Landscaping help needed:

[svandamme]

[speeder]

Originally Posted by svandamme

That’s funny because this property would be a prime location for that but it ain’t happening. Would definitely pay the mortgage, if there was one.

I took a few more pics, hopefully these illustrate the grounds better. These are the areas to be planted, including part of the walkway in first photo that is under a portico/roof and will never get sun. Everywhere else gets sun at least part of the day. It’s all irrigated.

[speeder]

Here are some shots of the rest of the grounds and the house:

[speeder]

[speeder]

Back yard is a deck:

[speeder]

I’m getting ready to rent a stump grinder to remove a couple, I’d call them medium size, (maybe 2’ diameter), how deep of a grinder do I need? Home Depot rents one that goes 18” deep, IIRC. May have asked already but do I need to eliminate 100% of stump or just most of it?

I’m kind of looking forward to this. And yes, I’ll have a younger/stronger worker.

[Tobra]

What is the closest UC school to you? They will probably have a botany or ag department that will be able to make some excellent suggestions. Davis has people you can talk to, I suspect there are similar programs at UCLA and UCI

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Tobra

What is the closest UC school to you? They will probably have a botany or ag department that will be able to make some excellent suggestions. Davis has people you can talk to, I suspect there are similar programs at UCLA and UCI

Thanks, this is right up the hill from UCLA in Bel Air but I’m feeling pretty good about the landscape design. It’s coming along. I visited a good nursery on Friday and got a great tour plus they have a consultation service for $200 where someone comes over to the house and makes suggestions, advises, etc.

For $500, they actually draw up a design for you but I don’t think I need that. I’d have my own ideas about what I want and don’t think this job needs a landscape architect, though they are valuable for bigger challenges.

Keep suggestions coming, everyone.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Check with a local tool rental place. They have a stand behind stump grinder that does a decent job. My brother and I used one on a maple that was pretty decent size and it did the job.

Thanks. I found a good machine at a rental place, do I need to worry about the roots left in the ground or just grind the stump out and leave them? New to this.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by Baz

Here's another possible candidate that could add interest to your garden. It's called Farfugium japonicum aka Leopard Plant. They have a regular size version and a jumbo version (called 'Gigantium'). You want the regular size version for your smaller sized beds. Tolerates low light!

Baz, We have several of the Leopard Plants per your above photo. Great looking plants, are very shade tolerant and very surprisingly, survived several nights of hard freezes over the winter (down to 15 but not a real concern for Speeder )... we have the regular sized version (not sure I've ever seen the giant version around here ?.

[Baz]

^^^ That's a good idea, Joel...burning it out. I'll have to look into that.

Hey Denis....here's another plant that might be an option. Asplenium nidus aka Bird's Nest Fern. They are really cool looking and very low maintenance. Best used in an area that does not get full sun.

[JavaBrewer]

Could be dangerous and $$$ (lawsuit when the hill catches on fire) in SoCal - I would stick to a stump grinder.

[vash]

that is a great view!!

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by NotaBRG

That video is not what I'm talking about. When you use the charcoal there is no actual fire.
I would not 'drill a hole and fill it with gas'

You drill a hole from the top, and another low on the side. Fuel is just to get it started. I greatly prefer the dumping the coals from your BBQ pit on the stump and doing it a little bit at a time myself also.

[speeder]

Someone earlier tonight was telling me about obliterating tree stumps w explosives, apparently they do this somewhere w large stumps. Drill a hole, I'm imagining, and stick some commercial grade explosives down the chute.

Sounds like a blast, (sorry).

[speeder]

Had a productive day today. Rented a 13hp stump grinder and removed 2 large stumps, two other small trees and a couple of palm tree stumps that we just dug up, plus some other minor stuff.

Not sure if this will work but here is me grinding out a stump. The first one was really soft and deceptively easy but this second one was hard as rock and also coincided w a steel pipe, either water or waste. Quite a bit of work.

EDIT: Ok, I don’t know how to post a video.

[Tobra]

Had a patient that planted a bunch of olive trees along Fair Oaks Blvd back in the day. Bought the dynamite to make the holes in the hardpan at the hardware store a few blocks from my office. Because you could buy dynamite at the hardware store in the 1940's, go figure. Not too many houses around back then though

You can get them to come out and mark your sewer and utility lines so you don't hit anything expensive while you are planting trees. Here the electric utility will give you shade trees, deliver them to your house.Free trees Sacramento, maybe they have something similar. Neighbor got a few crape myrtle trees from them that are very nice when in bloom.

Here is the http://cityplants.org/get-free-trees/our-free-trees-program Looks like they have a lot of different ones too. If they run it any way similar to what they do here, they send someone out, you show them where you want to put the tree and they let you know what they can give you.a

[speeder]

So how do you post a small iPhone video here? I’m stumped.

Nyuk nyuk nyuk.

[rfuerst911sc]

There is a product sold in stores called stump remover . You drill some holes like in that video and mix the stump remover powder with water . You pour it down the main top hole you drilled and let it soak in a bit . Then you light it and basically the stump burns from the inside out very similar to BBQ briquettes . I only have used it once but it worked as advertised .

I had an old tree cutting codger tell me if you are not in a hurry to get rid of the stump you can spray it heavily with Round Up or similar product , then cover the stump with leaves or pine needles . He said keep it covered and mother nature will do the rest .