A blank canvas to landscape in Southern California.

[OverGrown 516]

On December 26, 2015 1:35:07 AM, Moose said:

scream !

The heart wants, what the heart wants!

[OverGrown 516]

On December 26, 2015 6:35:59 AM, Ben in Norcal said:

Nice palms, and nice car!

Thanks! you can see the theme has incorporated itself into the landscape.

[OverGrown 516]

On December 26, 2015 6:47:19 AM, Monòver said:

I was looking for on Palmpedia the Mercedes GLE 450 AMG and i did not find it.

It is a new specie? May be an hibrid?

It's a newly introduced species for 2016.  Part sports car part SUV. 

[OverGrown 516]

Here a few more detailed pictures of the new acquisitions all of which were grown in a greenhouse;  If you see something that might be misidentified please chime in.. 

dypsis bef / slick willy  heel and petioles

dypsis bef / slick willy leaflets

dypsis sp dark mealybug fronds and leaflets

dypsis sp dark mealybug heel and petiole

 

[OverGrown 516]

yellow latan palm or latania versheffeltii which I will separate

latania versheffeltii petioles

red latan palm or latania lontaroides

with a sneak peak of my other passion

Edited December 31, 2015 by OverGrown

[OverGrown 516]

dypsis prestoniana big curly

dypsis prestoniana petioles ...cool bi-color look w/ light green petioles and dark green leaflets

frond and leaflets...i really like the arrangement on this plant

 

[OverGrown 516]

my second dypsis prestoniana not quite as far along as the first

 

[Josh-O 2,727]

good looking presto

[OverGrown 516]

15g Kentiopsis oliviformis picked up from a local hobbyist...

this first one was in more shaded growing conditions

this second was more exposed to sun...

 

[OverGrown 516]

you're not a real clay gardener unless you went and dug holes in the most compact clay in your yard after those rains we just had...This section is in the carport section of my front yard.  Some stately undecided specimen will go here.  Each hole is 2' wide and as deep as I could go until i hit dry dirt...will soak again and excavate so that i can backfill with amended clay.

this corner of the backyard is where I got the most burn from both sun and cold...I decided to try and salvage the situation by putting up shade cloth covering the south and western exposure of the afflicted palms...

Pembana

[OverGrown 516]

lepto that got fried 

lanceolata turning brown

another lepto

 

 

 

[OverGrown 516]

cyphophoenix elegans that i hope comes around

same one

The larger cyphophoenix elegans

[OverGrown 516]

a lepto in the south west corner that got fried the worst,  will be interesting to see whether it will recover

[OverGrown 516]

Update:   There has been a lot of work going on...the majority of which is complete.  There are hundreds of photos of the work which i will select from over the next couple of days.

mowstrips in

[OverGrown 516]

had a few tree rings formed up on the park strip

 

Tall fescue in place.

[OverGrown 516]

Picked up an American bully pup since to watch me while I build and work on the garden...

And then HGTV's Tiny House Hunters filmed an episode in the neighborhood using my hedge as a backdrop!! I'm glad it was pruned nice and tight! 

Post ear crop and the only picture I have of the once storage area and un-uniform and cracked concrete area...

[OverGrown 516]

Demolition of the side "yard"

Demo'd the driveway...took out a lot of dirt and brought in a ton of base rock.  You know it's big business when you load up two end loaders and about 20 ten wheelers.

[OverGrown 516]

6 inches minimum base rock in about 50% of the interior of the slab and 12 inches around the other half exterior.  

Side yard compacted, all trenches for drains, slips and conduit put in (don't have pics of it)  4" of base for a 6" slab, no rebar. 

 

1200 sq ft pour

[OverGrown 516]

12" of base rock,  while spread, is not anywhere near the completion of the work as you will see later when I decided to add a spare water main line and sewer line.   

[OverGrown 516]

There was a lot of this going on... a LOT.  I always run slips for irrigation, a spare, conduit for landscape lighting and outlets...between slabs.  I am overbuilding this slab and I never want to have to break it up to service any lines.  Also, I want to take every precaution to prevent cracks because of the subway style joint pattern I am incorporating.

And that's why i threw in an extra Type L 1" spare copper main line...

and dug up my main sewer line to inspect it and replace if necessary... it was in perfect shape so I left it alone and ran a spare just in case....

4" abs spare to be attached under the sidewalk if need be.

Edited April 19, 2016 by OverGrown

[OverGrown 516]

Got all of it covered up...

Started forming the front driveway and outdoor living area...

Compacted like 20 times every time 3" of base was laid down.

This corner is where al fresco dining will take place...

Spreading, compacting, fine grading over two days until the negative space of the 6" slab was as even as possible...

 

[OverGrown 516]

maintained level areas with slight fall 15' off the garage and to the perimeters of the outdoor living area and transitioned to a nice of a slope as possible...

I sprayed out the joint pattern in green...rebar spaced every 24"

Rebar was placed on dobes to sit perfectly center of the slab...I'm real meticulous with this stuff these days...

Edited April 19, 2016 by OverGrown

[OverGrown 516]

6" Slab, 6-12" of base rock, 3000 psi, buckwheat (liquid) fiber, rebar 24" on center, top cast finish...Ladies and Gentlemen this is how I built my driveway.  Driveway itself was a little over 2000 sq ft.

And finally the pour...

Some of the best finishers in the game getting down!!!

 

[foxtail 329]

1 hour ago, OverGrown said:

Picked up an American bully pup since to watch me while I build and work on the garden...

And then HGTV's Tiny House Hunters filmed an episode in the neighborhood using my hedge as a backdrop!! I'm glad it was pruned nice and tight! 

Post ear crop and the only picture I have of the once storage area and un-uniform and cracked concrete area...

What a chest have that AB, beautiful ohh and the garden too!!!

[OverGrown 516]

Very fortunate to be working with a talented and skilled crew.  It was like a symphony that day!

 

[OverGrown 516]

felt like the stucco walls needed a little something more...So I commissioned a local artist by the name of Jose Ortiz to work some magic. 

My daughter joined the fun too...

 

[OverGrown 516]

making beautiful backdrops and memories that last...

working late into the night...

[OverGrown 516]

New carport area... I will plant succulents in the space between the stone facing and curb to look like corals...

a few days of rain so I snapped a couple pics of the backyard...

Grass grew in well and prompted a lawn mower purchase...I didn't care for a lawn but the wifey insisted.

maples leafed out...

[OverGrown 516]

The way things looked for a few days before more work commenced...stay tuned.

[Josh-O 2,727]

4 hours ago, OverGrown said:

making beautiful backdrops and memories that last...

working late into the night...

that is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Josh-O 2,727]

wow! your project has really come a long ways.

Nice job bro!! 

[Straight6tt 21]

I love it!

[Tassie_Troy1971 1,064]

done alot since i last checked in well done !

[palmfriend 1,536]

I have just found this thread and I really enjoyed reading it! Absolutely great work

and very inspiring! 

I am looking forward the following updates!

best regards

 

[Palm Tree Jim 1,021]

Great job!

Thanks for the pictures and keeping us updated with your project.

[OverGrown 516]

On April 19, 2016 8:42:23 PM, Josh-O said:

wow! your project has really come a long ways.

Nice job bro!! 

Thanks, I'm finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

On April 19, 2016 9:34:38 PM, Straight6tt said:

I love it!

Thank you.

On April 20, 2016 1:02:09 AM, Tassie_Troy1971 said:

done alot since i last checked in well done !

It was an insane amount of work but I'm glad the hardscape is done.

On April 20, 2016 5:54:37 AM, palmfriend said:

I have just found this thread and I really enjoyed reading it! Absolutely great work

and very inspiring! 

I am looking forward the following updates!

best regards

 

Thank you.

On April 20, 2016 6:48:13 AM, Palm Tree Jim said:

Great job!

Thanks for the pictures and keeping us updated with your project.

Thank you. 

[OverGrown 516]

The side yard which is a flexible space for utility, storage and occasionally dressed up for entertaining...I may do a partially covered patio in this area for shade.

Picked up a pair of these to hide my tools, machines and miscellaneous for a tidy look.  Notice how its lines up nicely with the bump out of the house without impeding on the open flexible space.  

 

[OverGrown 516]

Mural #2 goin up...

My idea was to have a Great White shark appear randomly swimming in the landscape as you drive down the street approaching the house...This is a reference to Damien Hirst's Great White shark.  

and of course my protege must get in on the action...

 

[OverGrown 516]

detailing late into the night...

daytime shot...

imagine the feather grass like seagrass, the mexican weeping bamboo once it grows in should resemble kelp & the succulents like corals...

[OverGrown 516]

Steel pergola assembled...outdoor dining in place...

morning coffee nook or evening sundowner corner....

perched on the corner with views of the entire neighborhood, amongst the landscape, utilizing the breeze.