Steps We Took And Decisions We Made

Nothing from the day we moved into our home in Roseville, California, on February 11, 1986, had been done to improve irrigation efficiency in our landscape  with the exception of rebuilding the existing sprinkler system with low-flow sprinkler heads, replacement of the main water service pressure regulator, and installation of a new programmable irrigation controller.

By Larry Bergeron

With the assistance of the Blue Thumb Pilot Project in the Cresthaven Neighborhood of Roseville, irrigation and landscape contractors, and friends, we decided to take the plunge and created a series of steps to change our landscape.

In doing so, we were able to effectively create a master plan with which we could develop a landscape that would be exactly what we wanted, water-wise, drought-tolerant, and pleasing and attractive to both ourselves and our neighbors.

Here are the steps we needed to take and from there, successfully developed a plan for our project:

1. With Inspection and approval by the City of Roseville’s Cash for Grass program, removal of 891 sq ft of the existing grass,  shrubs, floral plants, trees, and ground cover from the front yard (South side) of the home.  Excavating of the sloped front yard and creating a bi-level environment that would permit new planting, a retaining wall, and an attractive patio on the lower level, roughly 36” below the street and sidewalk.
2. Re-grading the entire yard area for effective drainage of the front and back yards, (North and South sides of the home), and excavation for new drain lines on the East and West sides of the home.
3. Installation of 100% hardscape with stepping stones from the South side sidewalk through to the North side of the back yard, and decorative rock cover over landscape fabric, including demarcation curb, retaining wall, custom stamped concrete patios in front and in the rear, demolition of the existing driveway and creation of a new shaped stairway approach to the home.
4. Construction of a new stamped concrete driveway and curb to complement the new patio, entry, and retaining walls adjoining the new steps paralleling the driveway in a creative approach to the front entry.
5. Installation of new side yard gating on both left and right side approaches to the back yard, and prior to building the new hardscape, installation of a new, underground drainage system including pre-installed tie-ins to a planned future leaf-guard gutter system with connection to new 4” laterals to the storm drains on street-side.
6. Installation of a new subsurface irrigation system including pre-installed tie-ins to a planned water-efficient drip irrigation system complete with controller, valves, primary service pressure regulator, and distribution pressure regulators for a planned, new, 6-zone drip irrigation system.
7. Creation of a pave-stone demarcation feature to set aside a 200 sq ft area in the back yard for our dog to use as her personal space with a bed of 2-3 inches of 3/8” black and white aggregate as a final surface material.
8. Placing a total of over 30 tons of new hard cover including tan decorative ¾” aggregate, ¾” round river rock, and 3/8” black and white aggregate.  An estimated 27 cu yds of 6-sack, class C concrete to be  placed for the stamped concrete areas including the driveway and curbing with reinforcement as required for strength and durability.  Clear sealing of all of the stamped concrete using a non-slip additive for safety when afoot on the concrete areas.
9. During installation of the patio area at the back of the home, pre-installation of base anchors for support timbers for a planned pergola to be installed on the patio in the spring of 2012.
10. Complement the entire hardscape area with approved growing cover to meet the City of Roseville’s “Cash for Grass” program requirements.  This requires water-efficient landscape flora replacing a minimum of 50% of the approved area of grass turf removed for the project.

Next month:

1.  City programs that facilitate our landscaping upgrade/renewal and our approach to that process.

2.  The steps to take for us to ensure that our project will proceed in an orderly and professional manner.

Keep up the reading and DOING!  Our Blue Thumbs are up to the CREATIVE in all of you!

–Larry Bergeron