Low Maintenance Yard
 

I am a caretaker for the home I live in with my Golden Retriever. The home was purchased so I would have a place to live in safety and with a yard for the dog while attending University and possibly give me a leg up in the future. It is about an 8,000 square foot lot with a 1,248 square foot 3 bedroom 2 full bath home.

Heard that the trust is considering downsizing to a smaller lot and 2 bedroom as with my health, considering this current home might be too big. However, two bedrooms really don't exist out here, especially with a garage that I really need; willing to consider converting a carport. Anyway, got me thinking maybe there is another solution.

The biggest issue is the bermuda grass lawn. There was irrigation, but it was a haphazard layout (not in a grid) with Rain Birds that broke off do to three dogs playing in the back yard. Never understood having 4" high sprinklers in a lawn. :rolleyes: I have a gravel R.V. parking, but even the grass and weeds grow in that. I have a friend who has gravel and has no grass growing in it. He doesn't use weed killer. How come he has no weeds or grass in his gravel, but I do?

Is there a way to have low maintenance, meaning no unwanted plants, gravel?

How does one keep the gravel and the grass separate?

Further, I have considered planting shrubs and maybe vines to reduce the lawn size. If the shrubs were dense enough, they keep out the weeds, correct?

I have put in a lot of plants in front, and where the bed of aloe is, very few weeds. Plus, where the globe mallows are growing.

Figure the cost of landscaping be less than moving, right? Last time the bill was $750, I.I.R.C.. This time really should hire an organizer and do a high level purge so not moving extraneous stuff. So, let us say a budget of $1,000 for landscaping.

Any other ideas?

Thank y'all in advance for the help! :D

I'd think twice before creating a haven for rattlesnakes with a dense growth of weeds and shrubs. Just apply a general spray of kill-it-all vegetation rid, until you achieve the no-growth look.

I wouldn't spend much $ improving the place with a carport, if you don't own the property.

Sounds like a sweet crib to me.

If I've got an area I don't want to cut I let the pine straw build up on it.

Thank you for the reply! :D

Sorry I wasn't clear. I am not putting any money into this place, except what I can take with me. This is thinking of a solution or solutions to present to the "owner" to address the issue of me being able to maintain the place. The plants I have put in were free, B.T.W.. The Globe Mallows came up from seeds on their own.

Since when is there snakes in suburbia? I have been in Arizona since August 2010 and not seen a single snake.

I don't want a no growth look, but the "owner" does want it neat and weed free. I would love it if I could have a lush desert landscape. My friends front yard used to be that way, so pretty, and don't recall any snake issue. Does have bees living in his homes wall though, but that is something else. :P

Carport was in reference to if I had to go to another place. I am hesitant about moving unless I have a safe place for my tools. Yes, I might be acting like a spoiled brat, but I would be giving up other benefits. ;)

Not really, as I don't like the uncertainty and that someone else is taking care of me. But, due to my conditions, I can't live in an apartment and/or have room mates. Can't even get hired and when I did, couldn't keep employed. Finally realized my situation and have applied for Disabilities.

Engatwork, thank you for the reply! :D

Hmmm, now there is an idea for the non-gravel areas! :cool: Looks like though it would have to be ordered.

I replaced the mulch in my flower beds with 3/4 gravel. I prepped the area by using weed killer and nuking everything first, then laying week block cloth over the entire area. Finally, I put the gravel in. I get the odd weed now and then but it has been 99% weed free for close to 10 years.

That sounds really interesting. Do you have any pictures of it?

thank you so very much! :D

I bet you that this fabric is much better than plastic, right? I have plastic in the front yard and it is badly deteriorated. I haven't found anything in the back.

This fabric looks like a mesh and says U.V. coated. Do you know what it is made of?

I would be fine with 75 percent weed free, as right now five percent weed free! ;)

Rattlesnakes (and scorpions) are absolutely indigenous to Metro Phoenix, AZ. Whether they're on your property or not isn't the issue. The issue is that if you create a haven for them as you described - they will be happy to move in with you, sooner or later. Doesn't matter if you've never seen one there before. They live where (Phoenix, AZ.) you live.

Keeping your growth sparse and cut/trimmed close, discourages them from cribbing with you.

Anymore, if I don't see at least one rattlesnake a year in the yard something is amiss.

Native grasses which don't require water are nice. In Colorado I use buffalo grass. Don't know if such an option exists in your location.

Buffalo is an option for the Phx. area, but it's crazy expensive.

Pre-emergent could work for the gravel area's. Use Roundup to kill weeds present currently and then apply the pre-emergent. Granular varieties require water to dissolve and form the protective barrier. Kills germinating seeds before they can sprout.

As a non-chemical solution (I'm guessing you're trying to avoid them because of the dog), lay some black plastic over the beds you're trying to rid of weeds for a week or so. The plastic will absorb the heat from the sun killing many weeds while depriving them from the sunlight needed for photosynthesis as a double whammy. Then rake out the mulch, put down some landscape/weed block fabric and put back the mulch. Obviously if there are desirable plants or bushes in the bed you don't want to cover them with the plastic.

Last time I bought Buffalo grass seed I think it was $17 per pound.

Interesting! Never heard of them out here, including from the natives. When did you live out here?

What is the big issue with rattle snakes? My understanding is they give warning before striking.

B.T.W.,my great uncles lived in Kern County where there used to be a lot of rattle snakes and find them on the way to class. When they did, take a stick, kill them, cut the rattle off and put it in their pocket. When they got to school, rattle it as a prank and get folks looking scared and for the rattle snake. :laughing:

But, that's Georgia? So, what is wrong with seen a rattle snake? Livestock doesn't know to leave them alone?

Thank y'all for this suggestion!:D

Phoenix area doesn't really have any native grasses anymore due to humans wiping it out. Up higher there is ornamental grass, which is sold in a Tucson nursery selling only natives. That is where I found out the invasive ornamental grass here is from South Africa and doing a lot of damage. So, took it and and all its seedlings out of the yard. Come to find out it broke the brick planter box.

I have considered Arizona native ornamental grass, but yes, be expensive, and elchivito, how about the rattle snakes and mosquitos?

But, sure look a lot better than plain field of gravel! So much texture and color, moving in the slightest breeze.

I didn't now about the granular pre-emergent, good to know, thank you so very much! :D

Swamp Yankee, you are close. The main reason is because I am concerned it will also kill natives since they too have broad leaves. If I had kept the front yard completely weed free, wouldn't have any globe mallows for example.

Good idea on the black plastic! :D That be way easier on large areas, such as my Dad's place which has about an 1/8 acre. Hope some day to turn that into wildflower fields instead of weeds. They are self germinating/seeding and once established, they crowd out the weeds. Also for the R.V. parking I have here. But first need to get the '79 TD parted and out of the way.