Lizard Queen
Senior Associate
103/2024
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 22:19:13 GMT -5
Posts: 14,659
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Post by Lizard Queen on May 29, 2017 12:24:24 GMT -5
Digging this thread back up because gardening/landscaping is not my forte, and I need help! What do you do right around your house? We have those white, chalky rocks around 3/4 of the house from the time we bought it. We have 2 oak trees in our back yard, and one right next to us in the neighbor's yard that drops all kinds of crap on the stones. I spent the afternoon blowing the tree shit away from our house, and shoveling out some of the acorns that were left there from last fall. What should I do with this area? Replenish the rock? Replace with mulch? I am lost for what's the best for drainage/aesthetics. Do people put mulch right to the edge of the house, or is this a bad idea? In the front, we tore out enormous bushes that went right across the front of the house, blocking the windows. Replaced with various plants--shrubs and ornamental grasses. There is some pretty thick groundcover that grows there as well. Should we rip this out and mulch it? I'm looking for a cleaner look that is EASY to take care of. We have all shade around us, but have been planning on cutting down one of the oaks in the back, which will still leave mostly shade all around except 1/8th of the house. Most of our issues stem from neighbor's oak, but can't do anything about that! I think in general, mulching right up to the foundation is a bad idea because of the moisture it tends to retain. (I have become much more cognizant of water and drainage issues since they tore 2 decks off our 6yo house and found water damage under the doors bc the installers didn't weatherproof properly...) We ended up replacing the top layer of ugly white pea gravel with colored larger gravel, which looks better. If you switched to a dark stone, would the tree droppings be as visible? That's exactly what I've been thinking--replacing with a larger colored stone to disguise all the tree crap.
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Lizard Queen
Senior Associate
103/2024
Joined: Jan 17, 2011 22:19:13 GMT -5
Posts: 14,659
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Post by Lizard Queen on May 29, 2017 12:28:12 GMT -5
Do you have a termite issue? I thought it was just a southern thing but Michigan had them as well. If you do no bark dust next to the house. Even treated barkdust can have them. Yup, my dad's house had some termites getting into the concrete block basement wall. Crazy how they do that. My house was treated for them by a prior owner. You can tell because there were holes drilled into the basement walls (and filled back in) around the perimeter.
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dee27
Senior Member
Joined: Sept 28, 2016 21:08:12 GMT -5
Posts: 2,211
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Post by dee27 on May 29, 2017 12:30:46 GMT -5
I remember calling an exterminator because we had a swarm of white ants that I thought were termites. The rep who was a HS buddy laughed and stepped on one of the ants, and it smelled like citronella. We didn't have termites but citronella ants, and the swarm only lasted for a few weeks.
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Tennesseer
Member Emeritus
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 21:58:42 GMT -5
Posts: 64,591
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Post by Tennesseer on May 29, 2017 12:36:57 GMT -5
Please answer a question for the new homeowner? Can tulips grow in Florida? I miss mine in Michigan. You might have luck the following spring for blooms after you plant tulip bulbs in late fall. But they will most likely not come back the following spring. Tulips need a much colder, extended winters to prosper that Florida does not offer. Even here in southwest Tennessee, if you plant tulip bulbs in the fall they will most likely bloom the following spring. But the will not come back the following year as even our winters are not cold enough for tulips to thrive. Daffodils will tolerate our mild winters and come back at least for several years.
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kadee79
Senior Associate
S.W. Ga., zone 8b, out in the boonies!
Joined: Mar 30, 2011 15:12:55 GMT -5
Posts: 10,855
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Post by kadee79 on Jun 1, 2017 10:14:06 GMT -5
If you want to grow tulips in the warmer areas like Fl., you need to dig the bulbs each year & refrigerate them...I don't know the times of either the digging or how long they need the cold, but I'll bet you could find it on google.
Tennesseer, I have a gal pal who lives in central, southern Tn. and her tulips return every year. She's not much over the Al. line fairly close to I-65. We just stopped to visit with her & her DH when we headed to Ill. the beginning of May.
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