the NILE file: Landscaping: Part 1

It's time to get the landscaping started. This is the last leg of our house building adventure. Landscaping and gardens are works in progress that take years to mature but we're finally taking the first steps. Our house foundation is 3 feet above the highest point on the bank of the creek so Phase 1 is the filling of holes and the grading of the earth around the house. Truckloads of soil and 14 yards of mulch made a huge difference behind the the workshop and carport. "Before" and "Afters" below:

At the back of the house less soil was needed but pit run (a sand and gravel mixture used for good compaction) was required to prepare for the concrete walkway outside the sliding doors.

We plan to plant the back with sword ferns, salal, false lily of the valley, vanilla leaf, Oregon grape, rhododendrons and vine maples, all native and found in the woods around the creek.
We hope to bring the natural beauty of the woods right up to the back patio. Planting will start in the fall when the temperature cools and the rains start, giving the plants a better chance.

On the street side the driveway is being moved to the left so that it aligns with the carport and will no longer cut the front yard in half. A large pile of earth in front of the carport needs to be moved over to extend the berm in front of the house. "Before" is above, "After" is below.

Moving the driveway meant digging up and moving the culvert and since we were doing that we decided to reshape our rather deep ditch, make it a little shallower, easier to maintain and a little less scary.