Grabber Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 I know many people enjoy Gardening and Landscaping and consider it somewhat of a hobby or they simply enjoy it. I used to have a big vegetable garden every year but stopped when I built my new house 10 years ago. I enjoy keeping my yard looking good. I put all the sidewalks in, sprinkler system and lawns and shrubs. Building the wandering river out of rock to accommodate the drainage ditch took some time. Anyways I thought it might be a fun thread to post up your landscaping and gardening passions and ideas. Post some photos of your gardens and landscapes. I will start off with some photos that I took this evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Here are some shots of the wandering river. Before I put this in, I had to try to mow the grass in that area and it was very wet. Standing water in there most of the year except for 5 months. I used to get my rider stuck in there every year. I laid down filter fabric and then put all the rock in. Now it is easy to maintain that area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twobjshelbys Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 We live in the front range of the Colorado Rockies. Water is scarce and expensive. My landscaping is mostly rocks with low water plantings - lots of junipers and mugo pines - along with some flower beds. The junipers needed watering regularly the first few years but now need almost no water. The exception is this year - I can see some of the bushes showing signs of stress, so will start to soak them this coming weekend when I can put the sprinkler out. We water the flowers in the front by hand and I put in a jury-rigged sprinkler system that attaches to the hose for the rear beds. The rest of the back yard is just wild buffalo grass and wildflowers that may or may not be successful in any given year. Last year they flourished, this year the grass is already gone dormant but the wildflowers seem to be doing OK (not all, just some of them) in spite of the drought. In the front we use annuals but have lots of day lillies and iris. Pretty much we've experimented over 15 years by planting things. Stuff that survives we let go on and plant more of. Stuff that dies we replace with more of the stuff that didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 I have not turned on my sprinkler system yet. We have been in the 70's and on and off rain. We should hit 80 tomorrow and have a few days of 80 degree weather so I will be turning on the irrigation system in a week. I only irrigate 1/2 of my 1 acre lot. The big field has no sprinklers. I have been busy the last few days power washing the house, cleaning the windows, and sealing my concrete flatwork. When I built the house I formed up sidewalk around the entire house and shop. After work and on week ends I was pouring and smoothing concrete for a month. The concrete is 10 years old and I used the 4000 PSI mix and put deep tooled joints everywhere. Not one crack has developed. I tell people that there are 2 kinds of concrete: 1. Concrete that is cracked ...and 2. Concrete that is going to crack. ...you just need to give it enough joints to conceal the cracks and control it. In another words, you need to give it a place to crack to or it will find it's own place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 ...a few more concrete shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Putting all those deep troweled joint in was a lot of work, but it has sure paid off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdscooby Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 I like low maintenance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 I like low maintenance Looks like you need a hummer to get into the garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07gt500conv Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Putting all those deep troweled joint in was a lot of work, but it has sure paid off. Grabber, I'm always in Awe when I see your place. You have done a fine job and its beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJN Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Grabber you have a beautiful yard, nothing like a nice green yard. Ever thought about doing some concrete staining with all that you have. I have a blacktop driveway and would love to do that in cement and few other things. I priced out a sprinkler system just few months ago but a bit to pricy right now. I have only been in my house for about 5 years and need to put on a deck or something I have not decided yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Grabber, I'm always in Awe when I see your place. You have done a fine job and its beautiful. Thanks. My place is like my car, I'm proud of it and like to keep it looking great. Grabber you have a beautiful yard, nothing like a nice green yard. Ever thought about doing some concrete staining with all that you have. I have a blacktop driveway and would love to do that in cement and few other things. I priced out a sprinkler system just few months ago but a bit to pricy right now. I have only been in my house for about 5 years and need to put on a deck or something I have not decided yet. If you want colored concrete you need to have the color put into the mixer truck when the concrete is batched. If you are going for that look it is also nice to have the concrete stamped. That ends up costing a whole lot of money more because it is even more labor intensive and the color is not cheap either. You should check into putting the sprinkler system in yourself. You can get a "how to" book and save yourself a ton of money. It is not that hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingsnut Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 Putting all those deep troweled joint in was a lot of work, but it has sure paid off. What kind/brand of sealer did you use on your concrete? Sprayed, rolled, brushed? Chip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJN Posted July 4, 2012 Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 You can still stain after and the guys that do it can do some fancy stuff its not the mix in dye. Google it once, you might get interested. Im getting a quote on doing my front stoop/porch area to look like a gey flag stone look.....I think lol. My local guy has pricing on the net about $10 sq ft and up for desings and such. http://www.specialeffex.net/ thats my local guy but some ideas there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2012 What kind/brand of sealer did you use on your concrete? Sprayed, rolled, brushed? Chip I used the MASCO 25% "Cure & Seal". I buy it at a store here in the NW called "Masons Supply". It's some stinky stuff. You can still stain after and the guys that do it can do some fancy stuff its not the mix in dye. Google it once, you might get interested. Im getting a quote on doing my front stoop/porch area to look like a gey flag stone look.....I think lol. My local guy has pricing on the net about $10 sq ft and up for desings and such. http://www.specialeffex.net/ thats my local guy but some ideas there. I will check out that link, but my concrete will not take stain because it is sealed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Today my wife Tana & spread some bark mulch to spruce things up a notch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 My wife did all the shoveling and I did all the spreading and raking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 After that project I put a couple coats of red paint on our little lawn mower bridge. You can see the mud on the other side of the bridge on my neighbors property. That is how my entire ditch used to look before I put the filter fabric & river rock in my ditch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJN Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Man im drooling over here Grabber looks awesome. You guys do all the work yourselves? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted July 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Man im drooling over here Grabber looks awesome. You guys do all the work yourselves? Yes we do all the work ourselves. I can't afford to pay people to do yard work and they would not do it to my liking anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afdharley Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 Beautiful property you have there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJN Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 Yes we do all the work ourselves. I can't afford to pay people to do yard work and they would not do it to my liking anyways. Boy I hear you there. I can not even let my wife mow my yard cause she can't keep the lines stright lol, but when comes to design and what to use I have no idea. You guys have a beautiful landscape! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejrail Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 We always did a large vewggie garden when we were younger and lived in the old neighborhood. When I built the house on the golf course, we decided not to do the garden and frequent the local produce stands instead. We both work full time and don't have the time to care for and can the things when they come in season. We have mostly spring bulbs and ground cover in our flower beds. The bulbs come up thru the ground covers and die off about the time the ground covers are blooming. We don't do many annuals. Surprisingly, Utah is the second driest state, next to New Mexico. We have to be careful about water use, especaily in drought years like this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug_GT350 Posted July 6, 2012 Report Share Posted July 6, 2012 Beautiful property you have there. + 1 absolutely gorgeous Boy I hear you there. I can not even let my wife mow my yard cause she can't keep the lines stright lol, but when comes to design and what to use I have no idea. You guys have a beautiful landscape! I use to be that way. My wife started mowing this year since we got a zero turn (we have two acres), I use to be meticulous about it when I did it..... but now, she does a good enough job. I don't have enough time, energy or money to keep up with it anymore. All of my flower beds have turned into perennial gardens, in otherwords weeds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecrissman Posted July 17, 2012 Report Share Posted July 17, 2012 Very nice looking! Everything is just immaculately maintained. I have been using clemens supreme seal uv-25 on my concrete yearly. Sealing is a necessary maintenance on concrete for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cali_KR Posted August 24, 2012 Report Share Posted August 24, 2012 My grass looks that good for about 4-5 months, water has gotten too expensive here in California, and I had 2.5 acres of it...used to look like a golf course, now half of it has been left to go back to the "wild" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted March 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 I Spent all day in the yard yesterday again. Been at it the last couple week ends getting the place ready for our spring Easter Family dinner. Today is the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted March 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted March 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grabber Posted March 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJN Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 I could look at pictures of your lawn all day long Grabber. Just beautiful! I still have tiny patches of snow on mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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