Water Herding

Once the retaining wall was up and performing it's function of keeping rainfall in my yard, it was time to address the pooling water after a rain.  In the first photo above, you can see the back of the house and all the junk it collects.  In addition to junk, when it rains, the paver patio by the grill would be under water.

This gave me my Second-Big-Idea.  I need a large patio that will channel the water away from the foundation.  Once I started digging, I couldn't stop.  There is something very therapeutic about digging up sod and leveling the ground.   The pavers above channel water from the down spout away from the house.

One Year Anniversary

Just about a year ago today, I embarked on a project that by now, has all the characteristics of an addiction.  What started as a landscaping project has become a patio, river/arroyo, rock garden, bridge and woodworking projects galore.
But addiction-schmadiction.....  it has been fun.


But a year ago, my yard was like all the others in the neighborhood.  We had about thirty feet of scraggledy Bahia grass that was steeply sloped to send all  run-off water to the swale.  The Bahia grass was mostly crunchy from lack of moisture but the weeds in the ditch were lush, green and five feet tall. Since our lawn is not irrigated,  any rain we got went to feed the weeds in the ditch!  That was when  I got my first big-idea.--  "A retaining wall would help me keep the rain that falls on my property."
  

One Hundred and Fifty Feet later, I had a retaining wall with plants and mulch.  When choosing plants, I explored drought tolerant and native varieties. My goal is a living fence.

 This is locally known as a coral tree.   My daughter named it the Dr. Seuss Tree. 

Toffee the cat, patrols the perimeter for lizards.