Ideas for dismal backyard?

Thanks in advance for any advice! We’re a bit broke at the moment from our interior renovations, so we haven’t got much left to put in the backyard this year. We’ve filled the large hole that used to be in the middle of the yard (from the previous owner’s aboveground pool) and don’t want the yard to become a big mud puddle/lose all the new dirt. Any ideas for temporary (and inexpensive) ground cover to last until we have the funds to finish the back with patio and grass down the road? Would mulch be a terrible idea?

Tried clover seeds last summer and wound up with weeds and moss. Area is a mix of full sun and partial shade. There are no sprinklers. [Backyard](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:6Oc9:backyard.jpg.jpg)

Thanks!

fluxcapacitor

in Exteriors 9 years and 1 month ago

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olgamikeshina2013 | 8 years and 9 months ago

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I think you can cover the pool hole with crushed rock and fill the rest of the way with dirt.Fill the top layer with quality topsoil so that you can plant anything on the top. I found an awesome idea online to turn the backyard into an visual retreat. As you are planning to finish the back with grass and patio, this may not help you out now. But you can use this idea once you get settled. I’m sharing this with you because the tips were really good and you may like it too.. http://www.ferraripools.com/blog/backyard/how-to-turn-your-backyard-into-a-relaxing-retreat/
Just refer this article. Hope you find it useful.

olgamikeshina2013 | 8 years and 9 months ago

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I think you can cover the pool hole with crushed rock and fill the rest of the way with dirt.Fill the top layer with quality topsoil so that you can plant anything on the top. I found an awesome idea online to turn the backyard into an visual retreat. As you are planning to finish the back with grass and patio, this may not help you out now. But you can use this idea once you get settled. I’m sharing this with you because the tips were really good and you may like it too.. http://www.ferraripools.com/blog/backyard/how-to-turn-your-backyard-into-a-relaxing-retreat/
Just refer this article. Hope you find it useful.

NeoGrec | 9 years and 1 month ago

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Our neighbors two doors away have 3 toddlers. They dug up their failed lawn and have artificial turf. The kids seem to love it and I see their parents hosing it down once in a while to keep it clean. Looks like a win win.

crispusattucks | 9 years and 1 month ago

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So I am considering ditching trying to upkeep real grass and going artificial grass. Has anyone had any success going that route?

crispusattucks | 9 years and 1 month ago

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So I am considering ditching trying to upkeep real grass and going artificial grass. Has anyone had any success going that route?

peaceout | 9 years and 1 month ago

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Advice: ditch the lawn. Wait until everything is in full bloom so you know the sunny and shady spots. Plant accordingly: the first year is the most expensive, but if you buy perennials, you will have the joy of plants coming up every year. Try to buy drought resistant plants so you will not have to water as much. We top it off with some pretty annuals around the borders. Also, in the fall buy a bunch of tulip and crocus bulbs and plant, plant, plant. They will come up every year as your first flowers.

We made the mistake of buying sod years back. It looked great at first, then parts died despite fertilizer and lots of water (and big water bills). Then I removed patches of the sod and seeded, which sort of looked good. Then crabgrass crept up, and the headache of cutting the lawn. Bleh.
We ended up installing pavers for the majority of the backyard, leaving a sizable boarder for pachysandra and other inexpensive plants.

Patience!

murph | 9 years and 1 month ago

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Do it on a cost budget and a time budget, spend all winter thinking it through, then do it all yourself, ask for help sparingly, spread it out over several weekends, take donated furniture and trash for the rest and don’t hurt yourself. That’s how I did it. Cost: under a grand for 106 feet of supported fencing and 300 sq ft of pave stone patio. In summer drink lots of Gatorade, no beer. When done there plenty of time for beer.

NeoGrec | 9 years and 1 month ago

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Soil amendments would be a terrific investment for the future of your garden. Composted manure, peat moss, and fine (with an emphasis on fine, i.e. small) pine bark are all invaluable for enriching your soil. Look up “double digging.” Then consider some inexpensive ground cover like pachysandra and vinca. Both will spread. You can easily add perennials large and small later as your budget allows — or, ask neighbors who are dividing over-grown plants in their yards for donations. Sedums, for example, are very easy to transplant. For hardscaping, you could dig down about six inches where the pool was and then lay sand with bluestone gravel on top. Also relatively inexpensive and creates what is effectively a “dry well” for excessive water to drain after storms. Finally, start collecting old bricks from the neighborhood or building sites until you can create walkways or a patio. The fun of gardening is that there are lots of ways to recycle and reuse w/o spending too much.

MarkonStMarks | 9 years and 1 month ago

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In the same situation! My solution was to rake the earth, smoothing out as best I could any lumps, then covering the area with landscape fabric. Over that, I laid down pine bark, using cedar mulch to create a winding path through it. Finally, I picked up a few plants at Kings Country Nursery to add color. The whole project took a single weekend, and it only cost a few hundred dollars, including the plants. My wife and I are very pleased with the results, as it allows us to appreciate the backyard space and gives us another year to save for a more comprehensive and permanent project. I attached a few pics in case it helps inspire you (and because I’m rather proud of the results!). [IMG_1978](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:cmIU:img_1978.jpg.jpg) [IMG_1987](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:Zg07:img_1987.jpg.jpg) [IMG_1998](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s3/:brownstoner:vWBV:img_1998.jpg.jpg)

randolph | 9 years and 1 month ago

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put down some mulch, it will keep the weeds from growing and depending on the amount of rain we get it will help prevent excess mud or dust.

eman134 | 9 years and 1 month ago

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In my opinion grass in a Brooklyn back yard is a terrible idea…the conditions usually are inappropriate. Try pachysandra in the shady sections http://www.peekskillnurseries.com/pachysandra.html
and put down some cheap pavers so you have a seating area.