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Garden Gate:  Too late for landscaping?  |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 03 2007 : 06:36:33 AM
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There's a landscaping project that I've been wanting to tackle for years, and it's a little too much for me to DIY. I need to till up the strip of ground between my house and the neighbor's driveway and add about 6 inches of topsoil to regrade it. Well, I just had a bit of a windfall and actually have a few hundred dollars that I could use to pay someone to come with a tiller and deliver a big load of soil. I might even be able to have that person dig up the stumps around my porch (where we cut down the overgrown yew bushes) and rototill the beds all the way around the house.
But I suspect that it is too late in the season for me to try to line this up...what do you think? I live in Zone 6. Would there be time to do this and get some grass growing on the new slope? Would the new topsoil all run away over the winter if I had the tilling done now and couldn't start grass until spring? Any opinions? I don't have an estimate or even the names of any contractors to call, so it might take a few weeks to line someone up. |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2007 : 08:08:06 AM
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I don't think it's ever too late unless the ground is frozen! I'm in zone 4 and I would still do it here. If you throw grass seed on it now, it might have enough time to sprout. But if you don't wish to chance it, you could always put black plastic over it for the winter, weigh it down with rocks or whatever is handy and start fresh in the spring. In any case, I'd go for it.
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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Marybeth
True Blue Farmgirl
6418 Posts
Mary Beth
Stanwood
Wa 98292
USA
6418 Posts |
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl
4738 Posts
Dawn
Naperville
Illinois
USA
4738 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2007 : 08:25:46 AM
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I live in zone 5 and now is the time all the landscapers are busy putting in sod, trees, bushes, and perennials. It's also a great time to buy all of those things now, all the nurseries are clearing out their stuff. You get much better prices now then if you wait until spring.
Congratulations on your windfall! Good luck spending and stretching it out as far as you can!
Dawn in IL |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Oct 03 2007 : 08:49:34 AM
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| Thanks for the advice. I couldn't find anything quickly on the web about this particular situation. I'm going to start calling around and see what the local landscapers can do for me. |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2007 : 06:06:54 AM
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Have fun with your project, Amie.
Mary Beth, we are doing our town planting on October 13. You still have time and we would much appreciate it. We had decided to plant all of our donations at the visitor center this year since it is the first thing folks see when they get here. Each year, we'll choose another spot.
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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katie-ell
True Blue Farmgirl
1818 Posts
Katie
Illinois
1818 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2007 : 06:40:21 AM
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Here's my two cents for grass seed: We're landscapers in zone 5, and we seed between August 15 and September 15. After that date, we only will do sod for lawns. You may have a slightly longer window for seed, but do be sure you'd get some good germination before winter. You don't want a muddy mess! Have fun!
www.youaretoocreative.blogspot.com |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Oct 05 2007 : 06:50:00 AM
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| Yes, the grass seed germination is my big concern. After talking to a neighbor, though, I may be doing this myself after all. Our city has a materials give-back program, which means city residents can go to a city storage facility and haul away any building and landscaping materials you want. I only have a small car, so I assume I'd have to make dozens of trips (filling my city recycling bins with dirt!) So I may do this in many small stages instead of all at once. The big revelation from my neighbor is that she didn't till her strip of yard at all. She just dumped the dirt on top. I can do that without any outside assistance. So I'm going to go to the city lot tomorrow morning and see what I can grab. |
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Garden Gate: Too late for landscaping? |
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Too late for landscaping?
