Hello dear fellow home builders...
Now we are in the house and the weather is nice, so we’re focusing on the garden first rather than dealing with the leftover tasks inside. :p
Here is our current plan for the garden.
1. What do you think of it overall? Is it laid out and planned sensibly, or does something seem completely out of place?
2. First, we want to sow grass seed this weekend. The soil has already been fully tilled, and right now I’m clearing it of weeds, stones, etc. What ground surface should I choose for the play area? Is grass the best option there, or would bark mulch be better? What are the pros and cons?
3. We plan to border the play area with berry bushes next. What should I keep in mind when planting raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, and gooseberries? Can they be planted next to each other? Do they all tolerate full sun well? The spot gets almost full sun all day.
4. In the vegetable garden, I’d like to create a strawberry bed this year. What are some nice options? I don’t like it when beds simply end in bare soil. Is there a way to create a nice border or edging?
I would really appreciate lots of comments and ideas. 🙂
Best regards
By the way, we will only be working on the back area for now—so grass and the play area this year. The rest will follow next year… The plan is for it to look like this eventually….
Now we are in the house and the weather is nice, so we’re focusing on the garden first rather than dealing with the leftover tasks inside. :p
Here is our current plan for the garden.
1. What do you think of it overall? Is it laid out and planned sensibly, or does something seem completely out of place?
2. First, we want to sow grass seed this weekend. The soil has already been fully tilled, and right now I’m clearing it of weeds, stones, etc. What ground surface should I choose for the play area? Is grass the best option there, or would bark mulch be better? What are the pros and cons?
3. We plan to border the play area with berry bushes next. What should I keep in mind when planting raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, and gooseberries? Can they be planted next to each other? Do they all tolerate full sun well? The spot gets almost full sun all day.
4. In the vegetable garden, I’d like to create a strawberry bed this year. What are some nice options? I don’t like it when beds simply end in bare soil. Is there a way to create a nice border or edging?
I would really appreciate lots of comments and ideas. 🙂
Best regards
By the way, we will only be working on the back area for now—so grass and the play area this year. The rest will follow next year… The plan is for it to look like this eventually….
Very nicely done, and best wishes for your move-in. Do you have a construction diary where we can also see the interior area? 🙂
I like the layout of the garden. However, the children’s area is exposed to sunlight all day long. Maybe consider some (natural) shading there.
We also thought about using bark mulch or wood chips for the children’s area, but it’s really not comfortable barefoot... I don’t think grass is ideal either, as it gets trampled down quite a bit. Currently, we’re leaning toward sand. It would basically be a large sandbox, and you’d just have to clean up cat droppings from time to time. We thought about placing permeable rubber mats or something similar under the sand to prevent weeds from growing through. We haven’t come up with a better alternative yet.
What is to the right of the house and garage?
I wouldn’t keep the hedge around the property so perfectly trimmed. Preferably, go for a mixed hedge with an uneven shape—wider in some places, narrower in others... 😉 You certainly have enough space for that.
Definitely install paths to the sun terrace and the children’s area; otherwise, footpaths will become visible very quickly.
Oh, and personally, I would keep the firewood closer to the house so you can quickly access it with dry feet in the winter.
I like the layout of the garden. However, the children’s area is exposed to sunlight all day long. Maybe consider some (natural) shading there.
We also thought about using bark mulch or wood chips for the children’s area, but it’s really not comfortable barefoot... I don’t think grass is ideal either, as it gets trampled down quite a bit. Currently, we’re leaning toward sand. It would basically be a large sandbox, and you’d just have to clean up cat droppings from time to time. We thought about placing permeable rubber mats or something similar under the sand to prevent weeds from growing through. We haven’t come up with a better alternative yet.
What is to the right of the house and garage?
I wouldn’t keep the hedge around the property so perfectly trimmed. Preferably, go for a mixed hedge with an uneven shape—wider in some places, narrower in others... 😉 You certainly have enough space for that.
Definitely install paths to the sun terrace and the children’s area; otherwise, footpaths will become visible very quickly.
Oh, and personally, I would keep the firewood closer to the house so you can quickly access it with dry feet in the winter.
Remember that newly laid turf should ideally not be walked on during the first few weeks (usually about 4 weeks). It is important to water it well (but be careful to water evenly; otherwise, you might wash the seeds away or cause them to gather in one spot). After sowing, we saw the first fine shoots after about 2 weeks, and after a little more than 5 weeks, we already had to mow the lawn.
Have you ever considered creating a raised bed for your strawberries (or other plants)? This way, your bed would not simply "end with soil" as you mentioned, and you would add another level to your garden, which can visually soften the overall look. Raised beds also offer several benefits to the plants growing in them.
Have you ever considered creating a raised bed for your strawberries (or other plants)? This way, your bed would not simply "end with soil" as you mentioned, and you would add another level to your garden, which can visually soften the overall look. Raised beds also offer several benefits to the plants growing in them.
Musketier schrieb:
We seeded our lawn in mid-September last year, and I mowed the grass twice more before the end of the year.
I think you should plan for about a month without the kids running all over it.
Maybe it will grow faster in spring. Just be sure to water it regularly, especially at the beginning. Ok, I’m curious how I’ll keep the boys off it... 😱
Well, it’ll work out somehow... 🙂
milkie schrieb:
Very nicely done, and congratulations on moving in. Do you have a construction diary where we can also see the interior? 🙂
I like the layout of the garden. Although the kids’ area is in permanent sunlight. Maybe consider some (natural) shading there.
We also considered bark mulch or wood chips for the kids' area, but it’s really not comfortable barefoot... I don’t think grass is ideal either, since it gets heavily trampled. Currently, we’re leaning towards sand. It would basically be one big sandbox, and you’d just have to clean up any cat droppings from time to time. We thought about placing permeable rubber mats or something similar under the sand to reduce weed growth. We haven’t come up with a better alternative yet.
What is on the right side of the house and garage?
I wouldn’t trim the hedge around the property so precisely. Rather, create a mixed hedge with an irregular shape—sometimes wider, sometimes narrower... 😉 You have plenty of space anyway.
Definitely lay paths to the sunny terrace and the kids’ area; otherwise, you’ll quickly see worn footpaths.
Oh, and personally, I would store the firewood closer to the house, so you can access it quickly and stay dry in winter. @milkie: Unfortunately, I don’t have a diary online. But I can post some pictures in my old floor plan discussion when I get the chance. The interior is far from finished, too. The big door is missing, the living room door is missing, only one of three toilets is installed, and only one of three sinks... I won’t even start on the chaotic rooms like the basement and utility room. :lol: But that’s okay for us; we’re doing everything step by step… That’s what happens when you don’t build turnkey yet want a lot... Budget is limited. 🙂 But we already feel very comfortable here. 😀
You can see the tree on the plan that marks the play area, right? It’s an old apple tree, about 3m (10 feet) tall, and from the afternoon on it shades exactly the play area. That’s great. The sandbox will be under a small climbing structure, so that area will also always have some shade.
Dindin schrieb:
Remember that newly sown grass should ideally not be walked on for the first few weeks (about 4 weeks is recommended). It’s important to water well (but be careful to water evenly, otherwise you might wash away or cluster the seeds). We saw the first fine shoots about 2 weeks after sowing, and after just over 5 weeks, we already had to mow the lawn.
Have you ever considered building a raised bed for your strawberries (or other plants)? That way your bed wouldn’t just “end abruptly with soil,” as you said, and you’d also add another level to your garden, which can look more balanced. Raised beds also provide certain benefits for the plants. A raised bed sounds like a very interesting idea. I’ll definitely look into it. Thanks!
milkie schrieb:
At the moment, we are considering sand. It would basically be a big sandbox, and you just have to clean up cat messes now and then. Don’t you have the problem of constantly getting sand into the house? After my kids play in the sandbox, I always have to do a thorough cleaning before they turn the living room into a desert... If there was still sand under the swing and other equipment, they probably wouldn’t be allowed to go in or out on their own.
EveundGerd23 Apr 2015 13:04It is still too early to sow the lawn!
The earliest time to do so is from mid-May.
If you want a good, durable lawn that can resist moss and weeds for many years, you need seeds from a specialized retailer! DIY stores and garden centers are not included!
The seed mixture is crucial. Cheap seed mixes mostly contain forage grasses that grow quickly. Over time, this causes gaps in the “carpet,” which leads to weed and moss infestation.
I recommend a lawn mix designed for play and sports areas.
The earliest time to do so is from mid-May.
If you want a good, durable lawn that can resist moss and weeds for many years, you need seeds from a specialized retailer! DIY stores and garden centers are not included!
The seed mixture is crucial. Cheap seed mixes mostly contain forage grasses that grow quickly. Over time, this causes gaps in the “carpet,” which leads to weed and moss infestation.
I recommend a lawn mix designed for play and sports areas.
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