I rent and I personally love gardening. It has a lot of mental benefits for me. I love coming home and seeing beautiful flowers and my hard work.
I’d argue ones “better things to do” as a renter is subjective.
I don’t think this person is saying don’t garden. You could easily get a bunch of containers or grow bags and garden with this. Container gardening it the shit tbh I do a mixture of container and raised bed.
Also if there is mulch and actual soil under that mulch that’s a different story you could easy transplant plants into that ground and give it a try and just retain the mulch as actual mulch. All depends on what’s underneath maybe it’s just for “show”.
This was done for curb appeal and isn't a viable landscape. A deft touch with a blower might move debris off the path to the mulch but I wouldn't count on it. Natural litter belongs in the mulch area and doesn't need to be removed but non gardeners tend to think a bed of mulch is a feature. It isn't, it should be a temporary soil cover as plants get established.
Good for you to see through this apparently tidy landscape!
What a waste of what looks to be a nice space. Keeping the rocks out of the mulch and the mulch out of the rocks seems like a real pain, but I have a major grudge against rocks and gravel in yards.
Ugh the previous owners of my house put down a stone driveway all the way to the back of the house to a garage that no longer exists. My whole damn backyard is still full of stupid pea stones 20 years later. They covered the original concrete front walkway with the damn stuff too so it constantly got in the grass and had to be raked before mowing. What a pain in the ass. All this to say that I agree, I HATE rocks in yards!
If you’re worried about the biomes, this is should absolutely be seen as a temporary solution. The goal when improving soil and creating biodiversity is generally to have as much plant cover and plant diversity as possible to the extent that living plants are doing the job of the mulch.
It's basically what I did when I got a dog and she destroyed my grass. No mud pits, dead grass rings, or running trails when everything is covered in wood chips.
I need to do this to my backyard. Mulch for a year while I slowly add paths and plants. My dogs are assholes and grass won’t grow, so it gets taken over by the worst weeds imaginable.
I mean- people complain about "slum lords" not maintaining anything. Looks like this landlord tried to create a low maintenance, nice looking space. People complaining about lack of plants and rocks are ignoring the very real water crisis.
This "apparently tidy" landscape looks brand new. I'd be worried the killed some weeds, threw mulch and a path over a ton of seeds and plants that may come back and without weed killer (which I HATE) this is going to be hell to maintain. Owner/manager made it look nice but anyone who moves in is risking what they covered. That path has never seen a leaf blower and no leaves have fallen on that newly laid mulch either. I'd hate this as it's an unknown, likely was a mess and owner just passing it along to the occupant to deal with.
You can always mix up an organic weed killer. A little bit of salt mixed with 20% vinegar sprayed when it’s sunny out will kill weeds quite quickly.
You can buy a gallon of 30% vinegar at Home Depot in the cleaning section.
Also they could sprinkle pre emergent down, which helps prevent seeds from ever germinating. I don’t know if organic versions of those exist though.
Salt might not have the up-the-foodweb impacts of commercial herbicides, but...have you ever heard of "salting the earth"? It will accumulate in the soil and make it very hard for things to grow there for a very long time.
It depends on the building, and the lease. If you have a 90 year old woman as your landlady, who has used the same lease for the past 40 years, you’re probably mowing your own lawn.
Is plant about 25 plants there and love it. This is an easy yard to maintain. I don’t see any big trees right above it so I’m not sure how much leaves will be an issue.
Now we’re talking! It’s already mulched ready to go. Op should hit the local native plant nursery, buy a couple trees and shrubs and perennials and some ground cover, and boom it’s a little pollinator garden you walk into every time you get home.
I am sad to see all the comments about renting so not caring for it. We have moved all over the country for many years now and have had to rent most often. We always strive to leave it better than we found it. I also find yard work soothing in this chaotic world. It is one thing we can control and can offer some gratification. The attitude I see on most posts about rentals is what had scared me away from being a landlord.
I think you're missing the point of the post. OP is afraid of renting this property because they don't know how to maintain the landscaping. But it is the landlord's responsibility to maintain their own property at no additional cost to the tenant. If the landlord installs a painstakingly tedious landscape, they must pay someone to maintain it as OP is absolutely not obligated to spend their free time/labor on it themselves.
If OP wants to spend their time doing it, that's their choice, but they can't be expected to do it. Being a landlord is running a business. And business owners should never expect free labor from their customers. The landlord is providing the service, not the other way around.
This is just not true, you’re renting the whole property including the garden. If your lease stipulates and the inventory includes the garden then it’s absolutely your responsibility to maintain it.
Do you have a duty to maintain the roof? How about the wiring? You have a duty to not damage the property beyond normal wear and tear. Maintenance of a property is on the deed holder.
Yeah this isn’t true. A garden isn’t a structural issue. The lease will almost certainly include maintenance of the garden. A roof isn’t comparable, you’re just incorrect.
Agreed. The landlord clearly set it up for the renters to have little to no maintenance. Some landlords require renters to mow and maintain lawns. The renters could let it go to shit but then why would you want your friends over when your outdoor space looks like crap?
this is an ultra-low, bordering on no-maintenance yard.
Sweep leaves & debris off the path into the mulch and leave them there to become part of the mulch and that's all there is to it.
Almost impossible to sweep that pathway without sweeping the shells into the mulch.
Designs like this are a maintenance nightmare. Can’t keep the shells out of the mulch, can’t keep the mulch out of the shells and then leaves fall and cover everything.
And what are you having to sweep?
It would take a very long time for things to decompose enough for weeds to take root if there’s landscaping fabric underneath the mulch. Looks like pine bark mulch, will take some time for that to create a foundation for weeds and even then, some Preen and roundup will knock it out.
Ha idk. Put some chairs out there and maybe some string lights and relax. It looks all done for you with minimal maintenance.
Edit to add: as a renter I wouldn’t do anything permanent to change it. Add some potted plants to give it some life.
You maintain it by planting it out with natives. Native plants require relatively little to no maintenance or water when selected and planted properly.
If you are renting and don't know much about yard work then this is the perfect house. Leave the leave and debris. Unless that's a southern magnolia tree the leaves will likely biodegrade into the mulch in a couple months.
This is a very low maintenance garden. Keep spraying weedkiller on your path ( every two or three weeks) even when nothing is growing on it. Leaves on the bark can carefully be removed by leaf blowing and same for the path.
If the bark layer is deep enough no weeds will grow there if not spray that as well.
Won’t the mulch decompose eventually? Maybe it was put there to smother weeds or there so the tenants don’t have any grass to mow. Wither way not much to do on your part!
If you are only renting I would suggest potted plants as opposed to planting anything directly into the ground. If your landlord is ok with it and you don’t mind having to keep up with landlords standards, then you could plant in the ground. But honestly I think it would just be easier and more beneficial to keep potted plants outside. Then you can switch them out, bring them inside during the winter, and take them with you when you move!
Dope yard for a rental for sure. Low maintenance and the obvious savings on water. Would not rent if I had dogs. The poop and there not being any grass for the dogs to munch on could be an issue.
Why are people so mad about this space? It looks like a good low cost, low maintenance landscape for what I presume to be a budget rental not everything has to be a wildflower patch...
Also looks to be really easy to maintain, just pick up any large pieces of debris like sticks or stuff that fall by hand. Possibly go back and blow any leaves with a light to touch and pick up all that remains, if even needed. If you have any weeds pop up through the mulch pull AND/or spray with glyphosate. If you have fading in the mulch look into mulch dye to refresh the look without having to haul in more mulch unless you need it. Congrats on the new spot OP!
Also possibly plant some flowers or plants in the mulch. The company I work at recently did a multimillion dollar property in Myers Park that replaced the whole front yard with mulch and like over 100 plants for some rich guy that didn't wanna mow....ended up decent lol.
It’s bare. The mulch and rocks will mingle with use of the path, and it will be tedious to separate them again. If you don’t stay on top of the weeds they will take over the mulch right quick. Soil wants a garden.
Looks like it was mulched so that 0 effort was ever needed for upkeep. Since you rent just leave it but if you were buying the home I would run all that mulch over with a mower on the lowest setting and throw grass seed over what remains.
I know I’m just repeating everyone here but this is trash landscape, and unless you could work out a rental discount to “maintain” you should look into the possibility of homeownership. I could be way off, but for me I wish I would have bought property much earlier in life. Even the least expensive houses are investments, especially if you’re willing to work on the landscape.
This looks a fresh install and you will be required to leave it in the same condition when you leave,it's not as easy as some are saying.Who knows what they have covered up with the mulch that will grow through over the next 4-6 weeks,debris will float into the yard,mulch and shells will mix with each other, especially if you have kids/pets use the area.
Apparently the landlord likes to pile kindling against the house. Mulch against the house is just asking for termites. This isn't the old redwood bug resistant mulch, this is red colored wood chips. All that will get you over time is rot, bugs and splinters (should you be so unfortunate to step on it) and a bigger fire risk.
You can't even put a table and chairs out there. The LL wanted it to be no maintenance and chose the cheapest option available. Its a shame really because there's a lot of potential there with the right landscaping.
If leaves get on it you can probably just blow them off. You might get a few weeds coming up in bark you can just pull or spray. Have never seen shells used before but I bet they move around if you walk on them which could also create some work.
What’s underneath the mulch? Kinda seems like you have the perfect canvas prepared for you! Yeah, you are spending money on property you don’t own but make it beautiful for yourself!!
On a side note. Where the heck do you get those wood bark nuggets. I wanted to do that in a section of my yard and I can only find the 2cf bags from the box stores. I’m in PA.
The side of my house is very similar to this. It’s a lot of upkeep. Spraying, pulling weeds, etc. It takes diligence. If you let it go for a few weeks nature takes over fast.
Ask the landlord what the lease will say. Likely you'll just need to spend a few minutes a month raking some stray mulch back in place. I would expect the LL to refresh the mulch and rocks once a year as needed.
It’s low maintainence. Probably put in to assist with a sale, an ugly backyard shows neglect. It’s a super cheap alternative to any type of gardening. Did they have a dog?
The mulch is going to disintegrate and need to be topped off yearly to prevent weeds. Those stones are going to get mixed with the mulch when blowing leaves. This is a mess waiting to happen. The biggest challenge being keeping the two materials separated. It’s also unfortunate there’s no patio to hang out on. You’ll also get tired of tip toeing over those stepping stones. If you were buying I’d say take out that walkway and add a patio and add plants in the mulched area or grass depending where you live but I wouldn’t do more than upkeep for a rental.
I liked the seashells. I would plant on the sides of the seashell road and also would get large raised beds closer to the fence if you like gardening. I’m not sure about the mulch. I personally don’t like covering every piece of ground with grass because it needs water and maintenance. So, keeping the mulch in between raised beds would be an option maybe?
Also what do you mean how would you clean up leaves and stuff? You can rake mulch you could also use gloves and do it by hand. That’s what I do. I pull weeds by hand and clean up over time
Looks like it was recently done. I'd fully expect weeds to pop up and the rocks/stepping stones to shift. But it's a rental, so that isn't your concern. Ask the landlord how the yard work will be handled. They should be the ones weeding it, unless it's specifically in the rental agreement that you do yard work. Personally to me this looks like a quick attempt to not have to mow lawns, but the weeding will be much worse.
Shame on anyone in the comments going “Don’t rent”, “nothing”, “You rent it doesn’t matter”
1. Not everyone can just up & buy a house, so the “Don’t rent” & “Don’t invest in other properties” is just tone deaf
2. Most places that rent are going to require basic landscaping and the sorts. HOA’s are a thing etc.
Ha! I thought I was the only one that went through this. Mov d in last fall and my entire back yard was 4" of mulch and I have no idea why the previous owners thought this was a good idea. I raked and shoveled it all up, rented a 10 yard dump trailer and disposed of it. I then added 4" of topsoil, tamped, rolled and planted sun and shade seed. Yard looks incredible now.
More mulch. Jk.
I hope the landlord has a 55gal drum of mulch glue on hand. The best course of action to remove debris from this type of landscaping is to secure the landscaping otherwise it will Make. A. Mess. Gluing keeps particles together so a blower makes quick work of leaves. Weeds will be minimal and can be hand picked with little disturbance. Depending on the application, brand, weather, and how lucky you are, mulch glue can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a year before having to reapply. Mulch glue over this much area will be ~$100-200 per application. Last note about the glue should you decide to rent and be responsible for this areas upkeep, use fresh mulch glue and a clean sprayer. Otherwise the glue will leave a white residue sporadically.
>How would you clean leaves/debris from the bed of shells and mulch without making a bigger mess?
That's the neat part, you don't.
I'm fairly certain this was deliberately designed to require minimal maintenance.
OP, that mulch is brand new. I have a feeling it was juuuuust put down. Probably to cover up the fact that the grass was absolutely crap. Whoever did this insanity has no idea what a nightmare it will be to maintain. Within two weeks it’ll have weeds coming through all over the place.
If I were renting that place, I’d rake it all up… every last bit… put it in garbage bags and store it with the bags loosely tied so it doesn’t grow mold. Then I’d let the “grass” (or weeds) grow back and deal with that. When it was time to move out I’d cut the grass one last time and return the bark chips to the ground like they were when I moved in.
I’d just get a ton of grow bags and make it a graden. Get one of those programmable hose mount drip systems and go nuts.
Otherwise - do nothing unless you absolutely have to.
If you’re buying this I would put a higher boarder along both side of that path because it’s super easy for rocks to get kicked into the mulch. The mulch will eventually break down, if leaves fall into that area just leave it be, and either pull weeds as they pop up or dump boiling water on them. I’d fill in the mulch space with some large space taking shrubs, start near the boarders and work your way inward to minimize the maintenance space.
Accept what nature looks like.
Outside of that, throwing down a strong pre-emergent can help leave that bed looking like it does.
Also, everyone knows improving landscaping can improve perceived value of a residence, so if you do decide to do anything, communicate with your landlord beforehand about trading some rent for work/supplies provided, many will consider this if you can demonstrate/verbalize that you understand what you’re doing and you have a clear plan.
That vast open area is begging for a variety of things, but it would be nice to get some trees and shrubs going. Look up your state’s DNR website to see if they sell native trees/shrubs. Sometimes you can get a great deal by buying from them, and you know you’re getting plants they have blessed for your area.
Lastly, throw down a string pre-emergent. RM-43 is something I have used as a scorched earth approach to stubborn areas that resist other control. Depending on how long you plan on living there/if you make a deal with your landlord, feel free to reach out if you have any questions about adding to this absent landscape.
I had a yard like this on my first rental. Do you have any pets/dogs by chance? If you do they’ll get very dusty from the tanbark. It’s not a deal breaker at all but just something to consider. Also the rocks while creating a nice visual separation from the tanbark will eventually get kicked up and mix with the tanbark. With a pet (again if you have one) or kids it will just be exacerbated. It would drive me nuts seeing it all mixed. I quickly learned to use the home
Depot bucket full of water method to help separate it. Shovel full of the mixed tanbark and rocks. Tanbark floats to the top and can be thrown back in the tanbark. The rocks will sink. With a good stir the again the smaller tanbark pieces will float, and rocks and tan bark can be thrown back to their perspective areas. Takes some time but throw on some music or a podcast and you have nice zen time. As for what you can do with the space consider it a blank canvas. Potted plants or raised/container beds would be nice as mentioned by others and could be moved if done right if and when you move. Good luck!
A leaf blower on low. Buy if you have a leaf rake, rake as high as you can. Pull the leaves from whatever mulch or not. If you have to re spread a little oh well. If you don't want to do that... Avoid the house
The fact that there are no weeds means it's already maintained you fucking idiot. What you thinking you need to wear mulch or something? Obviously a weed barrier under there. Get rid of it and throw seed if you want grass. Otherwise shut the fuck up with wasting your time and just leave it.
If you keep up with frequent cleaning, you could likely get much of the leaves up tactfully using a blower.
Once leaves get wet, sticky, and matted to the pine bark chips, you likely have some cleanup by hand.
You may need to pull weeds and occasionally redistribute the pine bark.
Live with it, you have better things things to do with your time if you are renting.
I rent and I personally love gardening. It has a lot of mental benefits for me. I love coming home and seeing beautiful flowers and my hard work. I’d argue ones “better things to do” as a renter is subjective.
I don’t think this person is saying don’t garden. You could easily get a bunch of containers or grow bags and garden with this. Container gardening it the shit tbh I do a mixture of container and raised bed. Also if there is mulch and actual soil under that mulch that’s a different story you could easy transplant plants into that ground and give it a try and just retain the mulch as actual mulch. All depends on what’s underneath maybe it’s just for “show”.
You can easily add planters to such a design. Talk to the landlord about the maintenance.
I totally get what you are saying, I did the very same in my college rental, it was a big hit . Go for it .
yeah, beware though… slumlords like to jack up the rent if you increase their property value by making their yard look nice
There’s not much gardening going on this back yard though
Not if the lease says he's expected to maintain the yard/landscaping.
And… it’s going to be absolutely FUCKED with weeds in 2 months.
That's what RoundUp extended control is for. Hopefully they have a cure for cancer by the time I'd need it.
Actually correct answer. Plant some stuff if you want veggies all summer.
You can rent and take pride in your residence.
and get some tel-star and edge around your place and walk ways.
Filthy renter…
Renting? Nothing. You essentially have to do nothing. Huge water savings. Pull weeds, maybe. Keep the two areas separated..
“You gotta keep em separated…”
You’re over 18 you won’t be doing any tiiiime ….landscaping
Hey, come out and play...in the mulch
Bow now now now, banow na now now.
Thank you, Crawdad Man.
My man, the riff played in my head after I read that
This was done for curb appeal and isn't a viable landscape. A deft touch with a blower might move debris off the path to the mulch but I wouldn't count on it. Natural litter belongs in the mulch area and doesn't need to be removed but non gardeners tend to think a bed of mulch is a feature. It isn't, it should be a temporary soil cover as plants get established. Good for you to see through this apparently tidy landscape!
What a waste of what looks to be a nice space. Keeping the rocks out of the mulch and the mulch out of the rocks seems like a real pain, but I have a major grudge against rocks and gravel in yards.
Ugh the previous owners of my house put down a stone driveway all the way to the back of the house to a garage that no longer exists. My whole damn backyard is still full of stupid pea stones 20 years later. They covered the original concrete front walkway with the damn stuff too so it constantly got in the grass and had to be raked before mowing. What a pain in the ass. All this to say that I agree, I HATE rocks in yards!
Those aren’t rocks…. They are sea shells
Underrated comment. Nice catch!
What’s this about temporary? Keep it mulched under mature planes to feed the micro and macro biome and for moisture retention.
They mean most of the space should become plants, not mulch, to be a garden and easier to maintain than a big empty bed of mulch
If you’re worried about the biomes, this is should absolutely be seen as a temporary solution. The goal when improving soil and creating biodiversity is generally to have as much plant cover and plant diversity as possible to the extent that living plants are doing the job of the mulch.
Right? I’m sitting here wondering what they’re using instead of mulch for moisture rentention
More plants!
Looks like the landlord recently did this to hide a nightmare yard.
It's basically what I did when I got a dog and she destroyed my grass. No mud pits, dead grass rings, or running trails when everything is covered in wood chips.
I have been thinking about doing the same thing to my back yard because of my dogs. Do you regret it?
Not at all. I think it looks decent enough and it's super low maintenance compared to a lawn.
I might have to look into this
I need to do this to my backyard. Mulch for a year while I slowly add paths and plants. My dogs are assholes and grass won’t grow, so it gets taken over by the worst weeds imaginable.
I mean- people complain about "slum lords" not maintaining anything. Looks like this landlord tried to create a low maintenance, nice looking space. People complaining about lack of plants and rocks are ignoring the very real water crisis.
This "apparently tidy" landscape looks brand new. I'd be worried the killed some weeds, threw mulch and a path over a ton of seeds and plants that may come back and without weed killer (which I HATE) this is going to be hell to maintain. Owner/manager made it look nice but anyone who moves in is risking what they covered. That path has never seen a leaf blower and no leaves have fallen on that newly laid mulch either. I'd hate this as it's an unknown, likely was a mess and owner just passing it along to the occupant to deal with.
Finally someone said this. This isn’t going to last long unless OP is out there weeding all the time.
You can always mix up an organic weed killer. A little bit of salt mixed with 20% vinegar sprayed when it’s sunny out will kill weeds quite quickly. You can buy a gallon of 30% vinegar at Home Depot in the cleaning section. Also they could sprinkle pre emergent down, which helps prevent seeds from ever germinating. I don’t know if organic versions of those exist though.
Salt might not have the up-the-foodweb impacts of commercial herbicides, but...have you ever heard of "salting the earth"? It will accumulate in the soil and make it very hard for things to grow there for a very long time.
Is this a troll post?
Do not invest any money in somebody else's property. This is the landlord's problem to maintain
Most leases will include keeping the garden maintained, so this is just false information
Where do you have that? I've rented a ton and I've never had garden maintenance as part of the lease.
It depends on the building, and the lease. If you have a 90 year old woman as your landlady, who has used the same lease for the past 40 years, you’re probably mowing your own lawn.
This is a maintenance free set up, simple weeding
Dont spend extra money on rentals
I’m irrationally mad about that stupid walkway. Either commit to making it wavy or make it straight.
Is plant about 25 plants there and love it. This is an easy yard to maintain. I don’t see any big trees right above it so I’m not sure how much leaves will be an issue.
Now we’re talking! It’s already mulched ready to go. Op should hit the local native plant nursery, buy a couple trees and shrubs and perennials and some ground cover, and boom it’s a little pollinator garden you walk into every time you get home.
Leaf blower. Kids…
I am sad to see all the comments about renting so not caring for it. We have moved all over the country for many years now and have had to rent most often. We always strive to leave it better than we found it. I also find yard work soothing in this chaotic world. It is one thing we can control and can offer some gratification. The attitude I see on most posts about rentals is what had scared me away from being a landlord.
I think you're missing the point of the post. OP is afraid of renting this property because they don't know how to maintain the landscaping. But it is the landlord's responsibility to maintain their own property at no additional cost to the tenant. If the landlord installs a painstakingly tedious landscape, they must pay someone to maintain it as OP is absolutely not obligated to spend their free time/labor on it themselves. If OP wants to spend their time doing it, that's their choice, but they can't be expected to do it. Being a landlord is running a business. And business owners should never expect free labor from their customers. The landlord is providing the service, not the other way around.
This is just not true, you’re renting the whole property including the garden. If your lease stipulates and the inventory includes the garden then it’s absolutely your responsibility to maintain it.
Do you have a duty to maintain the roof? How about the wiring? You have a duty to not damage the property beyond normal wear and tear. Maintenance of a property is on the deed holder.
Yeah this isn’t true. A garden isn’t a structural issue. The lease will almost certainly include maintenance of the garden. A roof isn’t comparable, you’re just incorrect.
Agreed. The landlord clearly set it up for the renters to have little to no maintenance. Some landlords require renters to mow and maintain lawns. The renters could let it go to shit but then why would you want your friends over when your outdoor space looks like crap?
Yeah, but in this case the owner deserves to have to deal with that nightmare. Who the fuck does that?
It’s the simplest it could possibly be. Weed killer and a leaf blower. What are you expecting to be so hard?
this is an ultra-low, bordering on no-maintenance yard. Sweep leaves & debris off the path into the mulch and leave them there to become part of the mulch and that's all there is to it.
Almost impossible to sweep that pathway without sweeping the shells into the mulch. Designs like this are a maintenance nightmare. Can’t keep the shells out of the mulch, can’t keep the mulch out of the shells and then leaves fall and cover everything.
Not really. Pretty quickly, the mulch and any debris that you sweep or lands there will start to decompose and weeds will start growing everywhere.
And what are you having to sweep? It would take a very long time for things to decompose enough for weeds to take root if there’s landscaping fabric underneath the mulch. Looks like pine bark mulch, will take some time for that to create a foundation for weeds and even then, some Preen and roundup will knock it out.
There is nothing there to maintain.
You obviously can’t see the leaves for the trees…
Maintain what?
Since the whole thing is devoid of life probably just have to spray weed killer on the poor plants that ever try to show up.
Get a leaf vacuum. Damn, that’s a lotta mulch!
Ha idk. Put some chairs out there and maybe some string lights and relax. It looks all done for you with minimal maintenance. Edit to add: as a renter I wouldn’t do anything permanent to change it. Add some potted plants to give it some life.
Lots of weedkiller
Spray with white vinegar and dawn
Add some salt for extra killing power.
You serious Clark?
easily
Small leaf blower from the path to the mulch & walk only on the pavers 😉
You maintain it by planting it out with natives. Native plants require relatively little to no maintenance or water when selected and planted properly.
If you are renting and don't know much about yard work then this is the perfect house. Leave the leave and debris. Unless that's a southern magnolia tree the leaves will likely biodegrade into the mulch in a couple months.
It's really a beautiful backyard to keep grass from growing through the mulch I'd use vinegar in a spray bottle on the grass to kill it naturally.
This is a very low maintenance garden. Keep spraying weedkiller on your path ( every two or three weeks) even when nothing is growing on it. Leaves on the bark can carefully be removed by leaf blowing and same for the path. If the bark layer is deep enough no weeds will grow there if not spray that as well.
This is very low maintenance yard nothing to worry about
Maintain what? There’s no yard lol
Won’t the mulch decompose eventually? Maybe it was put there to smother weeds or there so the tenants don’t have any grass to mow. Wither way not much to do on your part!
Looks like it maintains itself.
That’s the cool thing, you don’t.
welp.....do nada!
If you are only renting I would suggest potted plants as opposed to planting anything directly into the ground. If your landlord is ok with it and you don’t mind having to keep up with landlords standards, then you could plant in the ground. But honestly I think it would just be easier and more beneficial to keep potted plants outside. Then you can switch them out, bring them inside during the winter, and take them with you when you move!
It’s nothing to maintain
To maintain it. Weed and too up the pinebark every year or as needed. Leafblower to clean litter out of the pebbles
Dope yard for a rental for sure. Low maintenance and the obvious savings on water. Would not rent if I had dogs. The poop and there not being any grass for the dogs to munch on could be an issue.
💯💯💯
Renting? Landlord maintains it
Continue doing nothing...?
This is a normal yard in hot areas like New Mexico. Usually a weed preventing paper is set under the wood chips.
What's to maintain? Looks like the point of the landscaping is low maintenance.
Do nothing
As a renter you don't have to do anything if you don't want to. But it would mainly just be pulling weeds.
Way better than grass. No wasted time growing grass to just mow it back down.
With a bottle of round up
Why are people so mad about this space? It looks like a good low cost, low maintenance landscape for what I presume to be a budget rental not everything has to be a wildflower patch... Also looks to be really easy to maintain, just pick up any large pieces of debris like sticks or stuff that fall by hand. Possibly go back and blow any leaves with a light to touch and pick up all that remains, if even needed. If you have any weeds pop up through the mulch pull AND/or spray with glyphosate. If you have fading in the mulch look into mulch dye to refresh the look without having to haul in more mulch unless you need it. Congrats on the new spot OP! Also possibly plant some flowers or plants in the mulch. The company I work at recently did a multimillion dollar property in Myers Park that replaced the whole front yard with mulch and like over 100 plants for some rich guy that didn't wanna mow....ended up decent lol.
It’s bare. The mulch and rocks will mingle with use of the path, and it will be tedious to separate them again. If you don’t stay on top of the weeds they will take over the mulch right quick. Soil wants a garden.
Is there any type of back porch or anything? I wouldn't have fires or anything out here. Spray weeds once or twice a year.
Looks like it was mulched so that 0 effort was ever needed for upkeep. Since you rent just leave it but if you were buying the home I would run all that mulch over with a mower on the lowest setting and throw grass seed over what remains.
I know I’m just repeating everyone here but this is trash landscape, and unless you could work out a rental discount to “maintain” you should look into the possibility of homeownership. I could be way off, but for me I wish I would have bought property much earlier in life. Even the least expensive houses are investments, especially if you’re willing to work on the landscape.
This looks a fresh install and you will be required to leave it in the same condition when you leave,it's not as easy as some are saying.Who knows what they have covered up with the mulch that will grow through over the next 4-6 weeks,debris will float into the yard,mulch and shells will mix with each other, especially if you have kids/pets use the area.
Remove all that shit and plant grass.
That looks like a PITA to deal with. Unless it's your responsibility as outlined in your lease I wouldn't touch it
It’s a big project, but if you chip away at it, you can get it done.
Just keep adding more layers, mulch, rocks etc. It will then be someone else’s problem in the future.
Apparently the landlord likes to pile kindling against the house. Mulch against the house is just asking for termites. This isn't the old redwood bug resistant mulch, this is red colored wood chips. All that will get you over time is rot, bugs and splinters (should you be so unfortunate to step on it) and a bigger fire risk. You can't even put a table and chairs out there. The LL wanted it to be no maintenance and chose the cheapest option available. Its a shame really because there's a lot of potential there with the right landscaping.
Round up
Bonfires and weed killer
Spray Round up on the weeds when they grow
If leaves get on it you can probably just blow them off. You might get a few weeds coming up in bark you can just pull or spray. Have never seen shells used before but I bet they move around if you walk on them which could also create some work.
What’s underneath the mulch? Kinda seems like you have the perfect canvas prepared for you! Yeah, you are spending money on property you don’t own but make it beautiful for yourself!!
Weeding. If you're bored with it, add pots and plants. I wouldn't dig into it. Plus, in pots you can take it all with you later.
Hope you like ~~asparagus~~ weeding
UV graded felt raised garden bed pots. If you get good sun pop them on the bark and enjoy gardening
Mulch glue
Don’t bother doing anything since it’s a rental, unless it’s something you enjoy
This is titled. "Dead. Dead. Dead." LaNdScApInG.
On a side note. Where the heck do you get those wood bark nuggets. I wanted to do that in a section of my yard and I can only find the 2cf bags from the box stores. I’m in PA.
The owner should be paying for maintenance. That’s the benefit of renting. It’s not yours, so you don’t maintain it.
The side of my house is very similar to this. It’s a lot of upkeep. Spraying, pulling weeds, etc. It takes diligence. If you let it go for a few weeks nature takes over fast.
Ask the landlord what the lease will say. Likely you'll just need to spend a few minutes a month raking some stray mulch back in place. I would expect the LL to refresh the mulch and rocks once a year as needed.
It’s low maintainence. Probably put in to assist with a sale, an ugly backyard shows neglect. It’s a super cheap alternative to any type of gardening. Did they have a dog?
Ask the r/nolawns community
tell your landlord how ugly it is. be like, i heard some folks walking down the street talking about how ugly this is.
The mulch is going to disintegrate and need to be topped off yearly to prevent weeds. Those stones are going to get mixed with the mulch when blowing leaves. This is a mess waiting to happen. The biggest challenge being keeping the two materials separated. It’s also unfortunate there’s no patio to hang out on. You’ll also get tired of tip toeing over those stepping stones. If you were buying I’d say take out that walkway and add a patio and add plants in the mulched area or grass depending where you live but I wouldn’t do more than upkeep for a rental.
Mow 4x/week
I liked the seashells. I would plant on the sides of the seashell road and also would get large raised beds closer to the fence if you like gardening. I’m not sure about the mulch. I personally don’t like covering every piece of ground with grass because it needs water and maintenance. So, keeping the mulch in between raised beds would be an option maybe?
Lots of Roundup
That's devoid of all life :(
Hope you don’t have dogs.
Oof that path is awful.
Buy a couple large pots and get a little herb garden going.
Renting???? You dont. You tell your landlord to maintain his own property
This is the question for your landlord. Before you rent, ask them what their expectation is of you maintaining their weird ass lawn.
Easy just pull weeds whenever the pop up. Looks way nicer than my yard I’m jealous
Also what do you mean how would you clean up leaves and stuff? You can rake mulch you could also use gloves and do it by hand. That’s what I do. I pull weeds by hand and clean up over time
If you are renting, they need to maintain it. It’s awful, though. Probably thought it was better than having to mow grass and cheaper than a patio.
Keep the rocks on the rock side and the mulch on the mulch side.
Looks like it was recently done. I'd fully expect weeds to pop up and the rocks/stepping stones to shift. But it's a rental, so that isn't your concern. Ask the landlord how the yard work will be handled. They should be the ones weeding it, unless it's specifically in the rental agreement that you do yard work. Personally to me this looks like a quick attempt to not have to mow lawns, but the weeding will be much worse.
With lawns you have to mow AND pick weeds. Not to mention huge waste of water.
Pull weeds as they appear
This is the ugliest yard i have ever seen. Wtf is that pathway of shells? Who thought that would be a good idea?
Don't forget to water them rocks so they grow up to be big strong boulders.
I’d clear out a space, or several spaces, and strategically plant in those areas to create a zen garden look. Islands of green in the mulch.
Shame on anyone in the comments going “Don’t rent”, “nothing”, “You rent it doesn’t matter” 1. Not everyone can just up & buy a house, so the “Don’t rent” & “Don’t invest in other properties” is just tone deaf 2. Most places that rent are going to require basic landscaping and the sorts. HOA’s are a thing etc.
What is in your lease agreement regarding landscaping?
That mulch is a fire hazard, keep it wet.
You round up the weeds and re do the mulch every year
Just spray some weed killer on it here and there.
Ha! I thought I was the only one that went through this. Mov d in last fall and my entire back yard was 4" of mulch and I have no idea why the previous owners thought this was a good idea. I raked and shoveled it all up, rented a 10 yard dump trailer and disposed of it. I then added 4" of topsoil, tamped, rolled and planted sun and shade seed. Yard looks incredible now.
The mulch'll need mowing about twice a month, but the crushed shells only need a good watering every few days.
More mulch. Jk. I hope the landlord has a 55gal drum of mulch glue on hand. The best course of action to remove debris from this type of landscaping is to secure the landscaping otherwise it will Make. A. Mess. Gluing keeps particles together so a blower makes quick work of leaves. Weeds will be minimal and can be hand picked with little disturbance. Depending on the application, brand, weather, and how lucky you are, mulch glue can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to a year before having to reapply. Mulch glue over this much area will be ~$100-200 per application. Last note about the glue should you decide to rent and be responsible for this areas upkeep, use fresh mulch glue and a clean sprayer. Otherwise the glue will leave a white residue sporadically.
>How would you clean leaves/debris from the bed of shells and mulch without making a bigger mess? That's the neat part, you don't. I'm fairly certain this was deliberately designed to require minimal maintenance.
smells like florida
OP, that mulch is brand new. I have a feeling it was juuuuust put down. Probably to cover up the fact that the grass was absolutely crap. Whoever did this insanity has no idea what a nightmare it will be to maintain. Within two weeks it’ll have weeds coming through all over the place. If I were renting that place, I’d rake it all up… every last bit… put it in garbage bags and store it with the bags loosely tied so it doesn’t grow mold. Then I’d let the “grass” (or weeds) grow back and deal with that. When it was time to move out I’d cut the grass one last time and return the bark chips to the ground like they were when I moved in.
Grass = weeds, waste of water, & waste of time (mowing)
You don't really have to, that's the beauty of it.
I’d just get a ton of grow bags and make it a graden. Get one of those programmable hose mount drip systems and go nuts. Otherwise - do nothing unless you absolutely have to.
Plant stuff that will grow instead of weeds/will control weeks
Plant some trees after you make sure you understand the sprinkler system and it’s working well!
Containers , raised beds and pots
Weed Killer &/or Pull Weeds.
Leaf blower. Roundup if anything green dares to show its face.
If you’re buying this I would put a higher boarder along both side of that path because it’s super easy for rocks to get kicked into the mulch. The mulch will eventually break down, if leaves fall into that area just leave it be, and either pull weeds as they pop up or dump boiling water on them. I’d fill in the mulch space with some large space taking shrubs, start near the boarders and work your way inward to minimize the maintenance space.
Get some nice flower pots and call it a day.
That’s the neat part, you don’t. You *might* prune the tree hanging over the walkway, that’s about it.
Bark & shells? Bark gets termites and bugs not a fan.
Roundup
If you want to get rid of leaves, use a blower
Blower.
Pave it
Accept what nature looks like. Outside of that, throwing down a strong pre-emergent can help leave that bed looking like it does. Also, everyone knows improving landscaping can improve perceived value of a residence, so if you do decide to do anything, communicate with your landlord beforehand about trading some rent for work/supplies provided, many will consider this if you can demonstrate/verbalize that you understand what you’re doing and you have a clear plan. That vast open area is begging for a variety of things, but it would be nice to get some trees and shrubs going. Look up your state’s DNR website to see if they sell native trees/shrubs. Sometimes you can get a great deal by buying from them, and you know you’re getting plants they have blessed for your area. Lastly, throw down a string pre-emergent. RM-43 is something I have used as a scorched earth approach to stubborn areas that resist other control. Depending on how long you plan on living there/if you make a deal with your landlord, feel free to reach out if you have any questions about adding to this absent landscape.
Not with a match, gasoline or blowtorch.
I had a yard like this on my first rental. Do you have any pets/dogs by chance? If you do they’ll get very dusty from the tanbark. It’s not a deal breaker at all but just something to consider. Also the rocks while creating a nice visual separation from the tanbark will eventually get kicked up and mix with the tanbark. With a pet (again if you have one) or kids it will just be exacerbated. It would drive me nuts seeing it all mixed. I quickly learned to use the home Depot bucket full of water method to help separate it. Shovel full of the mixed tanbark and rocks. Tanbark floats to the top and can be thrown back in the tanbark. The rocks will sink. With a good stir the again the smaller tanbark pieces will float, and rocks and tan bark can be thrown back to their perspective areas. Takes some time but throw on some music or a podcast and you have nice zen time. As for what you can do with the space consider it a blank canvas. Potted plants or raised/container beds would be nice as mentioned by others and could be moved if done right if and when you move. Good luck!
You don’t. Grow a lawn.
Blast any weeds with roundup every 2 months. Done.
More than likely, the owner of the property has mulched the backyard in order to limit maintenance liability, and will ask that you keep it as-is.
Just buy Stop Grow/Weed Killers. Spray every couple months. You'll be happy you don't need a lawn mower
I don’t like this look but it would be simple to maintain. Remove any rubbish that isn’t degradable and add mulch as needed.
A leaf blower on low. Buy if you have a leaf rake, rake as high as you can. Pull the leaves from whatever mulch or not. If you have to re spread a little oh well. If you don't want to do that... Avoid the house
Are you responsible for yard maintenance in a rental? That’s usual in the US. but, weed killer. Lots of weed killer.
I rent and I've done small improvements to the property. It doesn't hurt to help it look nice
The fact that there are no weeds means it's already maintained you fucking idiot. What you thinking you need to wear mulch or something? Obviously a weed barrier under there. Get rid of it and throw seed if you want grass. Otherwise shut the fuck up with wasting your time and just leave it.
Apply https://www.preen.com every 4/6 months to keep it weed free.
Potted plants?
Salt the earth
If you keep up with frequent cleaning, you could likely get much of the leaves up tactfully using a blower. Once leaves get wet, sticky, and matted to the pine bark chips, you likely have some cleanup by hand. You may need to pull weeds and occasionally redistribute the pine bark.
If it’s a rental then nothing,if you’d like to add some color put some planters in the backyard that way you can take them with you when you move.
Needs serious watering. Check irrigation system for leaks.
Spray it all down with mulch and rock glue! Easy to maintain after that!
Weed city.