Last week I shared with you the big reveal of our native, drought tolerant front yard and landscape. I worked closely with our landscaper and had many requests for what I wanted from our yard. I'm going to share some of the costs for hiring a landscaper, so that you can see realistically what to expect. Now, let me be honest, I started out this project when I heard our city was offering a $1 per square foot rebate to take out our lawn, but we ran into some problems...
...well, I mentioned to my husband that I was going to apply for our city's rebate program. The city called me and set up an appointment. They came out, measured, and approved us on the spot. Sounds great, right? WRONG -- they told me I had four months from that day to FINISH the project to get it done. I think my mouth was on the floor...I hadn't even told my husband yet!
So, basically I begged and pleaded for extensions a few times because you can't kill the grass in four months {even our landscaper told us that} - it takes eight months to fully kill it. In the end, we lost the rebate! Gah! This whole project started because of that and we lost it. But, we had already ripped everything out so we had to continue. I'm glad it's done and it turned out nicely and am thankful God provided the funds to be able to pay cash!
The approximate cost for all the rock which includes:
River Rock - $300
Flagstone - $1565
Gravel - $300
Boulders - $600
Sitting Wall block - $400
The approximate cost for all the plants was a couple thousand dollars. So, I'm sure your jaw is on the floor. I wanted to let you know of some of the costs because even if you DIY this, it's not cheap. I'm not even telling you the cost of any labor, sprinklers, lighting, drain lines, sod, etc. We DO have a fairly big front yard for California - approximately 2800 square feet total. But, even still, that stuff costs money. Now, here are all the plants we used and where they are to help you should you want to try this endeavor on your own.
Plants used:
1. Nandina Gulf Stream {link}
2. Schefflera Arboricola {link}
3. Acorus {link}
4. Liriope {link}
5. Rosemary Tuscan Blue {link}
6. Pittosporum Tenuifolium {link}
7. Mexican Feather Grass {link}
8. Iceberg Rose {link}
9. Hebe {link}
10. Raphiolepis Umbellata {link}
11. Euonymus Microphyllum {link}
12. Buxus {link}
13. Phoenix Roebelenii {link}
14. Euryopo Patio Tree {link}
15. Osteospermum {link}
16. Diosma {link}
17. Lavender {link}
18. Agapanthus Peter Pan {link}
19. Erysimum Bowles Wall Flower {link}
20. Festuca {link}
21. Myoporum Parrifolium {link}
You may notice that I have a plant color theme. Or maybe you didn't. Our house colors are blue, white {trim}, yellow {front door}, gray steps, and black {all metal}. So, I had the landscaper choose plants that had texture and only had flowers in yellow, white, or purple/blue colors.
This way, everything GOES with the house and compliments the house color.
Yep, it wasn't cheap. But, it completes the look of our home. I really feel like finishing this front yard really helped everything come together - my vision! Our 1947 house looks really updated without taking away from its' charm. It's been a seemingly LONG process to getting the whole house updated with new paint, new windows, new roof, solar panels, back patio, and now the front yard. I'd love to hear if you have used any of these plants or what are good native plants in YOUR area...
One last thing, I received much criticism about the fact that we ripped out our grass. I want to thank all my readers for your sweet comments. I really believe our front yard is ALIVE now - the grass was full of weeds and expensive to keep it green. Now we have so many different colors, types, and textures of plants and flowers. It's just ALIVE with color and texture. I know some of you are die-hard green grass people, but be open minded that this is really beautiful in true life!
...well, I mentioned to my husband that I was going to apply for our city's rebate program. The city called me and set up an appointment. They came out, measured, and approved us on the spot. Sounds great, right? WRONG -- they told me I had four months from that day to FINISH the project to get it done. I think my mouth was on the floor...I hadn't even told my husband yet!
So, basically I begged and pleaded for extensions a few times because you can't kill the grass in four months {even our landscaper told us that} - it takes eight months to fully kill it. In the end, we lost the rebate! Gah! This whole project started because of that and we lost it. But, we had already ripped everything out so we had to continue. I'm glad it's done and it turned out nicely and am thankful God provided the funds to be able to pay cash!
The approximate cost for all the rock which includes:
River Rock - $300
Flagstone - $1565
Gravel - $300
Boulders - $600
Sitting Wall block - $400
The approximate cost for all the plants was a couple thousand dollars. So, I'm sure your jaw is on the floor. I wanted to let you know of some of the costs because even if you DIY this, it's not cheap. I'm not even telling you the cost of any labor, sprinklers, lighting, drain lines, sod, etc. We DO have a fairly big front yard for California - approximately 2800 square feet total. But, even still, that stuff costs money. Now, here are all the plants we used and where they are to help you should you want to try this endeavor on your own.
Plants used:
1. Nandina Gulf Stream {link}
2. Schefflera Arboricola {link}
3. Acorus {link}
4. Liriope {link}
5. Rosemary Tuscan Blue {link}
6. Pittosporum Tenuifolium {link}
7. Mexican Feather Grass {link}
8. Iceberg Rose {link}
9. Hebe {link}
10. Raphiolepis Umbellata {link}
11. Euonymus Microphyllum {link}
12. Buxus {link}
13. Phoenix Roebelenii {link}
14. Euryopo Patio Tree {link}
15. Osteospermum {link}
16. Diosma {link}
17. Lavender {link}
18. Agapanthus Peter Pan {link}
19. Erysimum Bowles Wall Flower {link}
20. Festuca {link}
21. Myoporum Parrifolium {link}
You may notice that I have a plant color theme. Or maybe you didn't. Our house colors are blue, white {trim}, yellow {front door}, gray steps, and black {all metal}. So, I had the landscaper choose plants that had texture and only had flowers in yellow, white, or purple/blue colors.
This way, everything GOES with the house and compliments the house color.
Yep, it wasn't cheap. But, it completes the look of our home. I really feel like finishing this front yard really helped everything come together - my vision! Our 1947 house looks really updated without taking away from its' charm. It's been a seemingly LONG process to getting the whole house updated with new paint, new windows, new roof, solar panels, back patio, and now the front yard. I'd love to hear if you have used any of these plants or what are good native plants in YOUR area...
One last thing, I received much criticism about the fact that we ripped out our grass. I want to thank all my readers for your sweet comments. I really believe our front yard is ALIVE now - the grass was full of weeds and expensive to keep it green. Now we have so many different colors, types, and textures of plants and flowers. It's just ALIVE with color and texture. I know some of you are die-hard green grass people, but be open minded that this is really beautiful in true life!
**I have a few affiliate links in this post - this does not mean you pay a dime more for the product when you purchase through my link. It just means I made it easier for you to find what you might like, so I make a few cents if you purchase. I SO SO SO appreciate when you support Organizing Made Fun. Thank you!!**
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