You know. You know how one thing seems to lead to another? And what started out as a tiny idea, just an idea – not a plan – leads to something quite unexpected?
Well, that’s just how our spring yard clean-up led to a big spring refresh!
Here is a recap of what we did, how long it took and roughly what it cost.
Tree Trimming
I know the photo of Jorge way up the mesquite makes it look like a tree trimming was way overdue. But in fact, it was not. It has not even been a year since we last had it trimmed.
Knocking back these big trees with small roots is really important because a monsoon storm will do the trick for you if you’re not on top of it first. That’s when real damage occurs.
And more branches removed means more pods removed, which means fewer pods I have to pick up from the ground.
And fewer ground squirrels eating them up while relaxing on my patio cushions. I am in no way kidding.
Admittedly, the tree looks a little raggedy right now, but I know it will fill in quickly.
Turf Replacement
Ugh! If you have turf or if you are considering it, grab a cup o’ joe and let’s talk for a minute.
Supposedly, turf is eco-friendly because it doesn’t take water, fertilizer or maintenance.
Well, it’s basically plastic, off-putting chemicals into the air when it gets hot.
And it goes right in a landfill when it’s removed.
So let’s immediately get over the fact that I’m not claiming to be an environmentalist.
For many years, we tried to keep natural grass in the yard. The winter rye grass looked great. The summer Bermuda never filled in and looked awful.
That was when we decided to cut the irrigation to the area and install artificial turf.
Our old turf was between 8-10 years old. We don’t have dogs or kids using it daily, but it was shedding badly and we were constantly tracking it into the house.
All in all, we are happy with the green space in our backyard, and when the old turf had lived its best life, we decided it was time to replace it.
The new turf has longer grass blades and is mixed with yellow and brown to look more natural and less eye-popping green.
The removal and installation took about 8 hours total. The cost including material, labor and tax came to about $7K.
Is it worth it? I want to say that is a lot of mula. But, when you consider a cup of plain coffee costs five bucks, what do I know anymore, right?
I think we have a guarantee of ten years (I could be off on that) which means it will probably outlast our time in this house. Maybe.
The look? Outstanding!
For those of you who are local and curious, we used Nature’s Best Landscaping – Jeff Martin. They installed our new sidewalk and several other projects. We have been happy with them and would recommend.
Seasonal Cleanup
We don’t have monthly maintenance like many people do in our community. I prefer the plants to look more natural and we trim them up ourselves in between large cleanups.
Once or twice a year, though, I like the plants cut way back and the bottoms cleaned out to prevent hiding places for rattlers.
As in snakes. Snakes are all fine in the desert, but um, not in my yard, thank you.
New Irrigation
No sexy pictures of new irrigation (I know you want them!), but we had leaks in the front yard and the back yard and darn if that didn’t need replacing.
We have lived in this house 15 years and this is the third time we’ve replaced it.
Many people here are completely removing their irrigation systems, keeping only the plants that can survive naturally and removing the rest.
I’m not quite there yet, but getting close.
Spring Project Timeline
This is what our project timeline looked like this spring:
- Pergola – 3-4 weeks
- Irrigation – 1 day
- Tree trimming, yard cleanup – 1 day
- Turf – 1 day
The Finished Result
No project is complete until the supervisor says it’s complete, right?
By the time the project was complete, we were enjoying perfect patio weather and just in time for the long Memorial Day Weekend.
Our backyard feels like a resort without all the daily maintenance.
Of course, I’ve raved about the pergola enough, but now you can see the total transformation and a peek at why I love my desert yard. For now. Before it hits 110°, of course 😉.
I know some of you have yard projects going on and hope you share pictures soon so we can all get inspired and enjoy different parts of the country together.
May God bless you for a wonderful week ahead!