[LordOpie]

(motorcycles, landscaping, boobies... sorry, this is the only place I post with any sort of regularity, so y'all get all of me )

We're gonna tear up the backyard, lay down sod on one half, a garden on the other half.

I'm leaning towards an underground water sprinkler system, but at least above ground... obviously before we plant stuff.

I'm ignorant, any suggestions, any good reading material you've come across, any pitfalls to avoid?

TIA!

 

[N8 v2.0]

(motorcycles, landscaping, boobies... sorry, this is the only place I post with any sort of regularity, so y'all get all of me )

We're gonna tear up the backyard, lay down sod on one half, a garden on the other half.

I'm leaning towards an underground water sprinkler system, but at least above ground... obviously before we plant stuff.

I'm ignorant, any suggestions, any good reading material you've come across, any pitfalls to avoid?

TIA!

You can do it yourself for about 1/2 the cost of a pro installer... however, it will take you a lot longer and more frustration. Home Depot/Lowes can do a layout and a material list for you.

Don't know about there, but here you will have to have a back flow preventer no matter what though and usually a licesed plumber will have to hook that up.

Also, if you want the water sprinkler on a sperate meter from you house (so you don't have to pay sewage etc) then a licensed plumber will have to do the tap too.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Opie, get yourself a garden hose and a sprinkler. Its your back yard.

 

[N8 v2.0]

What the hell am I talking about???!!

 

[PatBranch]

I think you should build an undergound system of trails in tunnels. Then, in the morning, you could just ride down from the basement.

 

[LordOpie]

You can do it yourself for about 1/2 the cost of a pro installer... however, it will take you a lot longer and more frustration.

That's ok, I like home improvement projects and if I do it and learn about it, then when something happens, I'm better prepared to fix it.

Home Depot/Lowes can do a layout and a material list for you.

Cool.

Don't know about there, but here you will have to have a back flow preventer no matter what though and usually a licesed plumber will have to hook that up.

Also, if you want the water sprinkler on a sperate meter from you house (so you don't have to pay sewage etc) then a licensed plumber will have to do the tap too.

Good to know, maybe I should find a plumber before I start the project. Would they be annoyed that I only want them to do the licensed stuff and I'll do the rest?

How would I get it on a seperate meter? How long before I see a return on the investment for the seperate meter?

 

[LordOpie]

Opie, get yourself a garden hose and a sprinkler. Its your back yard.

as dry as it is here, the yard will have to be watered a lot... I'll just put the system on a timer

 

[Wumpus]

If your tearing up the yard, put in the spinkler system then you can set it to water at night/very early morning when evaporation and usually the wind are at their lowest.

I built my flower beds with sandy loam. Easy for the roots to get through and easy to dig in. Plus, they are raised so they drain good.

Do find a native plant list and plant stuff that is drought tolerant for the area -- xeriscaping. Special plants with unusual water/care requirements are a pain in the ass.

Don't buy your plants from Lowes/Home Depot. Find some local nurseries. I'm not anti Lowes, but I use to be a grower for a large whoesale nursery, and the big box stores want large quantities for ridiculously low cost. The quality of plants from a local nursery are usually superior and worth any additional cost.

 

[LordOpie]

If your tearing up the yard, put in the spinkler system then you can set it to water at night...

exactly.

Thanks for the link and yeah, we'll use local growers

 

[Wumpus]

Here's a list of trees and shrubs --> http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/Garden/07229.html

Make sure you do your research on trees before planting. Just because one is popular, doesn't make it good. If you plant a crappy tree, it will take decades for a replacement to fill back in.


Note -- when you set up your watering, you want it to put down about an inch of water per watering. Water deep and infrequently. Watering often and shallow will produce plants and grass with shallow roots that will be easily damaged if you get a stretch of harsh weather.

 

[maxyedor]

Why not go with all local vegitation instead of grass? Dogs love it and water costs are usualy allot lower.

 

[geargrrl]

Why not go with all local vegitation instead of grass? Dogs love it and water costs are usualy allot lower.

local native plants = xeriscaping, which is a very cool concept.

Depending on where you live and the square footage of lawn you want, there are a lot of really great drought tolerant grasses out there


low water lawns:
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/article382.html

 

[N8 v2.0]

Good to know, maybe I should find a plumber before I start the project. Would they be annoyed that I only want them to do the licensed stuff and I'll do the rest?

How would I get it on a seperate meter? How long before I see a return on the investment for the seperate meter?

I'd talk to your local building inspections office about who can do what as far as a plumber goes.

The return on investment on a seperate meter depends on how much the sewage rates and all the other additives that are included in a residential meter charge.

 

[Westy]

From your earlier posts I thought this was going to be about trimming the hedges. Wink, nudge.

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

where can you find plans/drawings for sprinkler systems??
websites that sell parts?

 

[Wumpus]

where can you find plans/drawings for sprinkler systems??
websites that sell parts?

google.com

http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/sprinkler00.htm

 

[DRB]

http://www.rainbird.com/

http://www.toro.com/sprinklers/index.html

 

[Changleen]

When I lived in AZ we put a sprinkler system in the backyard of the house we were living in. It was easy. Well, actually all the digging was a pain in the arse so we hired Mexicans to do it. The laying of pipe and construction of the system was easy.

 

[BurlyShirley]

It was easy. Well, actually all the digging was a pain in the arse so we hired Mexicans to do it.

Look at you, perpetuating the madness after all... No wonder you hate America, you live in F'ing AZ.

 

[SkaredShtles]

So when you havin' kids, man?

 

[Curb Hucker]

Steps to Do it Yourself Landscaping:

Step 1: Hire my company

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

google.com

http://www.irrigationtutorials.com/sprinkler00.htm

thanks. i´ve been reading that.

drip irrigations seems no good for grass. and the dude says buring emiters (even if they are purpose built) is not recomendable. but nothing else.

anybody can expand a little more on that?

 

[LordOpie]

So when you havin' kids, man?

1st kid : summer 2008

 

[Serial Midget]

Building and maintaining a traditional yard and garden in your area is socially unconscionable. How can you justify adding to the pending ecological disaster that will happen when Colorado finally runs out of water? Be like Sante Fe... cactus, scrub and sage are low maintenance and Green Peace approved.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Building and maintaining a traditional yard and garden in your area is socially unconscionable. How can you justify adding to the pending ecological disaster that will happen when Colorado finally runs out of water? Be like Sante Fe... cactus, scrub and sage are low maintenance and Green Peace approved.

Frikkin' hippy.

 

[Mackie]

as dry as it is here, the yard will have to be watered a lot... I'll just put the system on a timer

I've got a nice programable Hunter set up for mine, where you can chose when & how long to water each zone. You can amke different programs to select for different conditions.
Oh, and it has a remote control. I love wetting squirels & neighborhood kids who dare to venture onto my lawn....

 

[dan-o]

Building and maintaining a traditional yard and garden in your area is socially unconscionable. How can you justify adding to the pending ecological disaster that will happen when Colorado finally runs out of water? Be like Sante Fe... cactus, scrub and sage are low maintenance and Green Peace approved.

You live in a desert. Do the San Luis Valley a favor and don't drain the Arkansas. All the hot rafting/kayaking chicks will thank you

 

[LordOpie]

here's the ironic part of water conservation... Denver residents did such a good job over the last few years of using less water, that the water company raised rates cuz they weren't selling enough water and bringing in enough revenue.

So, it's my responsibility to compensate for all the hippies and waste as much water as I can.

 

[DRB]

Frikkin' hippy.

I hate hippies.

 

[SkaredShtles]

You live in a desert.

Actually he doesn't.

Do the San Luis Valley a favor and don't drain the Arkansas. All the hot rafting/kayaking chicks will thank you

Ummm....... the Arkansas doesn't run through the San Luis.

 

[Serial Midget]

Frikkin' hippy.

I have the flatest flat-top in the entire county!

The thing about grass is you spend Sunday mornings mowing it instead of something else.