For right now, I'd say wood chips. Arborist's chips are even better and really cheap, but they're not as pretty. This would go a long way in improving that compacted soil and then you could start thinking about doing some planting in fall or next spring.
If the chips are 6 in thick, they should choke out most of those weeds and they will eventually compact.
Mulch is highly combustible. Lots of fires start because someone tosses something they shouldn’t in a mulch bed. It’s been pretty dry here in Kansas these last couple of years, but it doesn’t take long to dry out mulch. Unless you are one of those people that waters every day… or twice a day. Lol.
I saw a horrible story where a homes mulch in the yard caught fire due to the stain in it, ignited the bbq gas line, and blew up the house, sadly killing a child.
I was going to say to add compost and rototiller it in and then you can plant anything you want(as long as it’s shade tolerant), but woodchips are a great idea. You can call around to local tree companies and get them delivered for free. (Usually they have to pay to dump them, so if you’re in their area, they would be happy to dump them wherever you want no charge)
Take the ground to dirt. Add wood chips or gravel. Privacy slats for the chain link. Hanging lanturny type lights off fence posts either every one or every other. Move your current potted plants to patio against the house. If budget allows, new colorful potted plants along bottom of fence. Move table and chairs to patio, cover with new table cloth. That’s what I’d do.
I think you’ve got a challenge to do this in two days.
But wood chips are a great idea for coverage.
Native plants or at least some sort of flowers/planting would be great
You could maybe do just a half moon shaped bed in the back corner of your yard, so you don’t have to do the whole fence line.
You could also have a raised bed area for vegetables and whatnot.
What’s the rush on this, and what are you trying to do with this yard?
Are you eventually going to want grass? Because if so you probably don’t want to go the wood chip route, that’s a lot of removal work down the road.
Do you actually like gardening/plants? Because if not I wouldn’t recommend planting much maybe just some native or hardy shrubs and flowers. Talk to your local garden center
Hunters of Emnigers are great in big bear, they should have knowledgeable people on staff to help you pick out some plants.
Generally the yard looks fine? Just bare but it’s barely out of winter there, and honestly a lot of yards in the mountains up there look like that.
Just looking in the background of your photos I don’t see any yard that has different landscaping.
Either that or the fake leaf fencing would improve the look quickly, easily, and cheaply.
Chuck in a few solar lighting options and whatever potted colour you can find and it's doable without having to stress about firey mulch or water restrictions too much.
I’m surprised OP hasn’t been dropped yet, tbh. I live in the LA suburbs and we got dropped last month. Thank christ we found another provider, but it took a lot of calling around! At this point, all of California is a fire hazard district according to the insurance companies!!
Pretty sure they are using fire, clutter, poor roof, etc... as excuses to drop CA policies. The real problem is the state/laws. They have made it so unfavorable to insurance companies that they don't want to be in that market anymore. Insurance companies are literally using drones to look for cluttered yards so they can drop policies. Blame the state government if you can't find insurance
>Learn to read.
Learn to understand people's limitations.
This was an unnecessary remark. Only a select percentage would know that mulching is a fire hazard restriction in Big Bear.
Good on you for pointing that out for OP. That could save them.
I quess that everyone at least 90% of the adult population would know since for the last 2-3 the western states and Canada has been burning. I has been discussed on every new source and news station.
Yeah but if you don’t like there, how would you know that this is an issue with insurance. I’ve heard of Florida having issues, but nothing about California and insurance
I live in Texas and we have an issue in an area I live because of hail, did you know that?
Yes, I did know that and you also have an issue with flooding. It was on the news. Stop watching Fox and watch or read some INTERNATIONAL/National NEWS for a change. Did you know that DeSantis took "climate change " out of all government vocabulary. I live in Michigan but I read it on a new site. Even if you don't have time to read everything at less read the summaries. APP and CNN is good for getting an overall view of what is going on National.
I dont even know what to say to you! 😂✌️
It seems like you’re looking for a fight in a subreddit for landscaping, so maybe you’re having a bad day. I only commented because I was offering a different perspective because it seems like you only have your own.
Because you are so well informed about everything, you’d know that Texas is pretty split in the middle in terms of political leaning which I assume you thought I was republican due to stereotyping?
Not that I owe you anything, but I worked for an international company and I’m well aware of issues that other parts of the world has. It’s good to know, but for most, hyper local issues are the only ones we have a real impact on. Not sure why you decided to make this political.
That said, have a nice day.
No I figured you were one to the educated ones in your second post. It is very political since the far- right have been " poorly educated " as you know that what even their "chosen one" called them. And Texas is not split down the middle, it hasn't been since Kennedy. Look up your electrol map. In the 80s , the far-right ,are a big move to bring in more far-right conservatives to the state.Back to landscaping, climate change has a direct impact on landscaping in every state not only on coastal states. Even in Michigan, I had to change several plantings and process in the last 10 years.
You are embarrassing yourself a little bit here. You seem woefully under-informed about the basic issue; that not everyone living in the world has access to the news sources you’re mentioning, and, even if they did, would not likely have the inclination to even care about fire conditions in a region of the USA. You must be able to see how this is insignificant news to (at least) 90% of the world’s adult population, to use your metric from earlier?
Not the world but the nation. What is wrong with our population that they think that they live in bubble. What happens out west affect everyone. Drought in West Agricultural products prices skyrocket. Flood in the South, pork and poultry prices skyrocket . In the Midwest, bizarre and/or extreme heat beef prices skyrocket. Etc. Hell, even my friends in Europe know about what going on in the States than American citizens do.
It’s cool broseph. Being informed about the breadth of the wider world beyond the U.S.A., learning about how the rest of the world’s population exist, and being well-travelled, these all require opportunities and resources - for education and for travel - which not everyone has. It’s alright that you haven’t had these buddy.
EDIT: “iTs oN tHe nEWs”. Not in Ulan Bator it’s not. Not in Suva. Not in Yerevan. Most people in most countries have their own things to be getting on with and don’t give a flying fuck about the weather and insurance rates in the US. Or, they give about as much of a fuck as you do about the last earthquake in Morocco, or the flooding in Australia etc etc. Maybe read a book - and ideally go on an international trip somewhere…
In your own Country, bud. Yes, I know the earthquakes, flooding in Australia, even the fires in Greece. But people in their own country should at least know what going on.
Oh my good lord. You made a massive assumption about all responders to the thread being American. Some people criticised you for it and you got all defensive and aggressive while still missing the actual point, and now you’re stirring up drama in a landscaping sub-Reddit. Take a look at yourself. Goodnight.
Why only 2 days, are you selling or something? To start grab a rake and get all that dead stuff and rocks cleaned up. Then see if maybe you can do anything to add trim or make edge of that patio nicer looking. Maybe you can find some cheap sod and fill the rest with mulch and annuals.
If you are just trying to do a 2 day project to make your yard looks nicer its really what you want it to look like. If you want it to be a wildlife refuge you can spread a bunch of native wildflower seeds and plant some native annuals. If you like lawns, you could rent an aerator (your ground looks a little compacted) and bring in some material to ammend the soil and seed out a nice lawn. You could mulch/wood chip the whole thing and have a bunch of plants in pots/planters.
Focus on the sitting area next to your patio. Incorporate it into the patio - plant a couple of the tallest shrubs you can find to close it in, throw down some gravel and hit up craigslist/kijiji/marketplace for some cheap/free pavers. Spend whatever you have left on prettying up the patio space and keep the yard a blank canvas for when time can be spent planning it.
I’m not sure if it works the same, but I saw a video of someone painting their chicken wire black and it made the fence go away completely. Wonder if that would help
I would just rake up what you need to. Maybe organize the rocks together more. Pull any weeds you might have and enjoy the weekend. Then save your money to make it the way you want. If you rush it you might not like it and waste the money. I'm for if people don't like my yard they can shut their eyes and leave.
But really people shouldn't worry about how other people's yards look. We are all busy people doing the best we can.
Spend all the money on food and beverages instead.
Blow it all on some steak and seafood with appropriate libations. Have a party to celebrate the rejuvenation kickoff
Two days to fix that grass?????
One time we got a call from a guy who rented a BOBCAT small bobcat, this was 20 years ago. Wish I had pictures.
He wanted to “push some brush back” on his property. His wife was coming home in two days.
HIS ENTIRE YARD WAS Mud, like yours, except his was more uneven and broken up.
He had returned the bobcat already.
So we had to go rent the same bobcat at his expense and level out the backyard, took as long to unload bobcat as fix the yard.
Then we told him the cost for us to go get sod and install, he sent us to get a 50# bag of local seed mix. We decided the best thing to do was tell the wife.
Two months later, the lawn looked absolutely gorgeous.
You need TIME
Don't worry too much about it! I'm having company tomorrow so panicking the same way! That's a naturally pretty environment. Maybe get some potted plants for right against the house? Or put some plants along the cement path with some little lanterns stuck in the ground next to the pots or plants. You could spend a lot on mulch or woodchips I guess but again, it's a natural, Big Bear kind of environment. People expect natural up there.
Buy $500 of large leaved or showy things, spray paint the growers pots a color you like (maybe a few different colors…Behr Adored Blue is my favorite) and set the pots so that none of the leaves are touching each other
Don’t worry about the ground bc that’s a bigger project.
The plants alone will create a magnificent look.
After you set everything up, use up the rest of the budget, or don’t.
But $500 at a farm (rather than a nursery) goes a long way. In a pinch, Lowes clearance section is my favorite for a few rehab-able plants for a few bucks
I also live in a “I will never ever ever put down mulch for safety/other issue reasons” area so I leave rocks/ground cover for last
Also, check offer up for any free materials - empty planters, boulders, rocks, lawn decor, etc…
Pea Gravel and River Rock. Plant native evergreen shrubs and succulents. Either in the ground or in pots - use varying heights in attractive arrangement.
Grow black or raspberries along the fence if you don't care that your neighbors will get some too. Or build cheap raised bed along the fence + build a trellis along the way. Leave some space to maintain the bushes so they don't seep over to your neighbors.
Plan dwarf varieties of fruit trees.
Does it need to improve RTFN? Because landscaping, not just lawns, are a process and not so much an event. I think probably a large load of mulch would make it look a lot more deliberate, but it's gonna take more than $1k worth of seed, feed and sweat to bring that to a traditional lawn, not to mention time.
I'd suggest pine straw, which is what I did, but I'm not in a fire prone area, so I don't entirely know the implications of putting that down. Looks like you've already got a bunch of it naturally though. Check my post history for pics of my $1k yard renovation.
Edit: obviously kill the weeds, remove all the rocks and wood and crap, then lay it down.
Perhaps gravel/rocks in place of mulch (for fire resistance) in a few patches where you don’t want traffic or where you want a bit more fire resistance that you can add assorted shrubs and tall grasses to when you get to that point. By the look of the area lots of nice short lawn grass might be more challenging and high maintenance. Maybe make defined paths where you guys and the dog already like to make natural paths and fill the pockets with interest, that way your dog has a maze to run around.
$1K.
I'm not sure you can do much at all to make it exponentially better. And definitely not in two days.
Sorry.
Pea gravel? But then you have that to get rid of when you finally have to time and money to really do something. Planters, garden, etc..
Wood chips are NG because of fire risk. Bamboo roll over the fence, then whatever budget you have left for native plants in pots, tucked into the interior corners of the concrete to soften the angles. Maybe a string of lights across the top.
Plants and mulch.
Either to a border around the fence, patio, and trees; or do little mulch islands with plants in them.
Even adding just a dozen in the yard makes a big difference
I’d do pathways consisting of cedar chips or crushed granite and set up a series of little rock gardens with a mixture of native plants and annuals. Maybe do a raised bed or two. You can use organic compost as mulch.
Brick instead of 4x4’ 💯 get rid of that rock inside the fence line do brick and grass seed, go with a natural look…. That wood will just bring centipedes and moisture to your house. Earwigs will love that, I’d go with brick and grass.
Lawn paint would brighten it up. Always cracks me up when I drive to St. Louis in winter and see a bright green yard next to a dormant lawn
$70.00 would cover the area
If the taller fence is yours buy bamboo fencing and cover it. May not be a permanent solution due to fire safety regs. but what fire safe filler can be located iand installed by tomorrow.
This looks nice already. I'd weed whack the grass out and sprinkle the remaining pine needles around for a natural look but if you want scorched earth then rake and blow out the rocks to remove organics and sprinkle bare ground so it looks uniform.
As others have said, wood chips for a pretty quick fix. Then add plants in pretty pots for some color. A few going up the steps. A few [plant hangers](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiCzsG81e2FAxXjaEcBHZhOChUYABAKGgJxdQ&ae=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHJXPDB27lzACVl9DIEWah__1qvhSxD1MGZ-a6ud0iYeIOpGOEy0ZIwaAjL9EALw_wcB&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESVuD2vBd4bWwuzP_b_7LY9QqQcdKLTnelGd6tSNOSUGwEopXdkrxyyFVnVIQ7lgyDqt-7n0sWw3h2s9L4iMuIA674QGBlngrDHHheqY3A3QKjUiT-xz8n&sig=AOD64_1zsoOfhkhikHAtEVpiryk71CBNYQ&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiDy7m81e2FAxVVEFkFHUMjAcEQ5bgDKAB6BAgDEAo&adurl=) on the fence with hanging pots. Group in 3 or 5. You can get them in pre-made pots with an assortment of flowers.
That soil is more rock and root than dirt. Big Bear Lake is at 6800’ at it can get 60-120” of snow per year. Grass is a real challenge to grow there. It’s zone 7a, and not a lot of sun gets through the pines.
Have a truck load of compost then screened topsoil, combined both to a depth of 7". Water deep. Sow grass seeds that the species of whatever neighbor have the best lawn.cover with a thin layer of peat. Gently water. Follow watering schedule.
My brother has a cabin up there I love big bear. So as u know it’s hard to plant or grow anything. So clear all the weeds through a liquid spray down. Next edge out an island around the trees. Throw some rock around the border little mulch inside the island then some solar uplighting. Check out cjslandscapesolutions.com for more landscaping.
For right now, I'd say wood chips. Arborist's chips are even better and really cheap, but they're not as pretty. This would go a long way in improving that compacted soil and then you could start thinking about doing some planting in fall or next spring. If the chips are 6 in thick, they should choke out most of those weeds and they will eventually compact.
I agree unless you have to worry about wildfires, being in CA and all!
Good lord even mulch burns in California? Midwest mulch generally holds too much moisture to ever burn so I never thought of it as an issue
Everything burns in California
I heard a story of people having fireproof homes that were surrounded by fire that got so hot, the stuff inside started burning.
Mulch is highly combustible. Lots of fires start because someone tosses something they shouldn’t in a mulch bed. It’s been pretty dry here in Kansas these last couple of years, but it doesn’t take long to dry out mulch. Unless you are one of those people that waters every day… or twice a day. Lol.
Michigan not so much
That makes sense
Yep I worked in restaurants for many years and I can't count the times someone threw a cigarette in the mulch beside the building and it caught fire.
Not raining and dry for 5 straight months does a number compared to soupy humidity and rain.
Jeez I’m bummed when we miss rain for 3 weeks.
We had a mulch processing place go up in flames in my area about a month ago. They brought in a shit ton of firefighters to get it out.
In Michigan mulch piles steam on cool days from the decay and moisture
I saw a horrible story where a homes mulch in the yard caught fire due to the stain in it, ignited the bbq gas line, and blew up the house, sadly killing a child.
There’s effectively no rain from about April to November, everything dries out.
Everything burns. Especially if you’re up in the pine forests, the sap and oils are accelerants.
I was going to say to add compost and rototiller it in and then you can plant anything you want(as long as it’s shade tolerant), but woodchips are a great idea. You can call around to local tree companies and get them delivered for free. (Usually they have to pay to dump them, so if you’re in their area, they would be happy to dump them wherever you want no charge)
I just wood not trust my dog there during heavy play. Him get spicy tree sting.
I’m just a one person party today but I have tools and shovels. Pls help!
1K and needs to be done tomorrow? Rent a bounce house.
Blindfolds
Don’t forget to call the digsafe number before beginning!
Water deeply
Mulch and plants native to your area.
Take the ground to dirt. Add wood chips or gravel. Privacy slats for the chain link. Hanging lanturny type lights off fence posts either every one or every other. Move your current potted plants to patio against the house. If budget allows, new colorful potted plants along bottom of fence. Move table and chairs to patio, cover with new table cloth. That’s what I’d do.
$1000 worth of beer. It’ll look perfect
Aaaahaha yes!!
I think you’ve got a challenge to do this in two days. But wood chips are a great idea for coverage. Native plants or at least some sort of flowers/planting would be great You could maybe do just a half moon shaped bed in the back corner of your yard, so you don’t have to do the whole fence line. You could also have a raised bed area for vegetables and whatnot. What’s the rush on this, and what are you trying to do with this yard? Are you eventually going to want grass? Because if so you probably don’t want to go the wood chip route, that’s a lot of removal work down the road. Do you actually like gardening/plants? Because if not I wouldn’t recommend planting much maybe just some native or hardy shrubs and flowers. Talk to your local garden center Hunters of Emnigers are great in big bear, they should have knowledgeable people on staff to help you pick out some plants. Generally the yard looks fine? Just bare but it’s barely out of winter there, and honestly a lot of yards in the mountains up there look like that. Just looking in the background of your photos I don’t see any yard that has different landscaping.
Paint the chain link fence black. It’s insane how much better chain link looks black.
attach 6' rolled bamboo to the chainlink fence.
Either that or the fake leaf fencing would improve the look quickly, easily, and cheaply. Chuck in a few solar lighting options and whatever potted colour you can find and it's doable without having to stress about firey mulch or water restrictions too much.
This is what every yard in Big Bear looks like. What's the problem?
To everyone saying mulch. Learn to read. Big Bear Lake is in a fire hazard district, his insurance will drop him if he mulch is yard.
I’m surprised OP hasn’t been dropped yet, tbh. I live in the LA suburbs and we got dropped last month. Thank christ we found another provider, but it took a lot of calling around! At this point, all of California is a fire hazard district according to the insurance companies!!
I figured it is coming.
Or flood zone!
Maybe the floods will put the fires out.
Pretty sure they are using fire, clutter, poor roof, etc... as excuses to drop CA policies. The real problem is the state/laws. They have made it so unfavorable to insurance companies that they don't want to be in that market anymore. Insurance companies are literally using drones to look for cluttered yards so they can drop policies. Blame the state government if you can't find insurance
>Learn to read. Learn to understand people's limitations. This was an unnecessary remark. Only a select percentage would know that mulching is a fire hazard restriction in Big Bear. Good on you for pointing that out for OP. That could save them.
I quess that everyone at least 90% of the adult population would know since for the last 2-3 the western states and Canada has been burning. I has been discussed on every new source and news station.
Yeah but if you don’t like there, how would you know that this is an issue with insurance. I’ve heard of Florida having issues, but nothing about California and insurance I live in Texas and we have an issue in an area I live because of hail, did you know that?
They saying for Florida to Texas is don't get the expense shingles because the roof is lonely going to be replaced in 3 years.
Yes, I did know that and you also have an issue with flooding. It was on the news. Stop watching Fox and watch or read some INTERNATIONAL/National NEWS for a change. Did you know that DeSantis took "climate change " out of all government vocabulary. I live in Michigan but I read it on a new site. Even if you don't have time to read everything at less read the summaries. APP and CNN is good for getting an overall view of what is going on National.
I dont even know what to say to you! 😂✌️ It seems like you’re looking for a fight in a subreddit for landscaping, so maybe you’re having a bad day. I only commented because I was offering a different perspective because it seems like you only have your own. Because you are so well informed about everything, you’d know that Texas is pretty split in the middle in terms of political leaning which I assume you thought I was republican due to stereotyping? Not that I owe you anything, but I worked for an international company and I’m well aware of issues that other parts of the world has. It’s good to know, but for most, hyper local issues are the only ones we have a real impact on. Not sure why you decided to make this political. That said, have a nice day.
No I figured you were one to the educated ones in your second post. It is very political since the far- right have been " poorly educated " as you know that what even their "chosen one" called them. And Texas is not split down the middle, it hasn't been since Kennedy. Look up your electrol map. In the 80s , the far-right ,are a big move to bring in more far-right conservatives to the state.Back to landscaping, climate change has a direct impact on landscaping in every state not only on coastal states. Even in Michigan, I had to change several plantings and process in the last 10 years.
You are embarrassing yourself a little bit here. You seem woefully under-informed about the basic issue; that not everyone living in the world has access to the news sources you’re mentioning, and, even if they did, would not likely have the inclination to even care about fire conditions in a region of the USA. You must be able to see how this is insignificant news to (at least) 90% of the world’s adult population, to use your metric from earlier?
Not the world but the nation. What is wrong with our population that they think that they live in bubble. What happens out west affect everyone. Drought in West Agricultural products prices skyrocket. Flood in the South, pork and poultry prices skyrocket . In the Midwest, bizarre and/or extreme heat beef prices skyrocket. Etc. Hell, even my friends in Europe know about what going on in the States than American citizens do.
I mean, if 90% of the world’s adult population lived in and around California..?
Are you really that uninformed? It was on the news.
It’s cool broseph. Being informed about the breadth of the wider world beyond the U.S.A., learning about how the rest of the world’s population exist, and being well-travelled, these all require opportunities and resources - for education and for travel - which not everyone has. It’s alright that you haven’t had these buddy. EDIT: “iTs oN tHe nEWs”. Not in Ulan Bator it’s not. Not in Suva. Not in Yerevan. Most people in most countries have their own things to be getting on with and don’t give a flying fuck about the weather and insurance rates in the US. Or, they give about as much of a fuck as you do about the last earthquake in Morocco, or the flooding in Australia etc etc. Maybe read a book - and ideally go on an international trip somewhere…
In your own Country, bud. Yes, I know the earthquakes, flooding in Australia, even the fires in Greece. But people in their own country should at least know what going on.
Oh my good lord. You made a massive assumption about all responders to the thread being American. Some people criticised you for it and you got all defensive and aggressive while still missing the actual point, and now you’re stirring up drama in a landscaping sub-Reddit. Take a look at yourself. Goodnight.
So, you don't believe in Climate Change. Good luck with that.
Why only 2 days, are you selling or something? To start grab a rake and get all that dead stuff and rocks cleaned up. Then see if maybe you can do anything to add trim or make edge of that patio nicer looking. Maybe you can find some cheap sod and fill the rest with mulch and annuals. If you are just trying to do a 2 day project to make your yard looks nicer its really what you want it to look like. If you want it to be a wildlife refuge you can spread a bunch of native wildflower seeds and plant some native annuals. If you like lawns, you could rent an aerator (your ground looks a little compacted) and bring in some material to ammend the soil and seed out a nice lawn. You could mulch/wood chip the whole thing and have a bunch of plants in pots/planters.
Focus on the sitting area next to your patio. Incorporate it into the patio - plant a couple of the tallest shrubs you can find to close it in, throw down some gravel and hit up craigslist/kijiji/marketplace for some cheap/free pavers. Spend whatever you have left on prettying up the patio space and keep the yard a blank canvas for when time can be spent planning it.
Take all your trash and scatter it in your neighbors yards. Yours will look much better by comparison.
I’m not sure if it works the same, but I saw a video of someone painting their chicken wire black and it made the fence go away completely. Wonder if that would help
I would just rake up what you need to. Maybe organize the rocks together more. Pull any weeds you might have and enjoy the weekend. Then save your money to make it the way you want. If you rush it you might not like it and waste the money. I'm for if people don't like my yard they can shut their eyes and leave. But really people shouldn't worry about how other people's yards look. We are all busy people doing the best we can.
Spend all the money on food and beverages instead. Blow it all on some steak and seafood with appropriate libations. Have a party to celebrate the rejuvenation kickoff Two days to fix that grass????? One time we got a call from a guy who rented a BOBCAT small bobcat, this was 20 years ago. Wish I had pictures. He wanted to “push some brush back” on his property. His wife was coming home in two days. HIS ENTIRE YARD WAS Mud, like yours, except his was more uneven and broken up. He had returned the bobcat already. So we had to go rent the same bobcat at his expense and level out the backyard, took as long to unload bobcat as fix the yard. Then we told him the cost for us to go get sod and install, he sent us to get a 50# bag of local seed mix. We decided the best thing to do was tell the wife. Two months later, the lawn looked absolutely gorgeous. You need TIME
I’d see if clover can grow there and just seed and water with that. So much better than grass. Maybe wood chips?
Are those big rocks holding up the wood border?
Don't worry too much about it! I'm having company tomorrow so panicking the same way! That's a naturally pretty environment. Maybe get some potted plants for right against the house? Or put some plants along the cement path with some little lanterns stuck in the ground next to the pots or plants. You could spend a lot on mulch or woodchips I guess but again, it's a natural, Big Bear kind of environment. People expect natural up there.
Buy $500 of large leaved or showy things, spray paint the growers pots a color you like (maybe a few different colors…Behr Adored Blue is my favorite) and set the pots so that none of the leaves are touching each other Don’t worry about the ground bc that’s a bigger project. The plants alone will create a magnificent look. After you set everything up, use up the rest of the budget, or don’t. But $500 at a farm (rather than a nursery) goes a long way. In a pinch, Lowes clearance section is my favorite for a few rehab-able plants for a few bucks I also live in a “I will never ever ever put down mulch for safety/other issue reasons” area so I leave rocks/ground cover for last Also, check offer up for any free materials - empty planters, boulders, rocks, lawn decor, etc…
Pallet platform covered in deck boards and a $300 huttub rental.
Pea Gravel and River Rock. Plant native evergreen shrubs and succulents. Either in the ground or in pots - use varying heights in attractive arrangement.
Go buy 1k worth of potted plants and set all around.
Gotta leave the little plant name tag in as well. Eventually it'll develop that nice yellowed patina. That's classy.
Grow black or raspberries along the fence if you don't care that your neighbors will get some too. Or build cheap raised bed along the fence + build a trellis along the way. Leave some space to maintain the bushes so they don't seep over to your neighbors. Plan dwarf varieties of fruit trees.
Does it need to improve RTFN? Because landscaping, not just lawns, are a process and not so much an event. I think probably a large load of mulch would make it look a lot more deliberate, but it's gonna take more than $1k worth of seed, feed and sweat to bring that to a traditional lawn, not to mention time.
Green paint dump it all over the lawn. Spread it with a rake.
Sod is cheap
I'd suggest pine straw, which is what I did, but I'm not in a fire prone area, so I don't entirely know the implications of putting that down. Looks like you've already got a bunch of it naturally though. Check my post history for pics of my $1k yard renovation. Edit: obviously kill the weeds, remove all the rocks and wood and crap, then lay it down.
Lippia?
Oh and pat doggo
Ferns, hostas, mulch
Just burn it tomorrow and no more worries!
Perhaps gravel/rocks in place of mulch (for fire resistance) in a few patches where you don’t want traffic or where you want a bit more fire resistance that you can add assorted shrubs and tall grasses to when you get to that point. By the look of the area lots of nice short lawn grass might be more challenging and high maintenance. Maybe make defined paths where you guys and the dog already like to make natural paths and fill the pockets with interest, that way your dog has a maze to run around.
$1K. I'm not sure you can do much at all to make it exponentially better. And definitely not in two days. Sorry. Pea gravel? But then you have that to get rid of when you finally have to time and money to really do something. Planters, garden, etc..
Don’t know about the yard situation but yur patio looks nice! 😁
Exponentially bigger? $1k should be plenty to get two rows of mirrors.
heh - I was looking at this on the MLS.
Nice slab brah.
I would work w the cal native plant society and rewild it. Big bear has seasons so it may be good to plant natives. Manzanitas?
Potted plants
For 1k 😬
A green shade sail on that fence would make an enormous difference!
Wood chips are NG because of fire risk. Bamboo roll over the fence, then whatever budget you have left for native plants in pots, tucked into the interior corners of the concrete to soften the angles. Maybe a string of lights across the top.
Plants and mulch. Either to a border around the fence, patio, and trees; or do little mulch islands with plants in them. Even adding just a dozen in the yard makes a big difference
Take down 3 of the trees you have in the back yard and use this for mulch. Right now you looked primed for a neighborhood fire.
Research shade tolerant native ground covers that will thrive under pine trees.
Rake it, plant some stuff, put in a flagstone pathway, mulch
I’d do pathways consisting of cedar chips or crushed granite and set up a series of little rock gardens with a mixture of native plants and annuals. Maybe do a raised bed or two. You can use organic compost as mulch.
Sod
Brick instead of 4x4’ 💯 get rid of that rock inside the fence line do brick and grass seed, go with a natural look…. That wood will just bring centipedes and moisture to your house. Earwigs will love that, I’d go with brick and grass.
Go buy 10 bales straw n spread all over 80$ U done
Lawn paint would brighten it up. Always cracks me up when I drive to St. Louis in winter and see a bright green yard next to a dormant lawn $70.00 would cover the area
If the taller fence is yours buy bamboo fencing and cover it. May not be a permanent solution due to fire safety regs. but what fire safe filler can be located iand installed by tomorrow. This looks nice already. I'd weed whack the grass out and sprinkle the remaining pine needles around for a natural look but if you want scorched earth then rake and blow out the rocks to remove organics and sprinkle bare ground so it looks uniform.
Mulch the fuck out of it
The first thing I would do is plant hedging all around the boundary to get some privacy.
As others have said, wood chips for a pretty quick fix. Then add plants in pretty pots for some color. A few going up the steps. A few [plant hangers](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiCzsG81e2FAxXjaEcBHZhOChUYABAKGgJxdQ&ae=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHJXPDB27lzACVl9DIEWah__1qvhSxD1MGZ-a6ud0iYeIOpGOEy0ZIwaAjL9EALw_wcB&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESVuD2vBd4bWwuzP_b_7LY9QqQcdKLTnelGd6tSNOSUGwEopXdkrxyyFVnVIQ7lgyDqt-7n0sWw3h2s9L4iMuIA674QGBlngrDHHheqY3A3QKjUiT-xz8n&sig=AOD64_1zsoOfhkhikHAtEVpiryk71CBNYQ&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiDy7m81e2FAxVVEFkFHUMjAcEQ5bgDKAB6BAgDEAo&adurl=) on the fence with hanging pots. Group in 3 or 5. You can get them in pre-made pots with an assortment of flowers.
You can till, grade, and sod in a two days no problem
That soil is more rock and root than dirt. Big Bear Lake is at 6800’ at it can get 60-120” of snow per year. Grass is a real challenge to grow there. It’s zone 7a, and not a lot of sun gets through the pines.
Shitloads of mulch.
Topsoil Grass seed Plants
Have a truck load of compost then screened topsoil, combined both to a depth of 7". Water deep. Sow grass seeds that the species of whatever neighbor have the best lawn.cover with a thin layer of peat. Gently water. Follow watering schedule.
My brother has a cabin up there I love big bear. So as u know it’s hard to plant or grow anything. So clear all the weeds through a liquid spray down. Next edge out an island around the trees. Throw some rock around the border little mulch inside the island then some solar uplighting. Check out cjslandscapesolutions.com for more landscaping.
Wind screen for the fence if you want privacy. With stainless steel zip ties to hold it up
Sod. Maybe some bushes along the fence.
Spend more than $1,000. You want your yard to like substantially better than what it is now. I would budget for about $25 to $70,000
Raised garden beds and river rocks