Backyard Landscaping Costs??
So spring is around the corner and my backyard is nothing but dirt and unlimited rocks. I am wondering how much it would cost to buy the materials to do landscaping myself? I think for the most part I’m curious about laying down some tiles/bricks onto half of the backyard as flooring for my patio…
So spring is around the corner and my backyard is nothing but dirt and unlimited rocks. I am wondering how much it would cost to buy the materials to do landscaping myself?
I think for the most part I’m curious about laying down some tiles/bricks onto half of the backyard as flooring for my patio set. And around the fencing I will have a raised bed for bushes/plants.
Does anyone have experience landscaping who can give me their thoughts?
Hi eman
Good work,I would like to develop a garden in the backyard of house.Could you give me your suggestions?
http://www.vanbrouck.com/
@eman … it’s nice you did all your by self and now you still studying , i think you become expert someday 😀
http://www.corygrantconcrete.com this tiles is good??/
mike…there was no garden there when I bought the house, just an overgrown mess…tore up the sides of the pavers, dug out sand and brought in an endless amount of soil to make the raised beds. Did all myself, but this is a picture from 11 years later. Gardens are constant work, and I am still learning
Mike69, I was thinking of the acidity vs. akaline of the soil and also clay vs. sand. You can assume everything is contaminated — no need to test that! If you’re raising vegetables and fruits, you should use raised beds. If you’re growing plants for beauty, raised beds are not necessary, but you will probably need to amend your soil in some fashion so something other than rocks grows there. 🙂 Good luck!
I’ve laid brick in sand base myself and it’s not that hard, a bit time consuming but very satisfying. I used an old book from 1970s that my dad used when he laid backyard brick. The bricks he did still look great and so do mine. If you like mossy brick, buy used brick.
Just make sure you grade the surface so the rainwater flows away from the building foundation and into the drain.
For budget-conscious, DIY, hardscaping, I’m a big fan of pea-gravel. It’s the least expensive surface to buy and the easiest to lay yourself. If you find that your soil is either contaminanted or just too rocky, you could cover the whole lot with the pea gravel and do all your planting in containers. We have a combo of pea gravel paths with beds, edged in brick. You do have to properly prepare the ground and then lay rolls of permeable weed-blocking fabric–lets water in and keeps weeds out. The gravel is low-cost, low maintenance, makes a pleasing crunch when you walk, and can be topped-off in coming years with more bags of gravel. I’m talking the small, smooth, tan/gray pea gravel–not white or red. If you decide on brick, make sure it is frost-proof. We used some old bricks for the edging and they crack and break every winter. Belgian block is another option. Tile seems too slippery and not quite organic enough for the garden, but perhaps I’m not picturing the right tile. I can’t estimate a budget for plants–too many variables–but the gravel would be a few hundred dollars at most. If you care to post an email address, I’ll send you a couple of photos. Best of luck.
eman: That’s a nice garden you’ve got there. Did you do all that by yourself? How long did it take? How did the garden look before those pictures?
mopar: it is definitely unusual that my backyard is full of small to large sized rocks, maybe a long time ago it used to be a river bed. There’s so much that no weeds have been able to grow back there. Since this is brooklyn there is a high chance my soil probably has contaminants – are you referring to the soil sample to find out acidity etc for quality plant growth? Wouldn’t a raised bed with fresh top soil be a solution?
Does anyone know any local suppliers of backyard (stone) tiles/bricks in the city?
The size of my backyard measures roughly around 23′ x 12′
Make the beds at least three feet wide if not five or eight. Otherwise they look ridiculous.
I spent about $300 on plants last year for a new garden about 40×20. No hardscaping.