From Dead Grass to Cactus Garden

Well, it's been a while since I last posted in this blog. As promised, I've been working on my front yard landscaping project. The summer of 2011 was blisteringly hot and dry, and a good-sized portion of the grass in my front yard died. I created a border around the dead area using glass Topo Chico bottles.

I thought the grass in the enclosed area was dead, but when the spring rains came, all kinds of weed grasses filled in where the St. Augustine had died. Since I was planning to plant cactus and agave, I didn't want to use any herbicides in this area, so I covered it with black plastic.

Once this was done, I left the area covered for several months to ensure that the underlying vegetation was killed. I then laid out the design for my plants, and went to a landscaping company for crushed gravel. The landscaper recommended leaving as much of the plastic in place to discourage weeds from coming back, so I cut large holes in the plastic and dug holes for planting my cactus and agave, then filled in with the granite.

I have been very pleased with the result. It was hard work, but well worth it. The agaves and cactus are thriving, and the maintenance is minimal. I don't have to water at all, which is great considering how dry we've been this summer. My next post will be all about digging up the Spanish Daggers in the front bed and turning that space into a kitchen herb garden.