What a week!! PHOTOS

[rebbetzin]

A couple of months ago I got an idea. Every week for the past year I have been noticing the artificial lawn at a local Radio Station. It looks really nice, with the added bonus of not using any water.

So... I don't know if anyone remembers my front walkway...it is, or rather was... flagstone and dichondra. This is one of my favorite photos of it.

Anyway, I got this idea that just maybe the company that installs the artificial lawns might just have some small scraps that I could use between the flagstones and save money on water. I called them, and the owner said he would give me some scraps and they would even deliver them. I was really happy.

When the fellows showed up with the scraps, instead of a bunch of small pieces, they left me two 5ft X 30ft rolls of the stuff!!

I about croaked!! So since Monday this week I have been trying to make a new walkway I decided it would be really hard to cut out all the holes for each stone. So.. I thought I would just place the stones on the top of the grass. I worked and worked to lay flagstones. It is not easy to do!! I had to keep pulling up the carpet of grass, and level the soil so the stones would lay properly. Here is a photo of what I did..

My husband thought the stones were too far apart, and that they might cause someone to sprain an ankle if they didn't step on the stones just right.
So.. I made the gaps between the stones smaller by rearranging all the stones again.

As I was working, I noticed I really liked the look of the grass without the stones on it.

Here is a closer view.

Here is how it looks from the front door. I made the path to the birdbath more narrow.

Well, what do you think? I used to have to water the dichcondra twice a day in the summer. Now I don't have to water this stuff at all!! And it was FREE!!

 

[cookiesdaddy]

That's a lot of work!!! Congrat's on the great deal you get on the lawn material However I must say this ... that artificial stuff just doesn't look right on the beautiful, natural garden that you have. But you do save water!

What is that vine that you had on the arc last year? It was beautiful. You gave me some idea. Was that annual? How to you plant something like that and how long did it take to climb so beautifully on your PVC arc?

 

[rebbetzin]

That's a lot of work!!! Congrat's on the great deal you get on the lawn material However I must say this ... that artificial stuff just doesn't look right on the beautiful, natural garden that you have. But you do save water!

What is that vine that you had on the arc last year? It was beautiful. You gave me some idea. Was that annual? How to you plant something like that and how long did it take to climb so beautifully on your PVC arc?

In person, the grass looks like a healthy and wonderfully kept bit of lawn. And the amount of money I will save on water will make my husband very happy. Though he says "Heidi, I know you, the money you save from this project, you will quickly find a way to spend it in some other area of the yard."

And... he is probably right.

The vines are Morning Glories.

Now the PVC trellis is new and has never had any vines on it. I used four Sunflowers to hold up the vines in that photo. Not somthing I would attempt to do again. I was glad I took that photo when I did, the next day this is what my Morning Glory/Sunflower arch looked like.

We had a big rainstorm, and the poor dead Sunflower stalks didn't hold up to the wind and rain. Plus vines got pretty heavy when they were wet.

I am not sure how I am going to get the vines to attach to the PVC. I am thinking of drilling holes through the pipe every so often, and threading a twist tie, or some raffia through the holes and tying the vines that way. If I had thought about it, I should have made a double PVC arch, and run wire or thread back and forth between the two arches to make a better "trellis" for the vines. Being it is made of PVC, I might be able to redesign it a bit.

So far the Morning Glories are only a couple inches high, and the sunflowers are about a foot tall. When the vines start to grow up the trellis I will post new photos.

 

[seedcorn]

May not be real grass but since you are in an area that doesn't grow grass naturally, it's a great idea to use a rug. Conserves moisture and looks good.

Knowing morning glories, bet they will find a way to go up the pvc pipe, especially if you tell them not to........they are an invasive weed.

 

[rebbetzin]

May not be real grass but since you are in an area that doesn't grow grass naturally, it's a great idea to use a rug. Conserves moisture and looks good.

Knowing morning glories, bet they will find a way to go up the pvc pipe, especially if you tell them not to........they are an invasive weed.

Once you plant a Morning Glory seed, you will never have to plant them again!! (well, unless you want them where they don't come up. I spend many days moving the "volunteers" around the garden.

The artificial grass is a wonderful invention for us here in the desert!! I am very pleased with how this looks so real. You have to get down and touch it to make sure it is not the real thing.

 

[smom1976]

I think it looks VERY NICE I think I like it without the stones too.. just send the stones over my way LOL.. That was way cool too about the free part. I like it

 

[ranchhand]

Horrors! about the trellis coming down! Yikes!

I really like the new look, without the stones is better, in my opinion. Lovely garden you have there. And free is the BEST price.

How often do you have to vacuum?

 

[smom1976]

Horrors! about the trellis coming down! Yikes!

I really like the new look, without the stones is better, in my opinion. Lovely garden you have there. And free is the BEST price.

How often do you have to vacuum?

thats funny

 

[Catalina]

Wow ~ I really like that!

It looks so natural - I want some!

 

[vfem]

Oh I love it! I think it is wonderful for your climate. My lawn is just weeds here and I rather have that now I think about it.

I can't wait for the arch to fill in so I can see how glamorous your garden is when its complete to your creation.

Congrats... now you deserve a big break.