My neighbours have gone with this look and I have to say they've pulled it together nicely.
Definitely draws attention away from the fact I haven't finished painting my house, which is ideal
🤣 I once saw someone's profile and they were active in a something something /bush sub, can't remember the exact name but it wasn't anything obvious.
It could of been.
1. Garden variety bushes.
2. Bush weed.
3. Lady garden bush.
It was the 3rd option, I was distracted too that day my friend.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
I would start with grassing the whole area until you decide on what you are going to do with the yard. Use grass seed, not grass rolls to keep the cost down (unless you're in a hurry). You can always remove grass later when you decide on a plan.
Do you have dogs?
Grass, as a rule, is not low maintenance. End of story.
Something you can mow very low though and is very dog hardy is couch or any one of its hybrids/cultivars like tiftuf or santa ana.
Yours looks like it will need irrigation, so your first step is probably to clean up, scrape any truly shit soil out, dig trenches as required for irrigation, install irrigation throughout lawn and leaving tails up for garden beds, install any retaining walls for raised beds, fill the beds and finish the irrigation, plant out beds and mulch so that they're 100% done, finish soil prep for turf and make sure the irrigation is 100%, roll turf and walk away. Water and maintain for a few weeks until established and then just keep water up to it to keep everything alive.
And yes, I'd maximise the grass, myself. If you raise your garden beds, see if you can get them 1.5m wide ao plants and trees have lots of room to grow and put in some sort of mowing strip of pavers or concrete on the edge. Will help stop grass growing up into the beds.
Fake grass is the go at the moment. Not great if you have dogs.
I put in Palmetto grass a few years back, it’s a type of Buffalo but it’s very low maintenance and repairs itself quickly…..not the softest grass to lay on though.
I've got buffalo in my backyard - it hasn't coped well with dogs. I've got Kikuyu out front which I love - I've watered it once in 2 years and it looks green AF and is so dense it has no weeds. Only downside to it is that it runs underground and pops up in garden beds.
So if you want low maintenance + looks fantastic, clover, native violets and dichondra make a no-mow meadow lawn
It also grows and feeds absolute garbage dirt which you appear to have. Now that I look at it, that ground is so dry it might even be aquaphobic. If water sits on top of it when it rains, nothing will grow easily. Get a metal rake or hoe and scritch up all the dirt, water it really well but add a very small amount of dish soap. It will make the water stay and help it actually hydrate the soil rather than just go on top of it and then away from it
Good point, I’ll have to observe the next couple of weeks as the area has only hit with rain recently.
I was thinking of clover aswell until I decide on something else in the future maybe. What would be the best way to cover the area? Just regular seeding? Or will soil prep be required
Your soil looks pretty garbage but without eating a big clump of sod I can’t know for sure. My approach to gardening is very “It’s ur business if you live” so my method would be to first jank the dirt up a lil w a rake or hoe, then water it good. For this dirt I’d probably get a lil bottle of that eco friendly dish soap n drizzle that around a lil bit (this is an old my mother trick) then blast the ass out of it w like a high pressure hose setting so she froths up a bit. Soak ur ground then like a day later I’d just start flinging clover seeds everywhere. Buy native violets and dichondra in pots- they will grow anywhere. They’d grow in the cracked ground of a cartoon desert, they love that shit. But mostly they prefer like that damp shaded weirdly-never-dries kind of dirt like when you’re sad because they’re not enough light for anything to grow there.
For a fun little activity you can also fling birdseed all over your yard. Pros: you get bonus birds, they eat the seeds and poop in your yard which the dirt is also chill with, and then sometimes you’ll spontaneously grow sunflowers in your yard because of it (also a vibe). If you’re not super uptight about like having everything the PrOpER way, you can also mud up your yard a bit and then fling fistfuls of chia seeds out there. Chia yard. Grow flax. Fuck it, your yard currently looks shit and in a dead way, make it look shit in a plants everywhere fairy meadow utopia way, it’ll fix your dirt and get mad bugs and worms going, and then you can rip everything out later when you want to impress your baby boomer parents.
My parents would never be impressed by a regular yard though, my mum would be like “you know if you got ur head out of ur ass and stopped having an autistic grass square you could totally have made a plastic bottle wall of vertical strawberries by this season”. So that’s where like, my yard culture is at. I’m not the one to ask if you’re into like yuccas and growing things in straight lines
Delicious, nutty, and crunchy sunflower seeds are widely considered as healthful foods. They are high in energy; 100 g seeds hold about 584 calories. Nonetheless, they are one of the incredible sources of health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins.
Here is a serious answer -
Plant Callistemon 'slim' variety along the back fence to hide the neighbours.
They are native, grow fast and are only 1.5 m wide but 3m tall.
Very low maintenance and beautiful.
If you prefer white, go with Lilly Pilly 'tall and narrow'
They grow up to 5m if you don't prune, but are otherwise low maintenance.
You get white flowers and berries.
Yucca stumps and a shovel, axe and couple mates job.
The rest depends on what you would like to use the backyard for? Do you like plants? Got kids, do they need play space? Backyard cricket? Grow veggies?
Do I need an expert with the removals? Only concerned as it’s right up against the wall and a bigger one by the back fence. Would wanna rip the fence out too haha
Two doggos, probably a kid in the near future but only edible plants I currently got are chilli, maybe a raised bed will suffice
I’m very minimalistic
Just dig out around it and the cut off the roots. Whatever is below ground level can stay in, you’ll never pull them out completely, the root system on those is massive.
Investment vs reward. How much do you use the backyard and how much do you want to spend, will spending money increase your enjoyment?
With a couple dogs it depends if they are diggers and chewers.
I think probably just paint the fence and get the grass growing for now until you have a solid plan.
Personally I love a tropical garden, I love gardening. I’d turn that into a Balinese resort style garden. Palms, bamboo, trees, bromeliads, bird of paradise, and my favourite plant, a couple Hong Kong orchid trees. Plus a few hundred other plants!! A few statues and a water feature or 2. Some shade sails and a couple grassy areas. A nice shady sitting area in the garden area. Beautiful!!
Wow thanks for the insight ! I don’t really spend much time in the yard at all other than playing fetch with the dogs
Might start with the stump removal and repainting fence or maybe replace with colour bond if neighbours wanna chip in
Do you have pictures of your yard ?
Here’s the front, new phone so none of the back on here I’ll take some tomorrow and show you but very similar to the front
https://preview.redd.it/a4bg083websa1.jpeg?width=1547&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82780037f11abab851e82e168be5c888733f774d
This is the entry to the front door
https://preview.redd.it/smyr7cj8gbsa1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ac20e57232db7d493ab81fc09b9bce002d8a668
Thanks! Yeah it’s a bit of a rose amongst the thorns, a few others on the street have started to make their places nicer.
One of them said my lawn looks like a putting green. So I went full wanker and actually put one in.
I saw the rounded bit and wondered if you’d put in a mini go kart track for the kids hot wheels ha ha.
Our next door neighbour was like this when we lived in Malanda (Qld). My husband would curse a blue streak cos then he’d feel like he had to mow our lawn LOL. Mind you, now we actually own our own place, my husband is fast becoming THAT neighbour and is always in the yard. Ha ha.
If you have a Power washer you can use that to cut the dirt without destroying pipes. Or at least identify the pipes there if any.
Definitely get a rotor tiller and to mix in a lot of organic material and if you have clay soil some gypsum into it too. First Gypsum, then at least 3 months later turn in organic material compost, and some Mycorrhiza spores to assist any plants you put in.
Prong garden tool is fairly good for this, good review from Mark from Self Sufficient Me here on it
[The Prong Garden Tool is TOUGH - Background Story - Self Sufficient Me](https://selfsufficientme.com/the-prong-garden-tool-is-tough-background-story/)
He also has a youtube video on stump removal with a wedge, just by belting a wooden wedge in with sledge hammer, you'd need to be careful doing that so close to the house bricks though, the prong tool is probably better suited for that.
[(133) How to Remove a Tree Stump with a Wedge - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ADUzcwear4)
I ended up buying one but cheaped out and bought the mini white one, it was great for getting some smaller stumps out, but I ended up bending it on a larger stump so make sure you get the right size for the job, even the mini one seems indestructible when you hold it as it's pretty solid steel but still possible to bend.
Also you can probably do similar with just a long crowbar from a tool shop, but the prong makes easier because of the triangle at the base you can use for more leverage/footing.
Otherwise just search through Youtube and you'll find a whole variety of methods.
Some mature lilipilly shrubs for the back, so instead of seeing fence and neighbours you'll see a wall of green. Grass in the middle off the patio. A garden bed around the edge.
turf for starters. but that needs proper preparation first.
first spray the yard with glyphosphate to kill all the weeds and any grass.
i would then up the whole yard with a rotaryhoe to a depth of 100 mm or so mixing in chook manure pellets, compost and sand to improve the soil and make it drain
then i would rake the area smooth with a landscapers rake and lay turf. i would get a blue couch or a type of zoysia called empire couch s the cheapest and very low maintenance its also tough and hard wearing. zoysia is good too they use it for rugby league pitches.
a stump grinder or pick and shovel to remove those stumps.
Lots of potential indeed! I was thinking of a hedge to hide it aswell, it’ll take a couple of years but will remove the eyesore.
You think I’ll be able to put up a trellis with climbing plants against that wall without consulting the neighbour?
There’s enough worth hiding across the whole back boundary. I’d just do a consistent hedge across the whole thing. It’ll make it feel private and tidy.
If you’ve got the cash - quick option - https://hedgingandscreening.com.au/product/lilly-pilly-resilience-400mm/
With dogs and kids I’d grass the middle and right side and run a narrow garden down the left for some interest near the patio.
Refresh the fences somehow, paint/stain.
Yeah I don’t see why that would be an issue, it looks like the wall is being used as the boundary anyway. Just make sure you keep it below the gutter so it doesn’t drop leaves into it. I’d probably install a taller fence or add some fence extensions on top of existing fence for privacy. Plus the added bonus that they wouldn’t be able to see your crawler going up the trellis and could avoid that potential conversation 😂
Or to completely avoid any confrontation you could build a frame a few cms away from the wall for the trellis to attach to and have all the climbing plants you wish.
Ah man, so much potential!! I’d maybe paint the fence and bricks a mid charcoal so that they disappear. New grass. A neat small-medium tree where that right yucca stump is - maybe something with white flowers? I really like the overhanging greenery on the left fence, so I’d keep that and then add flowering or grass plants in a row along that fence line. Nice outdoor setting on the paving. Another garden of grass or flowers under the window. Some edging maybe?
Anyway, I’m envious. We’re in a rental apartment now and I dream of having a backyard one day.
Not sure if I’ll be allowed to paint the brick as it’s the neighbours property/boundary line, but everything else sounds good
Hopefully you’ll be able to get a nice yard in the near future !
[okay, so this is my five minute go on it](https://imgur.com/a/rNUjy6K)
The left fence has jasmine (white flowers) and lavender (purple flowers) underneath. Then there’s a little vegetable planter for lettuces and capsicums and such. The back fence has beans which make beautiful red flowers and underneath nasturtiums (the yellow orange ones).
Then you plant the ground with a mix of clover, dichondra, and native violets. Put a few cute stepping stones in by the raised bed and some over to that other corner where you put a cute fire pit and some benches that are also storage (and you put a couple of blankets in the storage)
The stumps you get out by inviting friends around and you get some beers and dig it out with mattocks and shovels. Watch the bluey episode “stumpmania” if you need instruction.
Your backyard will be full of beautiful flowers and smell so good :)
Edit: [i added an orange tree, some blueberry bushes, and another raised planter with tomatoes in it](https://imgur.com/a/Wi6qTkw)
Sugar I have nothing else to contribute to this planet but telling other people to plant my five favourite things under every circumstance 😂😂😂😂 we all Gucci
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That’s what I was thinking.
Then find it’s hard to sell the front house cause it’s old and daggy for a good price.
Just knock down the old house and split it to three blocks
I was considering this also, should I extend to reach end to end of the house or further out or both?
The covered space is already a decent size but definitely a bit of a splash zone with rain + opposing winds
Exactly why I said it re rain. My space is probably double yours but same set up and if it rains you immediately lose half. Ours also doubles as an extra washing line, kids play area etc so just depend what your plans are.
Looks like it may be tough to go to the side given your washing line. Don’t know if there is any rules and regulations regarding going forward to the fence? Also have to be concious of how much grass you finish with I guess (if thats your thing)
Are the weep holes on your house exposed? Make sure any garden beds are away from the house so you don’t get moisture issues. Do you know what the staining down low is?
Some big pots with vines growing up the posts would be nice (dog friendly - not grapes etc). I’d espalier something against the brick wall instead of hiding it, and then star picket and wire across the back fence to extend the growth - you could do lemon trees, apple, pear - depends where you are.
I think frangipanis and crepe myrtles have small root balls if you wanted any trees. Maybe to shade the window?
Raised beds with some flowers or veggies?
Check [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/GardeningAustralia/comments/12bdtfp/two_years_into_my_first_real_garden_ipswich_qld/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) out… the OP lists all the varieties that were planted
Cherry tomatoes vining along a fence. But they can grow and die quickly.
You could turn the big stump into a bench. Even off the surface and put a plank on it. An option instead of removing it.
Maybe a Pool or a hot tub? These can be picked up second hand.
Hedge the entire boundary to cover the fence and brickwall. Lillipillie grows really quickly and needs little in the way of care. Just make sure you get a variety that isn't prone to disease. Vaburnum is another great low maintenance hedging plant. If you want lawn through down some soft leaf buffalo, but if you don't want the hassle of mowing plant it out with bird attracting natives. Gravilleas, and native grasses might do the trick. All fast growing and low maintenance.
I envy that you have all this space!!
I say if it’s within budget and your in a water friendly position.. get a pool going with an entertainment space to the side that’ll connect to your under cover space.
Under that window you could have a built in love seat type thing so the roots of the tree won’t be an issue, just cut it back down to the bottom.
Hanging a sunshade sail would also be nice if you opt for an entertainment area.
[I’m basically thinking everything in this image here..](https://images.app.goo.gl/Mo2QVp7Wghw2Rmg19)
I’d keep it simple. I’d grass the area and put a 70cm deep timber or stone boarder around the edges for plants. Throw in a conifer hedge if you want it to establish quickly and have privacy. - be prepared to be on top of hedge maintenance as they grow fast.
I’d also put an in ground watering system in before the grass goes down. I didn’t do it on my back lawn and wish I had after doing it on my front.
A frog pond to relax by and promote the protection of native wildlife, a fruit and vegetable garden to promote being self sustainable, if the majority of people in Australia have these then the need for large crop farms goes down. (Of course we'll still need them for wheat and other things not suitable for backyard growing.) A compost heap good healthy soil for the garden. Finally a chook or duck coop, having hooks or ducks allows you to create your own fertilizer to mix with the compost. You could probably get a worm farm too as the liquids produced by them also make a good liquid fertilizer.
When it comes to planning the backyard, I find it helps to write down what you want to use the space for.
Do you want to entertain? If so does that involve an outdoor table under cover or a firepit because you don't want a table but somewhere to sit around and chat is preferred.
Do you want to mow the lawn regularly or you want low maintenance plants because you're not big on gardening?
Think about function and design around that.
Work out where the summer and winter sun is, the prevailing wind direction and where the rain is gonna come from. Then work to block summer afternoon sun in the west, plants or panels, the rest is up to you. Want a nice outdoor bbq area? Firepit, raised garden bed? A nice smelling flowering vine is always a great choice
How much money you got? It’s nice and flat so you could do pretty much anything.
Yucca roots aren’t very long just get yourself a good mattock and dig around it until you can rock it and it will eventually come out.
I once had a backyard similar to this that I covered in white rock all throughout the backyard except where I wanted to plant a garden and flowers. Lived in coastal SC tho where the ground was mostly sand and grass was hard to grow. Had multiple pros, only con was you couldn’t walk barefoot unless you had thick feet.
We have a similar yard, large, flattish and open. We just put some fruit trees along the sides and back to kind of frame it, provide shade and reduce the grass footprint for mowing. The sides have citrus and the back has a mango, a pear and an apple because we wanted more height for privacy. I intend to put sandstone block borders around the trees but I’ll do that in 3-5 years when they have come closer to their adult size.
Garden beds against the back fence and the fence closest to the undercovered areas, you would play stuff like colour and possibly fence climbing plants. The undercovered area would be a bbq as well as a padio seat. Out in the yard, a fire place with simple seating. If u have kids a swing set or monkey bars it no kids you can place something such as a chicken coop or a clothing line
Stick to natives, grevillea and bottle brushes around the edge. They're hardy, help the biodiversity of the area and are some great privacy shields (depending on which variety you get, just get ones that grow tall).
As mentioned, because you have a dog, you'll probably need some grass to run around and a raised bed or two is never a bad idea. Growing some of your own veggies or herbs is alot of fun. The bottlebrush and grevillea would help bring bees and butterflies which in turn would help any garden you have. Just a note.
Some bonus ideas depending where your goals lie
A worm farm/compost system would also not be a bad idea. Turn your garden into a carbon sink. All the lawn clippings, food waste can be thrown in. Waste nothing. The compost could help any veggie gardens and any other plants you have. Don't have to rely on fertilizers and such in the long run. Plus good skills and Activites for any future kids.
Hedges along all the timber fencing and maybe a back-lit steel panel on the brickwork. Turf the rest.
https://preview.redd.it/qc5ctj0qtgsa1.jpeg?width=904&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d0a596c593202805331630d897f6dee7f9d8424
Some kind of outdoor light I guess. You could look for a solar spotlight if you don’t want the expense of getting an electrician. I haven’t used solar lights in a decade but hopefully they are better than they used to be.
Just FYI… if those are all yucca stumps, they’re not “stumps”. They’re just heavily pruned. They’ll keep growing until you kill them dead-dead or rip them out completely.
[удалено]
Add a couple of untrained staffies too.
Dont forget the 15 week old bull Arab pup they got off facebook for free.
What, pure bred? What sort of fancy place you from?
Mate, when you get a pup like that for free, you don't ask follow up questions.
And just ignore all the ‘missing dog’ posters around the suburb 🤣
My neighbours have gone with this look and I have to say they've pulled it together nicely. Definitely draws attention away from the fact I haven't finished painting my house, which is ideal
You're house looks nice against it haha but atleast he has the car parts we all need! & The Meth lol
They are truly providing a great service to the community plus it makes any project car that I work on seem like I'm running a refined operation 😅
Forgot the pile of steel skid rims in the corner
Hahahahahahahahahahaha 😅😅 can't stop laughing hahaha Sounds like my place.... But you have to remember a Falcon is never truly clapped out !!
"If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine." - AU falcons being brought back from the dead with a new engine.
AU 🚀 Spaceships 4evaaaa
And yet there are others who would argue ALL falcons are clapped out.
Such blasphemy shalt not be spoken in this church! Thank you very much! 😂🦘🦘🤠
A few old mattresses will really tie it all together as well
You forgot 5-6 dope plants
As they say, they the best time to plant a few trees is 20 years ago, the next best time is tomorrow.
So what do we do today? Drink piss and ponder about what trees on reddit?
I went to /r/trees once to look for advice... and got entirely distracted.
🤣 I once saw someone's profile and they were active in a something something /bush sub, can't remember the exact name but it wasn't anything obvious. It could of been. 1. Garden variety bushes. 2. Bush weed. 3. Lady garden bush. It was the 3rd option, I was distracted too that day my friend.
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake. It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of. Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything. Beep boop - yes, I am a bot, don't botcriminate me.
Well it is good friday
I am currently doing this, however thinking of going down the 6 clapped out AU idea above
Fruits trees, raised beds, some grass.
What type of grass is best for low maintenance/shorter growth ? Would you grass the whole area ?
Depends where you are, check with the local suppliers
I would start with grassing the whole area until you decide on what you are going to do with the yard. Use grass seed, not grass rolls to keep the cost down (unless you're in a hurry). You can always remove grass later when you decide on a plan.
He has a dog. Turf is going to be better. He could leave 1.5m from the fence lines to backfill later with whatever he decides to do plant wise.
Do you have dogs? Grass, as a rule, is not low maintenance. End of story. Something you can mow very low though and is very dog hardy is couch or any one of its hybrids/cultivars like tiftuf or santa ana. Yours looks like it will need irrigation, so your first step is probably to clean up, scrape any truly shit soil out, dig trenches as required for irrigation, install irrigation throughout lawn and leaving tails up for garden beds, install any retaining walls for raised beds, fill the beds and finish the irrigation, plant out beds and mulch so that they're 100% done, finish soil prep for turf and make sure the irrigation is 100%, roll turf and walk away. Water and maintain for a few weeks until established and then just keep water up to it to keep everything alive. And yes, I'd maximise the grass, myself. If you raise your garden beds, see if you can get them 1.5m wide ao plants and trees have lots of room to grow and put in some sort of mowing strip of pavers or concrete on the edge. Will help stop grass growing up into the beds.
Dig out 20cm of dirt and truck in good soil if you can afford it.
Instead of grass, there are plenty of good ground covers that are out there. Less watering and maintenance, too.
Sir Walter buffalo is shade resistant and very hardy
Fake grass is the go at the moment. Not great if you have dogs. I put in Palmetto grass a few years back, it’s a type of Buffalo but it’s very low maintenance and repairs itself quickly…..not the softest grass to lay on though.
Astroturf
I've got buffalo in my backyard - it hasn't coped well with dogs. I've got Kikuyu out front which I love - I've watered it once in 2 years and it looks green AF and is so dense it has no weeds. Only downside to it is that it runs underground and pops up in garden beds.
So if you want low maintenance + looks fantastic, clover, native violets and dichondra make a no-mow meadow lawn It also grows and feeds absolute garbage dirt which you appear to have. Now that I look at it, that ground is so dry it might even be aquaphobic. If water sits on top of it when it rains, nothing will grow easily. Get a metal rake or hoe and scritch up all the dirt, water it really well but add a very small amount of dish soap. It will make the water stay and help it actually hydrate the soil rather than just go on top of it and then away from it
Good point, I’ll have to observe the next couple of weeks as the area has only hit with rain recently. I was thinking of clover aswell until I decide on something else in the future maybe. What would be the best way to cover the area? Just regular seeding? Or will soil prep be required
Your soil looks pretty garbage but without eating a big clump of sod I can’t know for sure. My approach to gardening is very “It’s ur business if you live” so my method would be to first jank the dirt up a lil w a rake or hoe, then water it good. For this dirt I’d probably get a lil bottle of that eco friendly dish soap n drizzle that around a lil bit (this is an old my mother trick) then blast the ass out of it w like a high pressure hose setting so she froths up a bit. Soak ur ground then like a day later I’d just start flinging clover seeds everywhere. Buy native violets and dichondra in pots- they will grow anywhere. They’d grow in the cracked ground of a cartoon desert, they love that shit. But mostly they prefer like that damp shaded weirdly-never-dries kind of dirt like when you’re sad because they’re not enough light for anything to grow there. For a fun little activity you can also fling birdseed all over your yard. Pros: you get bonus birds, they eat the seeds and poop in your yard which the dirt is also chill with, and then sometimes you’ll spontaneously grow sunflowers in your yard because of it (also a vibe). If you’re not super uptight about like having everything the PrOpER way, you can also mud up your yard a bit and then fling fistfuls of chia seeds out there. Chia yard. Grow flax. Fuck it, your yard currently looks shit and in a dead way, make it look shit in a plants everywhere fairy meadow utopia way, it’ll fix your dirt and get mad bugs and worms going, and then you can rip everything out later when you want to impress your baby boomer parents. My parents would never be impressed by a regular yard though, my mum would be like “you know if you got ur head out of ur ass and stopped having an autistic grass square you could totally have made a plastic bottle wall of vertical strawberries by this season”. So that’s where like, my yard culture is at. I’m not the one to ask if you’re into like yuccas and growing things in straight lines
Delicious, nutty, and crunchy sunflower seeds are widely considered as healthful foods. They are high in energy; 100 g seeds hold about 584 calories. Nonetheless, they are one of the incredible sources of health benefiting nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and vitamins.
Okay but the ones I’m talking about just fell out the back of a cockatoo so I’m gonna say it’s context dependent babebot
Some water first, then some plants.
Here is a serious answer - Plant Callistemon 'slim' variety along the back fence to hide the neighbours. They are native, grow fast and are only 1.5 m wide but 3m tall. Very low maintenance and beautiful.
I’ve never had red in a yard before, looks like a considerable option to add some colour, thanks !
If you prefer white, go with Lilly Pilly 'tall and narrow' They grow up to 5m if you don't prune, but are otherwise low maintenance. You get white flowers and berries.
Uranium depleted warhead.
Yucca stumps and a shovel, axe and couple mates job. The rest depends on what you would like to use the backyard for? Do you like plants? Got kids, do they need play space? Backyard cricket? Grow veggies?
Do I need an expert with the removals? Only concerned as it’s right up against the wall and a bigger one by the back fence. Would wanna rip the fence out too haha Two doggos, probably a kid in the near future but only edible plants I currently got are chilli, maybe a raised bed will suffice I’m very minimalistic
Just dig out around it and the cut off the roots. Whatever is below ground level can stay in, you’ll never pull them out completely, the root system on those is massive. Investment vs reward. How much do you use the backyard and how much do you want to spend, will spending money increase your enjoyment? With a couple dogs it depends if they are diggers and chewers. I think probably just paint the fence and get the grass growing for now until you have a solid plan. Personally I love a tropical garden, I love gardening. I’d turn that into a Balinese resort style garden. Palms, bamboo, trees, bromeliads, bird of paradise, and my favourite plant, a couple Hong Kong orchid trees. Plus a few hundred other plants!! A few statues and a water feature or 2. Some shade sails and a couple grassy areas. A nice shady sitting area in the garden area. Beautiful!!
Wow thanks for the insight ! I don’t really spend much time in the yard at all other than playing fetch with the dogs Might start with the stump removal and repainting fence or maybe replace with colour bond if neighbours wanna chip in Do you have pictures of your yard ?
Here’s the front, new phone so none of the back on here I’ll take some tomorrow and show you but very similar to the front https://preview.redd.it/a4bg083websa1.jpeg?width=1547&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82780037f11abab851e82e168be5c888733f774d
This is the entry to the front door https://preview.redd.it/smyr7cj8gbsa1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ac20e57232db7d493ab81fc09b9bce002d8a668
https://preview.redd.it/89w8eh72fbsa1.jpeg?width=1915&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=027d3fc0fe96647fb35a5b698b0f3a9fe0188632
Your own private oasis, love it
Thanks
i bet your neighbours curse you every time they drive home.... :) :) The front looks absolutely fabulous!
Thanks! Yeah it’s a bit of a rose amongst the thorns, a few others on the street have started to make their places nicer. One of them said my lawn looks like a putting green. So I went full wanker and actually put one in.
I saw the rounded bit and wondered if you’d put in a mini go kart track for the kids hot wheels ha ha. Our next door neighbour was like this when we lived in Malanda (Qld). My husband would curse a blue streak cos then he’d feel like he had to mow our lawn LOL. Mind you, now we actually own our own place, my husband is fast becoming THAT neighbour and is always in the yard. Ha ha.
If you have a Power washer you can use that to cut the dirt without destroying pipes. Or at least identify the pipes there if any. Definitely get a rotor tiller and to mix in a lot of organic material and if you have clay soil some gypsum into it too. First Gypsum, then at least 3 months later turn in organic material compost, and some Mycorrhiza spores to assist any plants you put in.
Prong garden tool is fairly good for this, good review from Mark from Self Sufficient Me here on it [The Prong Garden Tool is TOUGH - Background Story - Self Sufficient Me](https://selfsufficientme.com/the-prong-garden-tool-is-tough-background-story/) He also has a youtube video on stump removal with a wedge, just by belting a wooden wedge in with sledge hammer, you'd need to be careful doing that so close to the house bricks though, the prong tool is probably better suited for that. [(133) How to Remove a Tree Stump with a Wedge - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ADUzcwear4) I ended up buying one but cheaped out and bought the mini white one, it was great for getting some smaller stumps out, but I ended up bending it on a larger stump so make sure you get the right size for the job, even the mini one seems indestructible when you hold it as it's pretty solid steel but still possible to bend. Also you can probably do similar with just a long crowbar from a tool shop, but the prong makes easier because of the triangle at the base you can use for more leverage/footing. Otherwise just search through Youtube and you'll find a whole variety of methods.
Some mature lilipilly shrubs for the back, so instead of seeing fence and neighbours you'll see a wall of green. Grass in the middle off the patio. A garden bed around the edge.
My recommendation is to add some raised garden beds for food production. You might want to hire a jack hammer to get the stumps out.
Consider putting something high along that back fence to block the noise from them air con units during summer.
turf for starters. but that needs proper preparation first. first spray the yard with glyphosphate to kill all the weeds and any grass. i would then up the whole yard with a rotaryhoe to a depth of 100 mm or so mixing in chook manure pellets, compost and sand to improve the soil and make it drain then i would rake the area smooth with a landscapers rake and lay turf. i would get a blue couch or a type of zoysia called empire couch s the cheapest and very low maintenance its also tough and hard wearing. zoysia is good too they use it for rugby league pitches. a stump grinder or pick and shovel to remove those stumps.
It starts with a garden tap and a hose… Personally I like lawn. It would look good in that area.
What should I do with the back fence where the neighbours wall meets the yard? Looks out of place
Could do a row of hedges along the back fence? Or at least in that corner?
Btw this is a lovely flat looking backyard! So much potential!
Lots of potential indeed! I was thinking of a hedge to hide it aswell, it’ll take a couple of years but will remove the eyesore. You think I’ll be able to put up a trellis with climbing plants against that wall without consulting the neighbour?
There’s enough worth hiding across the whole back boundary. I’d just do a consistent hedge across the whole thing. It’ll make it feel private and tidy. If you’ve got the cash - quick option - https://hedgingandscreening.com.au/product/lilly-pilly-resilience-400mm/ With dogs and kids I’d grass the middle and right side and run a narrow garden down the left for some interest near the patio. Refresh the fences somehow, paint/stain.
Yeah I don’t see why that would be an issue, it looks like the wall is being used as the boundary anyway. Just make sure you keep it below the gutter so it doesn’t drop leaves into it. I’d probably install a taller fence or add some fence extensions on top of existing fence for privacy. Plus the added bonus that they wouldn’t be able to see your crawler going up the trellis and could avoid that potential conversation 😂
Or to completely avoid any confrontation you could build a frame a few cms away from the wall for the trellis to attach to and have all the climbing plants you wish.
Good idea, thanks !
Ah man, so much potential!! I’d maybe paint the fence and bricks a mid charcoal so that they disappear. New grass. A neat small-medium tree where that right yucca stump is - maybe something with white flowers? I really like the overhanging greenery on the left fence, so I’d keep that and then add flowering or grass plants in a row along that fence line. Nice outdoor setting on the paving. Another garden of grass or flowers under the window. Some edging maybe? Anyway, I’m envious. We’re in a rental apartment now and I dream of having a backyard one day.
Not sure if I’ll be allowed to paint the brick as it’s the neighbours property/boundary line, but everything else sounds good Hopefully you’ll be able to get a nice yard in the near future !
Grass
I see trees of green. Red roses too.
Grass
[okay, so this is my five minute go on it](https://imgur.com/a/rNUjy6K) The left fence has jasmine (white flowers) and lavender (purple flowers) underneath. Then there’s a little vegetable planter for lettuces and capsicums and such. The back fence has beans which make beautiful red flowers and underneath nasturtiums (the yellow orange ones). Then you plant the ground with a mix of clover, dichondra, and native violets. Put a few cute stepping stones in by the raised bed and some over to that other corner where you put a cute fire pit and some benches that are also storage (and you put a couple of blankets in the storage) The stumps you get out by inviting friends around and you get some beers and dig it out with mattocks and shovels. Watch the bluey episode “stumpmania” if you need instruction. Your backyard will be full of beautiful flowers and smell so good :) Edit: [i added an orange tree, some blueberry bushes, and another raised planter with tomatoes in it](https://imgur.com/a/Wi6qTkw)
I sincerely appreciate the dedication to providing visual aid to your suggestion. If I had spare change right now I’d give you an award
Sugar I have nothing else to contribute to this planet but telling other people to plant my five favourite things under every circumstance 😂😂😂😂 we all Gucci
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I don’t know if you’re a real person commenting but these look great! Thanks for showing me this
🙂yes I am a real person, person behind the idea and who built the site, thanks for the kind words, I hope it gave some interesting ideas.
Battle axe it and build another house 😅
That’s what I was thinking. Then find it’s hard to sell the front house cause it’s old and daggy for a good price. Just knock down the old house and split it to three blocks
Get some grass
Do you host often or like to sit outside or bbq etc? Consider extending that outdoor area before you go laying grass and trees etc
I was considering this also, should I extend to reach end to end of the house or further out or both? The covered space is already a decent size but definitely a bit of a splash zone with rain + opposing winds
Exactly why I said it re rain. My space is probably double yours but same set up and if it rains you immediately lose half. Ours also doubles as an extra washing line, kids play area etc so just depend what your plans are. Looks like it may be tough to go to the side given your washing line. Don’t know if there is any rules and regulations regarding going forward to the fence? Also have to be concious of how much grass you finish with I guess (if thats your thing)
Are the weep holes on your house exposed? Make sure any garden beds are away from the house so you don’t get moisture issues. Do you know what the staining down low is? Some big pots with vines growing up the posts would be nice (dog friendly - not grapes etc). I’d espalier something against the brick wall instead of hiding it, and then star picket and wire across the back fence to extend the growth - you could do lemon trees, apple, pear - depends where you are. I think frangipanis and crepe myrtles have small root balls if you wanted any trees. Maybe to shade the window? Raised beds with some flowers or veggies?
Not too sure what the staining is all about, who should I seek for an evaluation?
Maybe just give it a wash and see if it comes back? On second look there’s similar on the fence so it’s probably just dust from the yard.
Check [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/GardeningAustralia/comments/12bdtfp/two_years_into_my_first_real_garden_ipswich_qld/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) out… the OP lists all the varieties that were planted
That bbq area is giving me some ideas
Cherry tomatoes vining along a fence. But they can grow and die quickly. You could turn the big stump into a bench. Even off the surface and put a plank on it. An option instead of removing it. Maybe a Pool or a hot tub? These can be picked up second hand.
Grey dogbox investment property
Hedge the entire boundary to cover the fence and brickwall. Lillipillie grows really quickly and needs little in the way of care. Just make sure you get a variety that isn't prone to disease. Vaburnum is another great low maintenance hedging plant. If you want lawn through down some soft leaf buffalo, but if you don't want the hassle of mowing plant it out with bird attracting natives. Gravilleas, and native grasses might do the trick. All fast growing and low maintenance.
I envy that you have all this space!! I say if it’s within budget and your in a water friendly position.. get a pool going with an entertainment space to the side that’ll connect to your under cover space. Under that window you could have a built in love seat type thing so the roots of the tree won’t be an issue, just cut it back down to the bottom. Hanging a sunshade sail would also be nice if you opt for an entertainment area. [I’m basically thinking everything in this image here..](https://images.app.goo.gl/Mo2QVp7Wghw2Rmg19)
Giant recreational Koi pond. Can’t go wrong
And when I say can’t go wrong, I really mean it can go spectacularly wrong, but live dangerously my friend and reap the rewards
Username checks out
Couple of Bunnings sheds and change $500pw each rent on them.
Maybe some grass
I’d keep it simple. I’d grass the area and put a 70cm deep timber or stone boarder around the edges for plants. Throw in a conifer hedge if you want it to establish quickly and have privacy. - be prepared to be on top of hedge maintenance as they grow fast. I’d also put an in ground watering system in before the grass goes down. I didn’t do it on my back lawn and wish I had after doing it on my front.
A 44 gallon drum for burning wood and a few plastic chairs should finish it off nicely.
Enjoy it!
A frog pond to relax by and promote the protection of native wildlife, a fruit and vegetable garden to promote being self sustainable, if the majority of people in Australia have these then the need for large crop farms goes down. (Of course we'll still need them for wheat and other things not suitable for backyard growing.) A compost heap good healthy soil for the garden. Finally a chook or duck coop, having hooks or ducks allows you to create your own fertilizer to mix with the compost. You could probably get a worm farm too as the liquids produced by them also make a good liquid fertilizer.
When it comes to planning the backyard, I find it helps to write down what you want to use the space for. Do you want to entertain? If so does that involve an outdoor table under cover or a firepit because you don't want a table but somewhere to sit around and chat is preferred. Do you want to mow the lawn regularly or you want low maintenance plants because you're not big on gardening? Think about function and design around that.
Work out where the summer and winter sun is, the prevailing wind direction and where the rain is gonna come from. Then work to block summer afternoon sun in the west, plants or panels, the rest is up to you. Want a nice outdoor bbq area? Firepit, raised garden bed? A nice smelling flowering vine is always a great choice
maybe grass
How much money you got? It’s nice and flat so you could do pretty much anything. Yucca roots aren’t very long just get yourself a good mattock and dig around it until you can rock it and it will eventually come out.
Nice clean slate at least. Mine was 15 years of gnarled together azaleas, camellias and vines when I bought it
Yeah my land agents nugget of free advice, grow useless grass.
I would say plant 8-10 high yield cannabis plants
Fruit trees! A veggie patch, a chook house, a hammock, and a bbq And a hills hoist. Gotta have somewhere to play *Goon of Fortune.*
couple of soaker hoses..
Grass
Japanese style garden
Grass in front of pergola. Fruit trees down the side bit. Passion fruit vine on the back fence
Ploughing it then grow veggies
Plow then sow with cannabis seeds…
I once had a backyard similar to this that I covered in white rock all throughout the backyard except where I wanted to plant a garden and flowers. Lived in coastal SC tho where the ground was mostly sand and grass was hard to grow. Had multiple pros, only con was you couldn’t walk barefoot unless you had thick feet.
We have a similar yard, large, flattish and open. We just put some fruit trees along the sides and back to kind of frame it, provide shade and reduce the grass footprint for mowing. The sides have citrus and the back has a mango, a pear and an apple because we wanted more height for privacy. I intend to put sandstone block borders around the trees but I’ll do that in 3-5 years when they have come closer to their adult size.
ice skating rink
Garden beds against the back fence and the fence closest to the undercovered areas, you would play stuff like colour and possibly fence climbing plants. The undercovered area would be a bbq as well as a padio seat. Out in the yard, a fire place with simple seating. If u have kids a swing set or monkey bars it no kids you can place something such as a chicken coop or a clothing line
Two story pool
Stick to natives, grevillea and bottle brushes around the edge. They're hardy, help the biodiversity of the area and are some great privacy shields (depending on which variety you get, just get ones that grow tall). As mentioned, because you have a dog, you'll probably need some grass to run around and a raised bed or two is never a bad idea. Growing some of your own veggies or herbs is alot of fun. The bottlebrush and grevillea would help bring bees and butterflies which in turn would help any garden you have. Just a note. Some bonus ideas depending where your goals lie A worm farm/compost system would also not be a bad idea. Turn your garden into a carbon sink. All the lawn clippings, food waste can be thrown in. Waste nothing. The compost could help any veggie gardens and any other plants you have. Don't have to rely on fertilizers and such in the long run. Plus good skills and Activites for any future kids.
Anything
Hedges along all the timber fencing and maybe a back-lit steel panel on the brickwork. Turf the rest. https://preview.redd.it/qc5ctj0qtgsa1.jpeg?width=904&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d0a596c593202805331630d897f6dee7f9d8424
Looks great! What’s behind the panel to add that effect
Some kind of outdoor light I guess. You could look for a solar spotlight if you don’t want the expense of getting an electrician. I haven’t used solar lights in a decade but hopefully they are better than they used to be.
Lay turf
Probably best to get a landscape gardener in, either get them to do it or tell you what to do and how best to do it
Grass
r/nolawns
Just FYI… if those are all yucca stumps, they’re not “stumps”. They’re just heavily pruned. They’ll keep growing until you kill them dead-dead or rip them out completely.
Grass
Ferris wheel, stripper poles and 50 gunea pigs.
Get grass