I’ll be the first to say that I really like our house. But there is one thing about it that is giving me increasing problems as I get older. Our house (and lot) is lower than the house next to us. Our lot is lower than the lot across the street as well. The result is a fairly steep drop from the road to a depression in our lawn which serves as a path for runoff water after a hard rain.
That slope, on each side of the driveway, has gotten steeper with each passing year. It is just hard to mow. The area around our mail box was especially hard to mow. When a house was built across the street, that mailbox was put next to ours and made a bad situation even worse.
Since I’m always looking for ways to avoid work, I built the small retaining wall and built up the area between it and the road enough to put in some plantings. Right now it contains hens and chicks (sempervivum) and periwinkle. We’ll probably add some pansies for color in the fall. The wall extends about six feet before tapering out where I can mow without any problems.
Now I just have to come up with a solution to the other side of the driveway, where the slope steeper and longer.
Senior Moments 
July 6, 2009 at 4:48 am |
That’s about all you can do with an area like that is add some flowers. We have accounts like this and hubby spends a lot of time having to just weed-eat the area because its hard to get a mower across it.
George there are products on the market you can spray on lawsn that will stop the grass from growing on slopes. It doesn’t kill the grass it just stops the growth of it. Its made for steep areas like this.
July 6, 2009 at 7:24 am |
You found the perfect solution! I wouldn’t want to mow on an incline either (well actually Greg has to do the mowing – but I bet he agrees with me! LOL!)
July 6, 2009 at 8:32 am |
What, no roses there?
July 6, 2009 at 8:45 am |
well this is not only a creative solution but one that makes your life easier, bravo!
I have heard that when has something they want to figure out, find an answer to, that it is good to take a walk and ponder in a relaxed manner and the answer will show itself. Wishing you the best in figuring out the other side.
July 6, 2009 at 8:57 am |
That’s a great idea George! Looks really nice too.
July 6, 2009 at 9:01 am |
We just finished building a stone wall around our front yews and flowers. What a lot of work!! Whew!! Your wall looks great and if it keeps that nasty ole water from draining into your yard..it was definitely worth all your hard work!! Good Job!!
July 6, 2009 at 9:05 am |
I’m not crazy about mowing on a hill either. I have that at the old house on the other side of the fence in the front. I planted phlox on the hill with the idea that eventually it will cover the whole hill and I wouldn’t have to mow.
July 6, 2009 at 9:09 am |
That’s a great solution and it looks esthetically very pleasing. Love the stone! I’m sure you will come up with something equally as pleasing on the other side. Have you thought of planting a ground cover or would that eventually be too invasive into the rest of the grass? I was thinking of vinca. — Hubby hated mowing the lawn – and we had a totally flat yard!!!
July 6, 2009 at 9:28 am |
This looks great and I think you are genius to come up with ways to avoid work!!!!!
July 6, 2009 at 11:51 am |
That is a pretty solution to the problem.
Blessings,Ruth
July 6, 2009 at 11:51 am |
What about extending the drive way George?.
July 6, 2009 at 4:47 pm |
Looks lovely. I’ve planted clover on our ‘lawn’, it is Freedom 52!
I think we could do away with lawns and do Grandma Doors , or something!
July 6, 2009 at 9:49 pm |
Thank goodness George! No, really, when I first saw your image I thought the deer had come back and wiped you out. 🙂
I think you’ve done a great job with what you have. All of your photos I’ve seen are of a neat, clean and well taken care of yard – lovely.
July 6, 2009 at 10:56 pm |
Good you found a solution. I worry about Mike when he mows our dam…especially the lake side. Hills are so difficult when mowing. I would love to have it all planted in something that never needed mowing.