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narrow side yard with little to no sun, options?

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44K views 24 replies 21 participants last post by  GCoco  
#1 ·
Hello TLF!

My side yard is about 4 feet wide to the fence and gets almost no sun. Grass never really grew and it was full of this mossy looking stuff. I had 4 sprinklers over there (why I have no idea) so I decided to cap them. Long story short one broke and flooded the side yard and I had to destroy what was left of the yard to dig up the broken pipe. Now that it is all dug up I am wondering what my best options are for landscaping. I have two gutter downspouts over there and now no sprinklers, but plenty of hookups should I need them.

I am thinking rocks and stepping stones as I doubt much will grow and I'll need to drain the downspout water. What are some
good options?

Thanks!


 
#2 ·
Moss??? Some sort of decorative groundcover plant that tolerates shade?
 
#6 ·
I know you may not want to hear this, but this is going to have to be a landscaped area. I would build a mulch bed and extend all the gutters. When you build it use a few plants like liriope or other plants that don't need much sunlight. Be creative this could be a beautiful area
 
#7 ·
While you have nothing there, I would run those downspouts into a french drain along the fence and have it exit to wherever the slope runs around your house(backyard or through the gate) to a pop up emitter. I think all the extra moisture there is contributing the all the moss you have. After that is done, create a nice pathway down the middle with shade tolerant plants on the left and right.
 
#13 ·
Mightyquinn said:
While you have nothing there, I would run those downspouts into a french drain along the fence and have it exit to wherever the slope runs around your house(backyard or through the gate) to a pop up emitter. I think all the extra moisture there is contributing the all the moss you have. After that is done, create a nice pathway down the middle with shade tolerant plants on the left and right.
This is the route I would choose as well. Your soil also looks very sandy, I would add a layer of topsoil/compost for the plants. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
#16 ·
Wow, quite the response! I apologize I had forgotten I posted this. I've done some more work on the side of the house and determined that I had a leaky irrigation fitting that was causing the wet, marshy conditions on the side of the house. I got that all sorted out now and took the opportunity to bury a drain for the downspout.











So what I have now is basically a blank canvas. I am still thinking of laying down some large stepping stones (flagstone, etc...) and filling the rest in with pebbles or small rocks.



Ill try to remember to keep this updated with progress.
 
#21 ·
Hi, sorry to hijack the thread but I have a strip roughly the same side on the north side of my house as well. Grass does grow, but not super well and it's kind of ugly. Besides nobody ever goes back there or sees it. I'd really just like to quit maintaining it. I was thinking about just killing the grass and landscaping the whole area with decomposed granite or maybe just river rock or drainage rock. Anybody have any thoughts or potential concerns with doing so (I.e. heat, drainage, foundation issues, etc.) or any other low maintenance ideas? Thanks a bunch.
 
#23 ·
I have the same issue, I put a snake plant under my water draining area an decorative rocks along the side of the house. I plan on eventually creating a steeping stone path of some sort and boarders along the side about 2 inches out to block off the rocks.. then maybe a few other plants or flowers eventually too..