Weird, decadent, or both?

[gerisullivan]

Driveways Guys are shoveling washed-out gravel off my driveway as I type. It's a job I've done myself a couple of times this past week -- whenever it rains, down comes the sand and gravel from along the edge of the drive. Why, yes, it has been raining rather a lot here of late. All I can say is that it's a heck of a lot easier to shovel and sweep gravel from a paved driveway than it is to haul gravel back up the hill when it's washed away on an unpaved one. The erosion problem is also now confined to a narrow edge along the drive, less than a foot, rather than the width of the drive itself. The paving solved 90% of the problem, now it's down to solving the last little bit. Here's hoping it doesn't turn into the second 90% in terms of effort and expense.

When Kevin was here this morning to look at the problem, he said he'd clean up the aftermath of yesterday's downpours. That was very kind of him as well as demonstrating that extra edge of professionalism I've liked all along about both him and his employee who did the grading work. It was weird having other people do something I can easily do myself, but I'm merely observing, not complaining.

Plan A is to dump loam along the edge of the drive; add grass seed, fertilizer, and straw; and hope the seed takes before it rains a lot more and all washes away. I can see myself shoveling loam from the drive and replenishing seed for the rest of the summer.

If Plan A doesn't work, Plan B is to put in a blacktop berm/curb along the edge of the driveway that's washing out. Much as I hope Plan A works, I'm glad we have a Plan B.

Hmmm...I wonder if the ferns have enough of a root system to provide erosion control. Or maybe some Canadian bluegrass along the most erosion-prone parts, with ferns scattered in the less erosion-prone areas? Canadian bluegress and sheep fescue seem to be the two native grasses that are most popular for erosion control out west, and I like the part in the description that says, "North American native adapted to poor, dry, shallow sites as well as shady, wet, clayey ones." But I should probably talk with some New England landscape folks, too. There could well be something that will work better here. Something a bit on the native and wild side will blend with the plantings on the hillside better than ordinary lawn grass will. I'm holding out hope for the ferns -- there are a gazillion around that I could transplant. I didn't think of the possibility of the ferns while talking with Kevin; I'll check on it when he calls back with loam info from a landscaper he's worked with.

I'll be up early again tomorrow -- Septic Guy is coming to pump out my tank. I'm looking forward to knowing precisely where the D-box is.

And so the joys of home ownership continue....

Edited to add: Speaking of New England erosion-control grasses, perhaps it's time for a short trip to Amherst..

Comments

Re: Too dry for ferns?

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

But it's really hard to get grass to grow in the summer without watering it twice a day.

We had our lawn gutted in May...loamed...and then waited out the big rains, while the loam gently (and not so gently) washed down the driveway. When it finally quit for a bit, our landscaper came out and re-raked the loam and topped it off...then we waited some more. They finally hydroseeded the Friday before Memorial Day. (Thank goodness they didn't seed before the big rain, or we'd have a Chia driveway right now.)

The rains have been good to us, and we have the makings of a lawn out there, now. (And wait until y'all see the lighting we put in!)

Re: Too dry for ferns?

[merlinpole.livejournal.com]

Have you removed any of the car-eating pine trees?