Garden

[sfnative]

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@Abrowneyegirl wrote:

Ugggghhhhh!!!! This is the worst.

Tips:

Hire a landscaper to prep and fill the yard to minimize years of "settling" or uneven settle- where you have odd low and high spots.

Since we had recently spent $$$$$ landscaping and stonework we supplied the receipts to our homeowners insurance and we were covered for that part of the project.  Check with your insurance co.

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@Abrowneyegirl

Sorry to hear you had to go through an ordeal as well.

Thank you for providing information regarding the claim you made.  I mentioned this to my husband and he said we wouldn't be able to do that as we don't own our front yard, it is HOA property.  We live in a huge townhouse community.  We own our house, the land it sits on and our backyard.  Honestly, I had no clue that we didn't own our front yard property, because we had to fork over $1,000+ for the initial plumbing work and scoping, which went under that very front yard.  Now I'm keen to get that money back, since we don't own that property.

So...in the end, it doesn't appear as though we can take advantage of your offer, but it has given me impetus to move forward in attempting to get a return on our $1,000+.

Thanks so much!

[sfnative]

@Abrowneyegirl

Just had to come back to tell you that -huge $$$ development - my husband was able to cut a deal with the HOA to get the initial $1,000 plumber's fee folded into the $30,000+ for the entire job, which was very comprehensive and included the removal of our waste, which ended up 50' away bubbling up in a neighbor's yard, due to a broken sewer pipe.  (Much more complicated than that, but I think you get where I'm coming from.)

[Lilysmom]

@sfnative, don’t forget to check places like Home Depot and Lowe’s.  Those stores that sell shrubs, etc. Often sell fountains and other water features.  Also Wayfair online.   LM

[Abrowneyegirl]

@sfnative  Hey- Every dime counts!!!

I am so sorry you are going through this.

Good luck I hope everything goes smoothly for you.

[tsavorite]

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@sfnative wrote:

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@AuntG wrote:

That's too bad, but I'd wait a year for the ground to settle. Also, since your husband wasn't keen on what you had previously done, this year off might do you both good. Plan together for next year!

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@AuntG

I really appreciate the sentiment.  However, all he wants are dinner plate dahlias.  That's it.

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What you described your original yard to look like sounds breathtakingly beautiful!  You must really have wonderful creative ideas and a green thumb....I'd ignore the Husband and put back in what you can and then some for next year.  

[JustJazzmom]

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@AuntG wrote:

Dinner Plate Dahlias! I love the name. Wonder if I could grow them.

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Dahlias grown in many areas of the country need to be lifted out of the ground in the fall & replanted every spring; so keep that in mind.

[Lilysmom]

@JustJazzmom, that’s why I don’t plant dahlias.  LM

[Mom2Dogs]

Oh no!  I also feel your pain.  I planted a beautiful wisteria before I knew how destructive they could be...I cried when we had to cut it down...it was so pretty, smelled great, but it was eating our fence.

Raised beds are a great idea and if you are in a warm climate things should do really well.  I don't know how old you are but as you age having raised beds or containers will be easier to maintain.

Years ago I read in a magazine where the homeowner planted bulbs in a large container that bloomed at diferent times, it was beautiful, I live in the midwest so I would not work in my climate.

Good luck.

[2blonde]

@sfnative  Yes, those Libras can be rather indecisive (always trying to get that balance, you know)!  As a sagittarious, I have no patience.  Once I get the urge, it has to be done now!

We finally have started getting some sunny and more seasonal weather here in NE Ohio.  I planted those daffodils in the fall of 1991, and they've been blooming faithfully in early March since spring of 1992.  This year, because it was warm in Febuary, then very cold in March; they came up and got buds, but just sat there doing nothing for so long that I wasn't sure if they would make it.  Well, here they are in full bloom, and it's the end of April!  I have about 10 times more of them now than I did in 1992.  

[mousiegirl]

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@sfnative wrote:

You know how we all work at creating what we can to make our front and back yards the places that not only reflect us, but also look pretty nice, too.

Well, when we made our final move into a "new" home for us in a new city, I jumped right in.  One of the things I always wanted to create was a riverbed of grape hyacinth with rocky "banks," meandering through our front yard.  This year in particular it has looked simply wonderful and many neighbors stop to look at it during daily walks.  Put in great border plants, daffodils, tulips, dahlias, peonies, day lilies and the list goes on.  They're all lost.

With the horried plumbing issue which surfaces 2.5 weeks ago, the plumbing company had to dig up 3/4 of my front yard and nearly everything is gone.   I mean gone.  They had to dig down 4.5 feet to get to the pipes.

I'm just sick about this and what doesn't help is that my husband thinks it's great, as he didn't like anything I planted anyway - as if he knows a daisy from a slug.

In my garage are bulbs just received that need to be planted.  However, I'm hesitant to do so after the plumbers complete this huge job today, as I know the soil needs to settle big time.  If any of you have some advice on planting in recently very, very disturbed soil, please, please do post here and let me know.  Thanks so much.

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@sfnative  I would have dug up the plants, and kept them in a shady area until they could be replanted.  I actually did this a few years ago when we were remodeling.  I bought some nursery pots at Amazon, and put the plants in those, the larger I just set in the shade and kept watered.  After all of that work, it turned out the contractor decided on another route so I could have left them in their place, lol.

Re the soil, maybe you can add compost to mix in, then rake the soil level, then replant.