liriope will grow 10-20 inches tall and likes sun to partial shade.  Liriope can be transplanted almost anytime of year, however, it is best to avoid the hottest and coldest times of year.   Liriope requires very little care or effort to become a very beautiful, effective ground cover and weed block .

Garden Edging - Creating Curb Appeal

Garden Edging is an effective solution to creating quick and lasting curb appeal.  Are you getting ready to sell your house? A little garden edging goes a long way towards creating a look that will impact the visual appeal of your home.  If you are selling, your Realtor has probably already told you that first impressions are lasting impressions.  What does a potential buyer see when they look at your home?  Do they see a neat, orderly, and well-maintained yard that speaks volumes about the care and quality of maintenance that has gone into the home or do they see a major project that they will need to tackle when and IF they decide to purchase your home.

A yard that is creeping into the gardens or growing over the walkways creates a sloppy and unkempt appearance and gives an immediate impression to a potential buyer that your home is not being maintained. Overgrown trees and bushes, lots of weeds, or excessive overcrowding say to a buyer that the home has not been taken care of for a long time.  If you are selling your home, that last thing that you want to do is give a potential buyer the impression that the home is not well-maintained  or properly cared for.  Creating that impression costs you money, because it takes longer for your house to sell and you will not be offered what you would have been if the buyer had a better first impression of your home.  

The investment that you make in Garden Edging can have big returns resulting in a quicker sale and for more money.  Sales people will tell you that the key to phenomenal sales results are getting the potential buyer to say yes as often as possible.  Most buyers have made a preliminary decision before they even enter the house.  If the first thing that a buyer sees - your front lawn - is a "Wow". The potential buyer is already softer and more willing to say yes to the rest of the house.  Remember, what they just saw is what their friends and family will see they want to impress them. 

Garden Edging creates a clean line between your gardens and lawn giving an immediate boost to the visual aspects of your home.  Clean out the weeds and add some mulch, peat moss or other garden cover and you have increased the curb appeal and the potential buyer's perceived value of your home.  If you want to make a slightly more elegant appearance without adding a bunch of cost put in a double layer of Garden Edging separated by 4-10 inches, dependent upon the size of your garden.  Place some landscaping fabric or heavy gauge plastic between the rows of edging and then pour river rock or another pebble type of gravel in between the layers.  It gives a sense of elegance and permanence similar to that of brick or rock without the cost or effort.  

Curb appeal is important if you want to sell quickly and for as much money as possible.  All of your potential buyers need to think that your house is a definite possibility before they ever walk through the front door.  Trim your bushes and trees, clean up the weeds, create a clean line around your walkways and gardens.  Then create that eye-catching visual effect that tells the potential buyer that your house is a  "definite yes" by adding Garden Edging.

Granite Garden Edging

Granite garden edging is a popular favorite for those who enjoy stone garden edgings.  The granite can be used in a couple of different ways.  It also comes in a variety of styles and colors to make it acceptable in any landscape design or color scheme. 
 One popular use is that of cobblestones.  These can be used to edge driveways, gardens, walkways etc.  They are a stable and solid edging.  With proper installation they can almost completely eliminate grass creep into you r garden, drive or walkway.  Another popular use is crushed granite.  This is also an elegant installation and can create stunning results.  With the crushed granite you will need to install a thin border edge of some sort, aluminum or plastic in order to keep the gravel from shifting and moving out of the space you intended.  Crushed granite can also be used as a ground cover in a garden that has lots of open area.



Because granite comes in so many different colors it is very appealing. 

To properly install either granite cobblestone or crushed granite, we first need to prepare a trench.

For cobblestone:  The trench should be an inch or more wider than the cobblestone.  Layer the bottom of the trench with at least 1 " of coarse sand.  For cobblestone, you need to determine what height you would like your stone to be above the ground and then use your sand to level your trench to achieve that height consistently.  You can lay a 2 X 4 across your cobblestone and place your level on it to ensure that your garden edging is level.

After installing the cobblestone apply crushed gravel or granite to the outside edge of the trench and fill the inside edge next to the drive, walk or garden with sand.  Also put sand in the cracks between the cobblestones to help hold them in place. 

For crushed granite:  After digging your trench to the desired width for your project, you may want to put down a layer of Weed Bloc or heavy grade plastic sheeting, before putting in the sand to help prevent weeds from growing up into your crushed granite edging. For crushed granite place your thin edging material on both sides of the path where the granite will lie.  If the granite is adjacent to a walk or drive, then you will only need to do the outer edge.  If your granite is adjacent to a lawn, you can set it in two ways.  You can raise your thin edge to be level with or slightly below the grass when it is freshly mowed and fill with crushed granite to that point, or you can lower the edge to a point 1/2 to 1 inch above ground level and fill.  If you install a raised crushed granite edging adjacent to a lawn, you will need to use an edger to keep a clean look.  With the lower installation of the crushed granite edging, you will be able to push your mower close along the inside edge of your crushed granite edging and keep the grass under control without having to use a string edger. 

Granite is a beautiful and natural garden landscape edging.  It is a bit on the pricy side, but holds its value and when properly installed lasts for a very long time with very little maintenance.