Show us your landscape projects

[Concrete Helmet]

Well I'm almost done with the front of the house after having to replace the septic drainfield last Summer. In order to do that we had to remove the pavers that wrapped around the side of the house(our driveway is on one side of the property)to the front entryway.

As you can see I had to remove and replace most of the 3 zones of irrigation before the digging began. I also had the drainfield mound moved away from the house and flattened slightly more to prevent some of the run off from heavy rains that found their way down the pavers and often flooded our entry and front door area.
Here's the same view after installing new pavers(which I did not do myself), irrigation, sod and plants, which I did by myself.

Here are some views of the front which I took out all the old plants except the palms and put in new plants. I know they look small now but they'll fill in nicely and provide a lot of color to contrast the Grey color of the house. I brought in 7.5 tons of the Salt & Pepper Marble rocks(literally bag by bag) myself because I didn't want a bulk delivery of rocks in the middle of my driveway or killing the new sod.


The new pavers have inlayed lights which work on a timer and light the walkway at nighttime. When the old pavers were being taken up we discovered a huge reason why the front captured so much water and flooded out. There was actually a concrete walkway underneath them so this time I had the concrete underneath core drilled with 4" holes all up and down the walkway and especially under the portico. I also had 7" seemless gutters installed with downspouts hooked the drains to carry the water away from the front of the house.

At this point I'm sore as hell from moving all that rock and I'm gonna take a week or so off before mulching in the rest of the plant beds then I'm done with the front .
Next project will be replacing the 380 foot wood privacy fence on the driveway side of the house with an 8ft tall Grey vinyl one....I can't wait.....

 

[ChiefGator]

Looks great, I am too old and infirm to do that sort of work anymore.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Looks great, I am too old and infirm to do that sort of work anymore.

I brought the rock in 35 bags at a time in the back of my pickup(max payload) because I did not want to wait 10 days for delivery and I can't block my driveway with a pile of loose rock. So I would load the 35 bags into my truck, then have to unload them at the house and spread them out...all together it was 450 bags of rock....
I've never before had physical work literally make me quit UNTIL this past Wednesday afternoon as I bent over to split the last bag of rocks for that day. It took me about 4 or 5 minutes to stand straight up....at that point I quit....until Friday

 

[ChiefGator]

I brought the rock in 35 bags at a time in the back of my pickup(max payload) because I did not want to wait 10 days for delivery and I can't block my driveway with a pile of loose rock. So I would load the 35 bags into my truck, then have to unload them at the house and spread them out...all together it was 450 bags of rock....
I've never before had physical work literally make me quit UNTIL this past Wednesday afternoon as I bent over to split the last bag of rocks for that day. It took me about 4 or 5 minutes to stand straight up....at that point I quit....until Friday

I have extensive gardens that need mulching. In past years I got a delivery of 10 to 12 yards and move it by wheelbarrow. The last two I have gotten bagged mulch when it is on sale at 2 / bag, done only part of the area each year and stopped in about a third of the garden area. I guess I could pay to get it done, but won't.

It looks good but is a lot of work. Thanks for the update.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

Nice job Crete. Looks really good.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

They don't call you Concrete for nothin'. Lots of hard work but worth it in the end.

 

[soflagator]

Nice work, Crete. That front looks great. Did a lesser version of that rehab in the back of our home in Jupiter, and it was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done. Bet you’re beaming every day you walk outside.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Nice work, Crete. That front looks great. Did a lesser version of that rehab in the back of our home in Jupiter, and it was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done. Bet you’re beaming every day you walk outside.

Yeah it's been dry here for a while so even with irrigation twice a week the new plants need a little watering when I get home in the afternoon. Normally standing there with a hose in my hand watering plants or new sod drives me crazy but since this is done it's kinda nice as long as I have a beer in my other hand.
Another small yet very important victory is I finally have the irrigation system working 100%. It's a 9 zone system with around 150 heads. I've been fixing leaks and sticky valves for the last 5 years or so....I almost won't know what to do with myself without having to cut and glue pipes back together or searching for sticky valves to clean out.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Here a couple of night photos showing the inlayed paver lights...

Have a few more details to add but it's time to move on to the driveway side of the house. We just got the permit approved for the 8ft. vinyl fence after the city initially turned it down....They said it would have to go before the Zoning and Planning Board for a special variance....It took me about 3 minutes to give those a$$holes a harsh dose of reality before the City Manager called my cell phone to tell me he was personally approving the fence without a variance.
I think he's finally getting the message......

 

[crosscreekcooter]

Need to make those paver lights strobe to some loud rap. That'll make the City Manager happy. Seriously, add some uplights to highlight those awesome looking roebeliniis. Looks great Crete.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Need to make those paver lights strobe to some loud rap. That'll make the City Manager happy. Seriously, add some uplights to highlight those awesome looking roebeliniis. Looks great Crete.

Great idea about the up lights, Coot. I have dozens of roebelinii palms on the property so I could add some lights to those beds as well.

 

[oxrageous]

The pavers lights are awesome. I have uplights on my palms and they look spectacular at night.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

Great idea about the up lights, Coot. I have dozens of roebelinii palms on the property so I could add some lights to those beds as well.

Here's another great idea I just thought about. When you have that new 8' privacy fence put in, have them run it across the front as well and put up a new flagpole with uplights on it as well.
Kinda like this, maybe add a couple of BEWARE BAD DOG signs.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

I have uplights on my palms and they look spectacular at night.

Post some pics if you get a chance....I'm trying to decide whether to put them on the palms or maybe the large Live Oaks in the front yard.

 

[AuggieDosta]

Up lights make oaks look amazing! Especially if you can get them small and actually up in the tree a little bit plus wide angle from the ground.

As for the paver lights, my BIL put them in and they all no longer work.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Up lights make oaks look amazing! Especially if you can get them small and actually up in the tree a little bit plus wide angle from the ground.

As for the paver lights, my BIL put them in and they all no longer work.

Yeah I think it's going to be the Oaks....I'll give the paver lights a year and bet most won't work. I can't really use solar powered lights where they are now though as the entry is recessed and doesn't get a lot of sunlight....

 

[Treebeard]

Up lights make oaks look amazing! Especially if you can get them small and actually up in the tree a little bit plus wide angle from the ground.

As for the paver lights, my BIL put them in and they all no longer work.

Have several lights in the yard, including our big oak out front. Really sets thing out. Good security lighting without looking like security lighting.

 

[AuggieDosta]

Yeah I think it's going to be the Oaks....I'll give the paver lights a year and bet most won't work. I can't really use solar powered lights where they are now though as the entry is recessed and doesn't get a lot of sunlight....

And there's nothing to hack that gives away bank and tax info.

 

[Gatorbait25]

At my old house I had Zoysia sod both front and back. The yard in the front was mainly a couple of pine islands with straw, and
a few shrubs , bushes and flower beds in front of the porch. We're talking less than 300 sq feet of actually lawn. The great thing
about Zoysia is not only does it look good, but it keeps the weeds away. Last year I sold the house and moved across town.
Front and back is Bermuda, and given the fact I haven't been used to having a bermuda lawn I didn't treat it last year or this year.
The previous owner I can only assume had it treated because there weren't any sightings of weeds all of last year.This spring
on the other hand has been a different story. So I used Weed B gon to get rid of the ugly, and pesky weeds. Which worked good
for a little bit, yet has only allowed more of the unsightly bastards sprouting up elsewhere throughout the lawn. Recently I used
weed n feed to try and alleviate the problem, and hopefully start the see the desired results soon.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

These photos are from our office which was re landscaped last fall. We added the pavers leading from the parking lot, put in a 3 zone irrigation system, sodded with St. Augustine and added the large plant beds on the side and front of the building.
The difference it made against the building was pleasant to say the least. It is a Historically renovated and converted house built in 1923. We had just finished replacing all the windows, gutters and reconditioned and repainted the siding and trim but it just seemed to be missing something....added the plants and grass and wow....she's another project done....for now.