Now comes the tricky part.

Last time, I told you of the LA and I getting our friends around to help clear our yard. Now, though... now, it's clear, and we have to decide what to do with it. We'd appreciate some help with that... and so, here's a distinctly cropped screenshot from Google Earth. I made sure it was properly North-aligned, so you can judge sun angles.



The projection at the Northerly end is a two-car garage, to give you some sense of scale, although the pickups next door ought to help with that too. They're about the size of a Toyota Tacoma/Hilux.

Currently, I'm considering gravel along both side paths, with a small shed at the front end of the southerly one (currently, there's a fence blocking it; the gate is at the North side); the awkward, sharper rear corner becoming a vegetable garden of raised beds, with perhaps a compost clamp or two; hardstanding for a table and some chairs under the lemon tree, and scattered paving slabs with some invasive, drought-tolerant stuff like mint for ground cover filling in most of the remainder. Perhaps even a barbecue grill (heavens, me advocating outdoor cooking?) somewhere near the Northerly limit of the back fence.

As for the front, frankly I'd cheerfully gravel the whole lot bar the rosebushes that regularly get crowded out by weeds. The obstacle is of course the price of gravel.

One of my objectives is to minimise water usage and maintenance. I don't want a lawn that I'd have to water, mow and so on; something that can stand the natural climate of the Bay Area is far more preferable. I don't mind in the slightest watering the vegetables; those, I get to eat.

Of course, this assumes staying here on the order of years. If our plans don't include that, then I'm inclined to simply weedwhack the yards on a regular basis and not bother with anything resembling improvements.