Hello! Ever since we had this house grass has never really grown well in this area due to all the pine needles and shade, but as it is it feels a little unkempt. What features could I add to make it look a little nicer? I know the general suggestions I see are to add native plants, but I'm a little lost as to what I could put where and how I can make it come together. Should I rake up the pine needles or just let them cover this area? Located in West Michigan with fairly sandy soil.
by AvianLord
2 Comments
Climate zone 6a
Keep the pine – free mulch, makes soil acidic if you need that (check). If I had this much space, I’d put in some paths (flagstone etc), maybe a water feature, and a combination of native grasses (in that sunny patch), shade tolerant native wild flowers, and native shrubs, and understory trees (I’m sure redbud, flowering dogwood, and servicberry are native where you’re at – gorgeous in both spring and fall).