Hills, Trees and Wildlife

momdecor in Des Moines, IA

We have 1.25 acres of hills too steep to have a riding lawnmower, trees and wildlife. I love our location, I just don't like the landscape of the backyard. I'm afraid of falling or my husband falling when he mows the lawn. Some of the photos attached are from 2005 when we purchased the property. (I can't walk the hills right now for more updated photos and these are pretty close to what it looks like.)

Back Yard Garden General Garden Huge (Half Acre Plus ) I Need Ideas! Help! Lawn

1 of 7: Photo from 2005. From our upper deck.

2 of 7: Photo from 2005. From our upper deck.

3 of 7: Photo from 2005.

4 of 7: Photo from 2005. About as 'flat' as it gets down there.

5 of 7: This was taken in 2005 when we purchased our home. Railroad ties are rotting and need replaced. We've looked into using block landscaping, but it's looking like it'll be more expensive than just filling in the yard.

6 of 7: View from the backyard to the house in 2005. Notice the steep hills that need to be mowed with a walk behind mower.

7 of 7: Photo from 2005...I would love to put a small pond/water feature to the right of the shed. There is a slope, so I could see it as a rock pond with a bit of a water fall type feature.

Comments / Questions

Funny you should say slip-n-slide! Last summer for our daughter's fourth birthday, my entire family drove almost two ours down to our house not only to celebrate her birthday, but also to lay down a huge piece of tarp with the hose. It was a really hot day and it was tons of fun to sit up on my deck and watch a few of my sisters and husbands...along with the kids, take off by our red shed and end up down the hill next to the pine trees. Our parents got such a kick out of it. I got some good vid

Wow...beautiful property. When I see those hills and that perfect grass, only one thing comes to mind: Slip-N-Slide!!! That said, those are some tough hills to walk. Have you thought about turning it into a wildflower meadow? That would require minimal upkeep, though I've learned from others on YS that you would still need to mow or weed-whack it once a year in the fall.

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