Bend it Like Beckham - A Fun Sod Job

After Sod Project

When I played soccer, I could arc most any shot and I took most of the set shot/pieces for my team - free (direct and indirect), corner and even goals kicks. I once scored from 65 yards out against Camden. I'll refrain from elaborating further. I could bend it!

I do like curves, even slight, in a properties landscape, unless the architecture of the home, existing man-made hardscapes or the customer dictate otherwise.

This property is so much different in many regards and it is also the property I first featured in Every Little Step We Take, for which I have been working on periodically for months and will be for several more. So much has changed since.

You will notice from the other photos that most of the back yard, except for a rather small area just forward of the workshop, was covered with pine straw.

After Sod Project

The customer has been here for 20 plus years and other than a rather large pine tree being removed by her neighbor recently, many of the younger pines which had shaded this area long ago have grown, dropped their lower branches and are no longer blocking as much sunlight. There are three monstrous pines gathered together on this property, but they are no longer a worry in regard to the sun-path. I see this often with mature properties in this area.

In light of this (pun intended) there are still some hardwoods, for which I have pruned the canopies upward, but still are providing shade as well as some of the nearby off-property trees which do provide too much sun-block. I thought it best to retain some of the pine strawed areas as I work on some of the other areas and beds. Over time, I may reshape and extend some of the beds or bring them in and extend the lawn. Time will tell.

All of this allowed me to create the look of a stream meandering through the countryside.

This is centipede grass (wear-wary turf) and the remaining strawed areas allow for traffic to and around the beds, and to the workshop. I recently added a paver walkway to the workshop - another story, coming soon.

The photos of the sod installation were taken the same day and the lawn has come in quite well and green, since. I mowed and edge it for the first time yesterday. She's healthy.

I'll post the pristine photos soon.

Project Area - Before

One wonderful advantage of sodding an area which had been covered with so much mulch for so long is the soil was so workable and easy to grade. Roots had to be removed occasionally from all the nearby mature tree growth, but a joy to work with, otherwise.

The area of existing sod is going to be over-seeded soon. I saw no need to re-sod this area and the customers saw no urgency. It will be just fine in a few weeks.

Nonetheless, it's all about taking a step back and then taking a few little steps forward.

Project Area - During