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Progress on my landscaping project (with photos) [1]

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Date: 2023-01-30

Below is a picture a bit into the process. It all started when I was visiting a friend in Berkeley and observed a house a few doors up doing a major remodeling and repair. This was an extremely large job and part of it was installing a new bathroom in the basement. To do this there was quite a bit of excavation and the contractor was stacking up the rock they dug and chiseled out in their front yard with a free sign on them.

This pile of rocks was picked over by just about everyone in the neighborhood. After a few month the pile was getting larger and I guess every else had got as many rocks as they needed. I mentioned the big pile of free rocks to a friend of mine in Vallejo and he said lets use some of the rocks for landscaping the front yard. This led to building the garden wall that borders the house.

At some time along the way someone walking by mentioned to me that there was a county grant available for replacing lawns with mulch and removing sprinkler systems. One thing lead to another and the project expanded.

I had my friend apply for the grant and the estimated conversion area was set at 750 square feet by the county water agency inspector. We were told that after the final inspection and measurements we should receive about $1,500.00 for our efforts.

The major requirements were to lay down cardboard and cover it with 3 inches of mulch or rock. And most importantly to cap or remove the existing sprinkler system and replace it with a drip system or hand watering. I ended up capping 10 sprinkler heads. Notice how the cardboard is tucked up against the bender board. It is hopped that the cardboard will discourage the weeds from growing.

Above you can see the most important tool I used sitting on the recycling bin. That would be a cup of coffee. I made good use of the cardboard I was collecting for the project by always laying out some of it to walk on. That way I kept my shoes clean and was able to dash inside to refill my cup.

This was the state of the project when the inspector came by for the final inspection. Because we decided to keep the two trees and put a border around them with cardboard covered with rock we met the minimum requirements for plants. We passed the inspection and the check should arrive in a few weeks. But the project is not over.

Next up is putting in lots plants and setting up the drip irrigation system using the pipes and headers in place but capped. Above you can see a brick square with a hole in it. Turns out that the pipe is one foot below the mulch surface. I miscalculated by a few inches and only had 10 inch extenders on hand. I left the tap accessible to install the first manifold for regulating the water flow and distributing 8 smaller quarter inch drip lines.

Working with a cardboard under layer and mulch turns out to be easy with it comes to planting. One just moves the mulch out of the way. A hole is dug and the plant is planted. A new fitted piece of cardboard is dropped in and the mulch is pushed back in place.

Similarly, as irrigation for each new plant is needed I will dig down to where a old sprinkler head was and remove the cap and replace it with a extender pipe with a manifold on top. With the manifold in place I connect the distribution lines.

So what are you doing in your garden?

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/1/30/2150055/-Progress-on-my-landscaping-project-with-photos

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