Lawn suggestions w/pics

[TheSiege]

I am just wondering what you guys would do. Pic 1 is pretty much my front lawn, I am thinking about just tilling it all up and laying down some sod, its just really patchy and kinda crappy, and the lawn near the street has a lot of crab grass.

Pic 2 is the side of my house. I dont want a lawn there because I dont want water near my foundation at all, but that stump pretty much rules out concrete....

Ideas?

 

[Drako]

I would replace that hideous fence first. D:

 

[highland145]

soil test the front
crush and run the side

 

[blackdogdeek]

Rock pavers instead of concrete for #2.

 

[DrPizza]

Side of the house: I'd completely remove the grass & replace with a weed barrier covered with some sort of decorative gravel.

You did too good of a job killed the grass next to the "landscaped" area with bark. Windy day when you sprayed the weed and grass killer? What the heck is up with the sidewalk? It looks like it starts to turn into the yard, and only goes a foot or so. Wait... is that a sidewalk running through the yard that's completely overgrown?? But, I'd try fixing up the grass, maybe replace those bushes or whatever they are that's planted in the bark - get a nice selection of perennials, perhaps a couple dozen day lilies that would fill in nicely. That bark: too course for the size of the area; finer stuff might have looked nicer. Toss some around that scrawny tree too.

 

[TheSiege]

Yeah that tree was just planted. The sidewalk that turns up was a walkway to the walk out basement. I am tearing it out and repouring a new walkway.

 

[Mayne]

rofl at the shitty fence. Is this 1814?

 

[TheSiege]

It's the neighbors fence. I'd rather have a functional lawn than a nice fence. Just my priorities.

 

[iGas]

Feed the lawn with 30-5-5 or greater, or whatever that is the cheapest at highest nitrogen content, and don't forget to water.

 

[smackababy]

For some reason I read wife somewhere in the title and "with pics". I was severely disappointed.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Can't help you. All I do is mow as little as possible and pray for winter to come back. My grass is way too healthy for my tastes. Once a brown patch formed in one of the corners of my yard and I had hopes that it would spread to the rest of the grass so I wouldn't have to tend it any more. Shit grew right back like nothing ever happened. For the life of me I can't figure out why people worry so much about their lawns. Mine is goddamn bullet proof and I don't care if it lives or dies.

 

[Kadarin]

Has anyone mentioned the crappy fence yet?

 

[etrigan420]

Looks pretty damned good compared to mine...that grass is totally salvageable.

I'd concur with the good Dr. regarding a re-barkification. That alone would do wonders. Add some color, maybe a bush based border of some sort between the walk-out path and the fence.

For the side; kill it, barrier it, then use those pavers in the photo for a walk way and fill with gravel. Done and done.

(I like the fence...maybe it's the 70's child in me. Might think about getting that stump ground...)