Author: Dennis Hickey

BY CANDACE OSMOND for The Backyard Boss

As an avid do-it-myselfer, I tend to look at things and and immediately think, “I can do that.” Not everyone works that way and prefers to hire a professional to complete tasks around their house like gardening or constructing a display based on some dry creek bed ideas. But if you’re anything like me, you can take a picture on Pinterest and not only copy it but make it better.

Sometimes all we need is a little inspiration and this list of dry creek bed landscaping images is sure to succeed. Have a look-see and start planning your dry river bed landscaping ideas for this weekend.

BACKYARD HAVEN

For the go-getter in all of us, this dry creek bed landscaping idea covers the whole darn yard. Everything from rock beds, mulch mounds, gravel pits, and even a cute bridge to join two areas, this idea is certainly a big project but definitely doable.

A LUSH BED OF ROCKS AND PLANTS

This dry creek bed design is a lot of lusciousness in a small area and shows how, with a bit of creativity, you can turn a narrow outdoor space into an oasis. A simple rock path lined with larger stones and thick greenery lead the way to a quaint seating area where you can enjoy your hard work with a drink in hand.

A SIMPLE STACK

It really doesn’t get any easy than this. Gather up a collection of large, jagged stones and place them stacked underneath or in front of one of the eaves trough drains around your house. It’ll filter the water coming down and help guide it away from your house with style.

A MORE NATURAL BED

This landscaping idea is best pulled off in a larger area. If you have a big, empty backyard or some land you can use, then by all means, have at it. By using plants that are commonly found in nature rather than from a nursery, you can achieve this nature-inspired dry creek bed. Take it one step further and use plants that are native to your environment.

Make it yourself!

SLANTED DRY RIVER BED

By designing and forming your dry river bed on a slant such as this, you make the gorgeous feature visible from just about anywhere in the outdoor area. And if you’re going to put in the hard work of creating a beauty like this one you may as well show it off.

Click below to see more ideas:

50 Super Easy Dry Creek Landscaping Ideas (backyardboss.net)

If you’re looking for quick privacy and shade, check out this list of fast growing privacy trees. These trees will grow quickly and won’t take decades to provide shelter as well as keep the neighbors from spying on you. So what do you plant that’ll grow quickly to give you some privacy as well as shade?

There are so many types of beautiful trees that can make your landscaping amazing. But if you are particularly looking for shade or privacy, what you want are fast growing privacy trees. Some of these include varieties such as River Birch, Green Giant Arborvitae, and even Weeping Willows. Check out the whole list below.

Not all of these are evergreen, but you will get privacy in the spring/summer and even into fall when people tend to be outside more.

River Birch

I am still in awe of how fast these grow.  River birches are beautiful trees and they have the most interesting bark that looks like it’s shedding or peeling.  We planted three river birch trees in the side of our yard and they were tiny. 

River Birch Facts

• Deciduous (loses the leaves in the fall)
• Can grow 40-70 feet tall
• Beautiful peeling bark
• Loves moist soil areas
• Grows 1.5-3 feet per year
• Zones 4-9

Green Giant Arborvitae

Another stunner and this one is evergreen – meaning you’ll have the beautiful green color year-round.  This one can grow up to 3 feet per year. 

We planted three of these that were around 2 feet tall and in 3 years they are about 12-15 feet tall.  Give them room when you plant – it can spread out between 12 and 20 feet.  They have a beautiful cone shape – like a pretty Christmas tree.

Green Giant Facts

• Evergreen (stays green year-round)
• Can grow 3 feet per year
• Zones 3 through 7 or 8
• Grows 30-40 feet
• Drought tolerant

Weeping Willow Tree

One of my most favorite trees, the weeping willow tree is stunning.  It’s drooping “weeping” limbs/leaves are gorgeous.  Make sure you have plenty of room and beware you won’t get much grass growing under or around the willow. 

Keep it away from your septic lines, because the roots can potentially damage your lines.   It can get between 30-40 feet tall and wide. 

hey aren’t evergreen, however,  they are one of the first to get their leaves in the spring and one of the last to lose them in the fall/winter.

Also – weeping willows are not ideal if planted next to sidewalks. It’s far too droopy and will block the path without constant trimming.

Weeping Willow Facts

• Deciduous
• Invasive shallow roots so don’t plant next to sidewalks or septic lines
• Can grow 30-40 feet tall and wide so give them plenty of room
• Grows up to 2 feet or more per year
• Zones 6-8

Tulip Tree

This is another one that’s growing faster than I imagined.  Tulip trees, also known as tulip poplars, can grow between 70-100 feet tall.  They have a beautiful cone shape with dark green leaves and turn a beautiful golden-yellow color in the fall before they lose their leaves. 

It’s not evergreen, but definitely worth planting if you’re looking for some fast shade.  Give it plenty of room because it’s one of the fastest-growing and largest trees in North America.

Tulip Poplar Facts

• Mature height of 70-100 feet
• Is actually a member of the Magnolia family of trees
• Zones 4-9
• Deciduous

Red Maple

Red Maples are stunning trees with fiery red leaves in the spring.  They can grow up to 3 feet per year, so not quite as fast growing as some of the other trees on the list, but still impressive. 

And what a visual show these are!  Give them plenty of room to grow and they can live for over 50 years.  

Red Maple Facts

• Zones 3-10
• Can grow up to 3 feet per year
• Averages 40-50 feet tall
• Deciduous
• Can tolerate moist or dry soils
• Don’t plant next to sidewalks or driveways due to a shallow root system

Source: Fast Growing Privacy Trees (createandfind.com)

It’s your yard — yours to do with as you wish. And while that’s great, that doesn’t mean you have to be one of those people who spend every spare moment in their yard, sprucing it up. 

But, still, your landscaping could use a little something. But something easy. 

Here are five totally doable projects that your budget will barely notice, but your neighbors definitely will:

#1 Add Some (Tough) Edging

Tell your grass who’s boss with edging that can stand up to even the crabbiest of all crabgrasses. 

But don’t make the mistake that many homeowners make of buying the flexible plastic stuff, thinking it will be easier to install. It’ll look cheap and amateurish from day one.

Worse, it won’t last. And before you know it, you won’t be able to tell where your garden bed ends and your “lawn” begins.

Instead buy the more rigid, tough stuff in either fiberglass, aluminum, or steel.

Tips on installing edging:

• Lay out a hose in the pattern you want.
• Sprinkle flour or powdered chalk to mark the hose pattern.
• Use a lawn edger (or spade) to make an incision for the edging.
• Tap the edging into the incision with a rubber mallet.

The cost? Mostly your time, and up to $2.50 a square foot for the edging.

#2 Create a Focal Point with a Berm

A berm is a mound of gently sloping earth, often created to help with drainage. You can also build them to create “island beds,” a focal point of textures and colors that are so much more interesting than plain ol’ green grass. 

Plus, they’ll give you privacy — and diffuse street noises. What’s not to like about that? Especially if you live in a more urban area.

For most yards, berms should max out at 2-feet high because of the space needed to properly build one.

They need a ratio of 4-6 feet of width for every foot of height. That’s at least 8 feet for a typical 2-foot-high berm. So be sure you have the room, or decrease the height of your berm.

Popular berm plantings include:

• Flowering bushes, such as azaleas
• Evergreens, such as blue spruce 
• Perennials such as periwinkle
• Tall, swaying prairie grasses
• Lots of mulch to keep weeds away

Save on Soil

Soil costs a whole lot less in bulk — $20 / cubic yard vs. almost $70 for the same amount in bags from a big-box store. Even with a delivery fee, you’ll come out ahead.

The cost? Usually less than $300, depending on how big you make it, how much soil you need to buy to get to your desired height, and which plants you choose.

#3 Make a Flagstone Wall

Aim to build a wall no more than 12 inches tall, and it becomes a super simple DIY project — no mortar needed at all! 

How to build an easy flagstone wall:

• Dig a trench a couple of inches deep and wide enough to accommodate the flagstones.
• Fill with pea gravel and/or sand and tamp to make level.
• Lay out the flagstones to see their shapes and sizes.
• Stack the smaller stones first.
• Save the largest, prettiest flagstones for the top layer.
• Backfill with gravel.

Choose a stone of consistent thickness. Flagstone might be limestone, sandstone, shale — any rock that splits into slabs. 

The cost? About $300 for stones and sand (a ton of 2-inch-thick stone is enough for a wall 10 feet long and 12 inches high).

#4 Install a Path with Flagstone or Gravel

There’s something romantic, charming, and simply welcoming about a meandering pathway to your front door or back garden — which means it has super-huge impact when it comes to your home’s curb appeal. 

You can use flagstone, pea gravel, decomposed or crushed granite, even poured concrete (although that’s not easy to DIY). 

A few tips for building a pathway:

• Allow 3 feet of width for clearance.
• Create curves rather than straight lines for a pleasing effect.
• Remove sod at least 3 to 4 inches deep to keep grass from coming back.
• If you live in an area with heavy rains, opt for large, heavy stones.

The cost? Anywhere from a couple of hundred bucks to upwards of $500 depending on the material you use, with decomposed granite being the least expensive, and flagstone (also the easiest of the bunch to install) the costliest. 

#5 Build a Tree Surround

Installing a masonry surround for a tree is a twofer project: It looks great, and it means you’ve got less to mow. Come to think of it, it’s a threefer. It can work as extra seating when you have your lawn party, too! 

All it takes is digging a circular trench, adding some sand, and installing brick, cement blocks, or stone. Just go for whatever look you like best. 

The trickiest part is getting an even circle around the tree. Here’s how: 

1. Tie a rope around the tree, making a loop big enough so that when you pull it taut against the tree, the outer edge of the loop is right where you want the surround to be. 
2. Set your spade inside the loop with the handle plumb — straight up and down. Now, as you move around the tree, the loop of rope keeps the spade exactly the same distance from the base of the tree, creating a nice circle.

Then build the tree surround:

• Dig out a circular trench about 8 inches deep and 6 inches wide. 
• Add a layer of sand. 
• Set bricks at an angle for a saw-tooth effect or lay them end-to-end.
• Fill the surround with 2 to 3 inches of mulch.

The cost? Super cheap. You can do it for less than $25 with commonly available pavers and stones. 

Source: Easy Landscaping | Easy Maintenance Landscaping | Yard Tips (houselogic.com)