Jeff has been working like a demon for weeks to prepare our yard to plant the lawn--front and back yards. The biggest problem is the soil: CLAY! We had topsoil brought in, then raked for days and leveled out the "pools" that naturally occurred. Finally we can see enough green poking through to make it look rather like it has taken hold.
Here's the front of our home, taken from the north. You see the essence of grass along with the sprigs of "OLD" grass that refused to vacate the premises!
The view of our front from the driveway on the east of our house. You see the duplex-type condos that are the trademark look of our street--the far left of the 4 garage doors belongs to Susan Easton Black when she comes to town. Our homeowners insurance should be reduced because we are so close to the fire hydrant, don't you agree?
A second BIG problem has developed. This is the side of our back yard--you notice that the vacant field next door has a higher elevation than our yard (thus we can have a walk out basement). BUT, when the rains hit, which they have done frequently since we planted, the deluge must run somewhere, and strangely enough, it usually chooses DOWN. Here's the drain system Jeff put in, trying to save our newly planted lawn (actually done beforehand).
When that failed, we added a 2 x 4 and some gravel to form a dam. Lastly, Jeff resorted to digging a trench which diverts the water off through our garden area to the field behind our house. We are watching today to see if the grass planted yesterday can stay in place long enough to germinate and hold the soil down.
You can't look too closely--this is how the grass is growing when you look in more detail. I prefer to see it from a distance, where it looks like we have developed into successful grass farmers!
Here's the front of our home, taken from the north. You see the essence of grass along with the sprigs of "OLD" grass that refused to vacate the premises!
The view of our front from the driveway on the east of our house. You see the duplex-type condos that are the trademark look of our street--the far left of the 4 garage doors belongs to Susan Easton Black when she comes to town. Our homeowners insurance should be reduced because we are so close to the fire hydrant, don't you agree?
A second BIG problem has developed. This is the side of our back yard--you notice that the vacant field next door has a higher elevation than our yard (thus we can have a walk out basement). BUT, when the rains hit, which they have done frequently since we planted, the deluge must run somewhere, and strangely enough, it usually chooses DOWN. Here's the drain system Jeff put in, trying to save our newly planted lawn (actually done beforehand).
When that failed, we added a 2 x 4 and some gravel to form a dam. Lastly, Jeff resorted to digging a trench which diverts the water off through our garden area to the field behind our house. We are watching today to see if the grass planted yesterday can stay in place long enough to germinate and hold the soil down. 
You can't look too closely--this is how the grass is growing when you look in more detail. I prefer to see it from a distance, where it looks like we have developed into successful grass farmers!
3 comments:
Fun! I like to see pics of the house! I'll be out there in 66 days! Too bad I probably won't be able to see the grass anyway, since it will likely be covered in snow.
Oh Gwen! WHAT A PROJECT!!! Wow.
I hope things are going well with Young Womens. Looks like the grass is slowly but surely coming up. It looks great from the pictures! I can't believe how much has happened to your yard since I last saw it, and that cornfield view from your back yard is seriously beautiful! Do they plant corn there every year, or is that something they rotate with other crops?
I miss you!
Crops here alternate every other year: corn, then soybeans, then corn, then soybeans! It's like magic. You drive by a field and the next year it is a mirror image. But it's horrid when the corn is all dry, waiting to be harvested to make ethanol gasoline. It gives everyone with allergies absolute fits!
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