[mbkerk]

I see some of you here have a real talent for landscaping!

I need some advice on what to do around different parts of my house. I had to haul in 30 yards of fill last fall to get water to run away from the house for a number of reasons. Anyway, it created some problems (for me...) that I need to resolve.

In the next two pictures, the area is between my house and de-tached garage. The deck used to go right up to the house, but I had to change that to get the grade work done.

This is on the NE corner of my house, and NEVER sees any sunlight. In the morning it is shaded by a big cottonwood tree. Pictures are taken looking west.

I am at a loss as to what to do in this space. I don't mind grass if I can get it to grow, but I think there is more potential there. It is a high traffic area (on the deck) and I want it to look nice. I am not a big fan of decorative rock, or wood chips. Is there any kind of small evergreen shrub, or some other bush that would be OK in 100% shade?

The next 2 pictures show the area from the opposite (west... looking east) Again, along the driveway there is some sun in the afternoon, but it is on the north side of the house so there is not a lot of sun. The west side between the drivway and the front door of the house I could get pretty creative too. I made the sidewalk curve to add some dimension to the project. I would like to put my flagpole there somewhere.

The area where the snow is piled along the house is all black dirt.

This next photo is the south elevation of the house. I think I would like this all seeded to grass. It gets a lot of sun... no shade all day.

I live in SE North Dakota, I think zone 3, so I need to know what kind of grasses I can plant, as well as what kind of shrubs, or other plants you may advise me on, can take our harsh winters!

Thanks in advance! I'm looking forward to your ideas!

 

[ducati996]

Just a few quick things that come to mind, is to make sure your gutters and leaders are properly plumbed away from the house. Otherwise pooling against your foundation, and eventual leaks into the celler will happen. In one area
it looks like there is no leader, and you could run that under the deck and into the yard away from the house....
I'm not a big fan of mulch all along your sills. Tends to bring out the best in bugs, namely termites....I would consider 3/4 redstone which keeps the area
dry, helps in drainage and dispersal of water, and you never have to replace it like mulch which is frequent. Pick some dwarf evergreens and the like that will not out grow that area. The last thing you need is 30 ft towering trees in those areas. Shrubs that dont drop there leaves because you dont want to see bare twigs in winter You local Landscaping and Nursery will bend over backwards to help you....

Ducati

 

[ducati996]

Looking at your second picture between the stoop and garage? I would take up the wood and have that whole area filled with pavers. The angle between the house and garage gives you a funny jerk when you are walking between
the house and garage...you dont want folks walking in what ever you put in there. You would be better off planting in front and in the back with more room....Pavers will make it look sharp and will give you a patio or course this is just my opinion

Ducati

 

[mbkerk]

Ducati,

The area between the house and garage is indeed a problem. The use of pavers would be tricky because of the sharp slope if the ground away from the house. (The picture does not do this justice!)

I wish I could have made the ground level all of the way to the garage, but then it would have been a step down into the garage from that area. (The service door to the garage is straight across from the steps to the upper deck.)

This "improvement" was not something I really thought necessary, but for financial reasons, ($700 / year) I had to do it... Thats another very long story... Our government at work!:1336:

BTW... I do install downspout extensions as soon as the rain season comes. Right now we are still dealing with snow and ice in ND. Last fall I rigged up a 5 gallon pail with a sump pump hose attached to catch the water from the downspout between the house and garage. It worked great, but I plan to incorporate something more aesthetically pleasing into whatever landscaping I do in this area.

I think I will take your advice and check with the local nursery. I like the idea of the dwarf evergreens.

Thanks for taking the time to reply! :fing02: