Aging Parent Appreciation Post+Young and Clueless Question: Low-Maintenance Options for Shoulder/Verge/Berm Let’s start off with I have few skills so no answer to this question is going to be too obvious. My parents have this lovely 8 foot stone wall around a portion of their parcel. At the base of the wall is a state-owned two lane road. It’s a pretty typical 35 mph residential road, which means that people drive 55 (… guilty). Hard to see in this picture, but the land at the top of the wall is a pretty significant slope for about 6 feet. While mowing the slope last year, my dad FELL OFF THE WALL - harrowing (for his kids), broken pelvis, but a full-recovery after PT - and so that really jolted us into thinking that we’ve gotta implement low-maintenance changes that are unlikely entice senior citizens to get close to edges. The grassy slopes were tilled and replanted with a native groundcover and that is growing well this summer. BUT - Between the paved road and the base of the wall, there is a shoulder/strip of unpaved land that is roughly three feet wide. In addition to the slope on the top of the walls, my parents always meticulously and laboriously push-mowed this, which was an incredible commitment that I, uhhhhhh, did not grasp. I’m on the hunt for low- (but not necessarily no-) maintenance options for this strip that would sustain or even improve drainage. This isn’t in even a 500 year floodplain because it’s on the top of a hill… but at the bottom of the hill it’s a 5 year flood situation, so we definitely want to keep every possible bit of permeable space. My parents feel it’s “too dangerous” for the neighborhood teen who does the rest of the grass to mow the strip, I don’t want my parents to do it, and I feel like there has to be something else out there to attempt before I permanently assume the mantle. I do get targeted ads from Romex Hardscaping now, and I’m not opposed to that, but it feels a little “paved paradise” after my parents kept it green for decades. I guess my dream would be to plant something incredibly hardy (bc of the road proximity), perennial, native (northeast US), weed-choking, fast growing, that won’t climb the wall and degrade the mortar… impossible? If anyone has handled a shoulder/strip/berm before and is happy with it, or has general suggestions, I’d love to hear! Thanks! Originally by u/lynnhall on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/2ctfw8vg

Help w/ Red Rising Red Bud! Hello all, I need help with this red bud. Been in for a month and it’s struggling. It does get a lot of sun and good bit of wind through here, but the partner red bud (black pearl) next to it doing considerably better. Gets 20 mins of watering by the sprinklers about 4 times a week in the morning. Not super heavy watering but ample. Any suggestions on how to get this thing looking healthy? Originally by u/OutsideInsideMan on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/26ht6no6

My first post here, this is my first patio after being a landscape labourer Originally by u/Ron_67_ on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/257radyg

Landscaping around HVAC If this were your house, how would you make this area maintenance free? The lineset is fairly rigid and doesn't allow for much flex. Been too afraid to weed whack for fear of nicking something. Ideally, I would place all of this on top of a concrete pad but that seems cost prohibitive when you consider disconnecting and temporarily moving the units. Originally by u/emerald_dream_89 on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/25j4ocon

Help, how can I improve my grass? Hi, as you can see in the photo, one half of my garden is growing all sorts of random wild greenery, both parts of the garden have been mowed on the same day. Is there a product I can use on this tall grass to keep it normal? Or is it a dig it up job and re lay with new turf? Originally by u/MayfieldParkNorth on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/27ob5x9n

Sinkhole after waterproofing back wall? This wasn't happening before the waterproofing job. As far as I know, they parged, tar, barriered, and connected weeping tile to an old drain pipe that used to connect to a downspout under ground. They supposedly backfilled with some gravel and tamped down the soil. Ever since, we have a new sinkhole forming. They came back to refill it with soil and voila, it's back. Could this be a case of improperly backfilling? Not enough stone? A broken tile? Could the earth be washing away into the old drain pipe itself? For additional context, only the back wall is waterproofed and the wall behind that wooden gate/fence is not waterproofed / has a driveway sitting above it that normally acts as a water barrier for run off. Originally by u/scarletcircle45 on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/22vrtncj

How do I fix the crocked line? How can I straighten the lawn edging line in the photo. Originally by u/Human_allien on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/2bcmrklu

Gonna do pavers on a 25x30’ area - mini excavator to dig and grade? Not sure I can fit a stand behind skidsteer through our gate (36” wide or so). Think it’ll do the job? The fill dirt they used on our lot suuuucks about 6” down so I’m hesitant to wreck myself digging it out with a pick and shovel, trenching through it by hand to run the conduit for our swimspa was not great. Gotta be careful with roots for our plumb tree as well Originally by u/sierrackh on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/2cr6xvw3

What should I put here? Looking for something with minimal to zero maintenance and ideally something that can't get kicked into the pool. Concrete slab was poured a bit too high. Originally by u/Fantastic_Net_8697 on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/27et559a

Possible to remove Quince root by myself? The quince’s base cluster is around 3-4 ft wide, will it be one solid root ball or something that I can tackle with a sawzall, mattock, and 14” chainsaw. Hoping to put a semi-mature medium sized tree a few feet in front of it. Push cart for size. Originally by u/Redfox_192 on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/2yp7sfkf

Any ideas what to do with this space? The end ponds water cause of the gutter drain empties right there. Any ideas that help drainage and overall ideas to bring this area to life. Originally by u/you_got_a_username on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/25q7vuft

I just cleaned up my bushes. I think I’m supposed to fertilize and mulch now. I don’t know the first thing about gardening. How do I fertilize around these bushes? Should I make a separation in the bed between the bushes and grass first? Originally by u/rainbow_sugar4114 on Reddit: https://tinyurl.com/2xzr7czt