Land transformation

For the last few weeks we’ve been working on the ground work: installing the driveway, carving walking paths, building planting beds… it’s all the fun stuff most people run out of money for by the end of the project. Our phase one of landscaping is pretty scrappy. I call it the working prototype. Some things will be permanent. Many elements will be tweaked and reissued with new skin. Some parts will be completely discarded because we realized they don’t function like we thought they might. It’s a work in progress…

The concrete dip entry was mandated by the city, but the rest was our choice. We wanted a pervious cover so that water can properly drain through the site. We were able to repurpose excess rock that was originally slated for the septic fields; we mixed that with fine sand and voila–roadbase! After a few months of compacting and rain, we’ll cover this with crushed granite. We had wanted pea gravel, but were advised against it due to the curve of the road and the cost of materials. Pea gravel may still be the right choice for paths or seating areas inside the site, but we’re using inexpensive cedar mulch for starters.

We’re laying native grass seeds from Native American Seed Co. wherever we have disturbed, raw land. We know it will eventually fill in with whatever was here before, but this seed will give us a head-start. And, we’ll never have an opportunity to start from scratch with exactly what we want other than right now. Native grasses encourage wildlife and combat soil erosion. Once established, they are very drought resistant and can be easily interplanted with wildflowers. I selected grasses for fall color, height and dramatic plumes that will sway with the wind.

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