Every autumn we seem to be racing to finish a project. A few years ago it was selling our first house before the leaves dropped. Last year we were squeezing tasks in before a book tour. This year it was getting grass to grow in our rather sad front yard.
Landscaping stories may not be the most thrilling, but we packed about two months of progress into this post so it wouldn’t just be “we threw down some seed.” We wanted to make a bit more of a story out of the process and show how doing it right can make a real difference.
The photo above was taken earlier in the summer, right after a landscaper who was working nearby flattened some leftover tree-stump mounds. That quick leveling cost only $60 and looked like it left us ready to seed. Unfortunately, those flattened spots revealed how poorly graded the rest of the yard was: low areas surrounded them that collected water every time it rained. We realized the yard wasn’t as seed-ready as we’d hoped.
We briefly considered tossing down a few bags of topsoil and calling it done, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that a quick patch would annoy me for years. Eventually I convinced Sherry we should bring in enough dirt to regrade the entire area properly. We’d mentioned this idea earlier, but hesitated until a heavy rain made the need obvious.
Finding someone available late in September became a challenge. Every landscaper and dirt delivery service we contacted was booked for weeks. By luck, the landscaper who had done the small leveling job called and said he could squeeze us in. The schedule shifted a few times because of miscommunications and rain, but mid-October we finally had the crew and the trucks arrive.
Steve, the landscaper, estimated how much topsoil we needed based on yard size and the amount of grading required to eliminate low, swampy spots. We ordered two heaping truckloads — about five car-sized piles of dirt in total.
There was no way we could move that much dirt with a wheelbarrow and a rake, so we let Steve handle the heavy lifting. The kids loved watching the machines work, though Clara hid behind the railing for a lot of it.
Steve recommended marking the future mulch beds before spreading soil so we wouldn’t waste topsoil in places where grass wasn’t going. A few days earlier we used a hose to lay out curving beds around tree groupings — a hose is easy to bend and reshape until you like a line. Once we were happy we traced the hose’s curve with spray paint to define the beds. We won’t mulch until spring, so that’s a project for another season.
By early afternoon the yard already looked dramatically better. It may sound odd to call mounds of soil gorgeous, but seeing the whole area smoothed out and free of erratic moss patches, weeds, and muddy dips was exciting. Rain was in the forecast, so Steve advised us to spread grass seed right away so it would sink into the soft topsoil before the rain compacted it. You can even see the single track from our broadcast spreader as I was just starting to apply seed.
One major reason for so much dirt was to fix an area we call “The Wetlands” in the backyard. Before grading it turned into an eight-inch swamp after heavy rain, with about a foot drop from the walkway into that low spot. Filling that gulley with topsoil raised and leveled the surface so it no longer ponds water.
Fast-forward a few weeks and the seed began to sprout. We were worried a late start might mean poor coverage, but grass slowly filled in. From experience seeding a yard before, thick coverage in one season is rare, so we plan to overseed next spring and likely again in the fall to build a truly lush lawn.
Our usual method is to use a broadcast spreader for even seed distribution and then water daily for about 15 minutes with a rotating or oscillating sprinkler, ideally in the early morning so we remember to do it. That routine has worked well for establishing a good stand of grass.
We also planted several evergreen shrubs in the backyard to regain some year-round privacy. We chose plants that are evergreen, deer-resistant, and suited to partial shade, and staggered them about six feet apart so they will overlap and form a screen as they grow. We found some reasonably priced specimens with a grower’s warranty, which makes us hopeful they’ll establish and fill in over time. One of the plants, a wax myrtle, is native and adds a pleasant fragrance when disturbed.
When planting, we dig holes about twice as wide as the root ball but only as deep as the root ball — setting a plant too low can cause long-term problems. Getting the larger plants in required serious digging, but once planted regular watering seems to be the main thing they need.
Comparing the yard from this summer to now, the difference is clear. It’s not fully grown in yet, but the grading has made the lawn much flatter and more mower-friendly. We no longer have little swampy pockets after rain, which is a huge relief.
The topsoil cost around $750 and grading was about $250 — more than I imagined spending on dirt — but seeing how much easier it will be to maintain and how much better the exterior looks makes us feel it was money well spent. Now we just have to keep the falling leaves off the new grass until it’s established.
Is anyone else tackling major grading or seeding this season? Watching those first green shoots push through the soil never gets old.
Sherry is sharing more about the pregnancy and the bun over on the blog.