Side-Yard Solutions

With the shrubs in place, he lays a drip irrigation hose in the bed and snakes it around the base of each shrub so that the water will drip right into the root zone. This too is a good low-maintenance trick, because rather than haul a hose to this area each time it needs water, he can simply turn on the faucet for an hour or two. Now it's time to mulch the bed with a three-inch layer of shredded cypress.

As time goes on, he'll add more and more plants to fill the bed. He'll create a stone path. Remember, gardening is something you can easily do in steps as your time and budget allow. It makes sense to put in the anchor plants first, like trees and shrubs, then fill in the bare spots later. Along the fence line of this yard, there are all sorts of things growing, like grapes, a young mulberry and a redbud tree, some privet and honeysuckle. He's going to leave it just the way it is, at least for the time being. It provides a good deal of privacy, won't require much maintenance, and it's a haven for wildlife since both food and shelter are plentiful.

The first step involves removing all the weeds, which is simple enough. In a large area, you might want to use a herbicide to kill the weeds, but in a small spot such as this he'll pull them up or dig them out. To keep the weeds from returning, he's going to use a plastic weed mat. Unlike regular black plastic, it's porous and lets water seep through and allows the soil to breathe. Overlap the edges as you lay the plastic so that there's no gap in between where weeds can pop up. If you're doing this on a windy day, hold the fabric in place with small stones or wire anchors.

To fill the area, he chose pea gravel over conventional mulch because of the texture of stone, but also because it isn't likely to wash away during heavy rains. He spreads the gravel evenly over the area to a depth of about three inches, using a rake to smooth it out, and positioned the flagstones by first taking small steps all the way to the gate, then plopping a stone on top of each of his footprints. The result is an attractive yet low-maintenance solution to a common problem, the once ugly side yard.