The parkway and front yard Bermuda turf was removed in August of 2008 before the LADWP rebate program and has been a work in progress since.
The owners did all the design and the majority of work by hand. They only had hired assistance for two days to help breakup bad sod mixed with Bermuda grass. They personally shoveled and then made several trips to dump 10 tons of the sod mixed with dirt to a commercial transfer station in Santa Monica. The couldn't find a place to recycle it so had to pay!
Some rocks, most gravel, flagstone and all decomposed granite were obtained for free from Craigslist searches. They gathered free river rocks on several trips to two locations in Redlands and Claremont. Tons of free City of Los Angeles Dept. of Sanitation mulch made from all of our green bin waste was collected in their facilities in Van Nuys and off Jefferson Boulevard. They used old LA Times and Weekly newspapers to cover dirt under mulch to suppress weeds. Under the gravel they used corn based natural weed block available at Home Depot.Irrigation is a combination of spray heads converted to drip, spray, and hand watering from rain barrels.
Monarch butterflies and bees are feasting on the natives in season. Hummingbirds enjoy the native flowers as well.
Information on the Free mulch pickup locations in Los Angeles where you can shovel your own will be available.
