I would like to reno the rest of the front and eventually the back within a few years and this is my big trial run.

 

Good luck nice little area for your first renovation totally manageable

 

@M32075, when I did it last year, I used a manual sod cutter and put down new topsoil. Never again. I'm going to take my time leveling. When I had the lawn slit seeded, I guess it caused bumps all over, they aren't really bad but I can tell when I mow. So this area is my practice run for the big show.

 

One day post glyphosate. Some areas were hit harder than others.

 

Busy day today. I scalped and raked the flowerbed extension in the backyard. Still more to do with it before I do the same to the side reno.


I cut the front and back today at 4". Thanks to a nice week long layoff at work, I'll be able to possibly mow three times this week. Seems like the front has a lot of fine fescue or PRG dying off. Pictures weren't the best quality due to time of day.






The backyard sod for the most part is pretty thick. I'm thinking about going into mostly KBG in the future.

 

Yesterday was just starting to put mulch into the new flower bed. I had intended to remove the lamp post with a Hackzall I just purchased. I guess I should have read, battery not included. By the time I realized that, the store was closed.

 

Finally removed the lamp post. Only took me 6.5 years to do it.

 

Cut the front at 3.625" before it got too dark.

 

Flower bed extension is almost finished. I ran out of mulch and had to "acquire" some from my parents. I wanted to mow the back but getting a crown at the dentist derailed any motivation I had.

 

I finished the flower bed in the back, mowed the back at 4" then put down 5lb of Cleary's 3336 DG Lite granular fungicide in the front. Lastly, I used my Groundskeeper II rake on the side. Hope to use my dethatcher there in the next few days.

I was hoping to mow 3 times this week, but that did not happen. I only could get it in twice. But I felt in the zone today mowing the back. I was "supposed" to remove the rest of the edging stones in the back, IOT trench edge, but am saving that for a later date.

 

I watered in last nights front yard fungicide application. Afternoon rainfall derailed my plan to dethatch the side of the house. So I spent some time screening topsoil down to 1/4".

 

Flowerbed extension looks great. What do you plan to put in there?

 

@kdn, thank you. I'm hoping it settles a little bit more. I had it about 3.5" thick and would like to see it level with the surrounding bed.

Nothing is going in there this year. My number one idea is to put in coneflowers. After that, maybe a spring bloom such as candytufts and perhaps daylillies. I might see what other types of flowers are good for full sun.

 

Busy day today. I put down the Cleary's fungicide in the backyard (watering in the am). I don't know why, but I walked too fast and out down less than I should have.

Cut the front yard at 3.625", changed out my edger blade too. Finally got around to dethatching the side reno project too. It was my first time using the Greenworks, did a pretty good job.

 

Tamped down the soil from the lamp post removal and did another round of raking and dethatching on the side of the house. I put down a small about of topsoil just so I could pull out my leveling rake. I don't know why, but using it is always a fun time.


Quite a drop in regard to how level I thought it was last year.

 

I cut the backyard today at 3.625", two cuts in the past four days. I'm starting to keep the HOC below 4", so it will be easier to get it low in time for the sprinkler install at the end of the month.

I got off work before I could pick up my topsoil for the front. Maybe tomorrow. The flower bed extension had to be raked to lower it, not enough settling.

I'm starting to identify some areas where the soil has settled, but it doesn't dip too badly. I don't want to overdo myself this year. So it's on the docket.

 

I cut the front yard at 3.625". I can tell a full front yard reno is in the cards next year, I'm starting to get annoyed by the unevenness (2 years post sod install). It is starting to look a little rough, I can't wait for it to green up a little bit. In need of some N.

 

I started topdressing the side of the house. I used a 50/50 blend of topsoil and compost.

 

More leveling and then some rolling today. I might need to get some more compost. My neighbor's driveway is a little uneven, thus making it hard to level along one of the slabs. Spilled some water out of the roller after I was done. 😒

 

I managed to cut the backyard before sundown. HOC 3.625". Didn't have time to edge everything though.

 

Quick cut in the front at 4" today. The side reno got some fallowing in from the rain lately. I would like to put seed down this weekend.

 

Thanks to nearly 2.5" of heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours, I found some uneven spots in the side reno. More compost and sand to re-level and re-roll.

 

Nothing at my house today. I top dressed the side of my parents house. They had some pretty drastic dips, especially along the foundation. I have to roll it in tomorrow.

 

I cut the front and back today at 4". Might mow at 3.625" tomorrow because we had a potential for 3-4 days of rain and I need to get the HOC down for the irrigation install in a few weeks.




The boulevard strip is looking atrocious. I really do not like fine fescue. Some spots are looking so bad right now.

 

I'd say it looks pretty dang good for summer time! Fine fescue just hates the heat and wants to check out so bad. I have some of it in my spring Reno mix and it is struggling for dear life at the moment. It doesn't help that I haven't had any substantial rainfall all summer.