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| I have a small 15' x 30' front yard that is mainly beach sand. We just finished a major home renovation and are starting from square one with the yard. I need help with ideas for the surface material.
I want to create a casual, modern and beachy feel. I have some ideas about what I want to plant (melaleuca tree, echium, grasses, succulents) and how to do that (incorporate lots of organic matter into my sand). (Thanks to those who gave me advice previously!) I will probably pour a concrete pad as path from the gate to the door and maybe press some stones or shells into it. I may integrate a few large pots into the design for fun. But I have no idea how to deal with the top layer. Gravel? Mulch? Decomposed granite? I am sick of living with sand in the house all the time and, at any rate, the sand is kind of grimy and mixed with dirt so it's not very nice. The house is separated from the actual beach by a couple hundred feet of pavement, but we do get quite a bit of sand blowing in on windy days and this eventually builds up. Would decomposed granite just get covered by the and and be a waste? Would gravel be a good choice as the sand would sink through it or would it just get buried? Would organic mulch be better as it would eventually amend my "soil" and I could just add layers to the top if it got too muddled with the beach sand after a storm? If so, what kind of mulch? Any ideas or experience would be welcome. Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Not an expert, but I would use a thick layer of compost around the newly-installed plants and over any bare areas. Then I might top that with another layer of organic mulch of a heavier nature. The sand will blow in no matter what you use, but at least these materials will improve the soil. Planting densely and establishing an easy-care low-growing groundcover in those bare areas will help. |
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- Posted by rosiew 8 GA (rosemarywalsh@bellsouth.net) on Tue, Oct 30, 12 at 14:32
| I think the Soils-Compost Forum would be a great place for you to pose this question. You'll have to modify the subject wording a bit for it to be accepted - e.g., dilemna with beach sand front yard. HTH |
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- Posted by deviant-deziner Oh zone (My Page) on Tue, Oct 30, 12 at 17:20
| Would decomposed granite just get covered by the sand and be a waste? well yes and no - the sand tends to get grinded into the decomposed granite when it is minimal. But when there is a huge sweep of sand that flows over the DG it can be a kind of a waste. DG is expensive in northern calif so I often weigh the cost vs. the function and value. Would gravel be a good choice as the sand would sink through it or would it just get buried? Again, it depends on how much sand flows across the area. Would organic mulch be better as it would eventually amend my "soil" and I could just add layers to the top if it got too muddled with the beach sand after a storm? If so, what kind of mulch? - I'd go with a bark mulch. it will break down over time and add nutient value to the sandy soil. |
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