Hi all!
So with my front yard finished (at least until the plants have grown and I see where I might fill in), I decided it's time to take on a corner of my backyard that is a mess...
The space is 25.5ft by 12.5ft (fence to garage wall; fence to concrete patio). It has always been dirt since I moved here with the darned privet (bane of my existence) trying to grow new trees. The fence runs on the south and west and the garage wall on the north. It does get hot sun in the summer.
So, my first thought was to remove the trees, remove the pile of bricks that had been dumped by the garage wall, and then level and plant a garden. But there are three reasons that will not work:
1. Part of the area actually has a concrete slab under it, and there are foundations for a structure under another part (see #3 below);
2. This is the low point of my property and in winter it becomes squishy wet;
3. There was apparently a brick structure built off the garage wall that collapsed and a prior owner left the bricks as they fell.
We started trying to remove the dirt over the concrete slap and remove the bricks. Unfortunately, after a day of digging and removing, we went down a good 2 ft and were still finding tons of bricks. It's just too much work to try and clean it up.
Our next thought was to level it out more and build a deck over it. I like the idea, but don't really need a deck and the cost would be more than I want to spend.
So, that brought me to my current idea: create a tiered raised flower bed. My idea is to use cinder blocks to encase the dirt - leaving a 10-12 inch gap along the fence line for repair work, etc. The bottom tier would be 2 cinder blocks high (about 16 inches) and would have a 24 inch deep bench at its edge running the length. The middle tier would be 3 cinder blocks high (24 inches), and the back tier would be 4 blocks high (32 inches). I'm thinking this would create a visually appealing area, but still allow for rain runoff in winter without totally rotting plant roots. Or should I raise them all by another 8 inches - 24, 32 and 40?
I'm thinking the back and middle tiers would be 30 inches deep and the bottom would be about 25.5 inches deep.
I'm open to thoughts on all that. I'm trying to keep it simple and cost effective (then I have more money to buy plants with).
In my mind, I see tall grasses, etc, at the back. As tall as or taller than the fence (so no less than 36-40 inches tall). I like the Beschorneria yuccoides (Mexican Lily) - I think it would look nice hanging above the other tiers. The other plant I think might work would be the Dasylirion wheeleri (Desert Spoon). And/or I could add a trellis and have a climber.
For the second tier, I'm thinking a riot of color throughout the year - so a good variety of flowering perennials.
Those two tiers I'd like to be little to no maintenance.
For the bottom tier, I'm thinking of trying my hand at a few veggies, annuals, and/or more needy perennials. I can separate it from the other tiers using blocks all the way down - and just use one layer of blocks to create a wall between the top and middle tiers - to better cater to different water needs.
My requirements for plants are:
1. Not toxic to dogs or require the wearing of gloves when handling (something like lavender is OK as it isn't a problem for dogs unless they really eat the plant);
2. Drought tolerant or "dry soil between waterings" for the top and middle tier;
3. Good for zone 9B;
4. Little to no maintence for the top and middle tiers. More water/maintenance for the bottom tier - but not special fertilizers, constant pruning, etc;
5. Nothing that will "shed" - I have a pool back there and have my hands full with the oak catkins. I don't want to have to mess with plant seeds, fibers, etc too. And the wind blows in from that corner;
6. Nothing that will take over everything;
7. Preferably polinator, hummingbird, butterfly and/or songbird friendly;
8. Nothing that will errode the garage brick, etc.
I already have a bunch of butterfly bushes in the backyard, plus a phenomenal lavender, two grosso lavenders and two Caradonna sages.
So, please start shouting out ideas. Combinations of plants would be great. I have the seating area right next to this area, so I'd like to see a cacophony of textures and shapes and colors. I was looking at plants the other night, and love the idea of some sea hollies in there.
Thanks!
