Backyard space in FL. The ground is currently the fun Florida mix of 90% sand 10% soil. I have a 2 year old and another on the way, and want to make this into a fun space for them.
Getting rid of the chain link fence is first on the agenda, then i want to put something down to cover the ground. My first thought was mulch or rubber mulch, to then add a small jungle gym, swingset, etc. But I’m wondering if there’s better options?
I looked into getting turf but it’s very expensive to have done professionally, and sod might not take and would rack up a huge water bill.
So, any ideas on how to maximize this little space out there without breaking the bank?
by CowMammoth6703
4 Comments
I personally would not remove the chain link fence. Just an opinion. The privacy fence belongs to your neighbor but it belongs to you. If he tears it down tomorrow you still have a fence.
Isn’t sod pretty fussy in Florida? Maybe not – I live about as far away from Florida as you can get, lol! But I though I remember hearing that. I’d just think you could do so much with a stepping stone path, enriched soil (organic material/compost mixed in), plenty of colorful native plants with some butterfly gardening, and wood mulch chips.
I’m also envisioning a pergola over that patio area with something vining, and a water feature for some peaceful background noise and a “cooling” effect.
Hard to know but it looks like you may have some shade.
When we lived in Florida, our kids had swingset area covered in natural cedar mulch. Repels bugs. Built Covered Sandbox to the side. Had Yaupon hollies along fence line w/ sun tolerant caladiums & bottle brush in front for color. It rained almost every afternoon around 4pm. Grew blueberries, grapes, strawberries, watermelon. kids loved harvesting fresh tangelos on Christmas morning for juicing. We laid small area of st. Augustine grass ourselves mowed high no bag to retain moisture, azaleas in more shady areas and a sago palm that was super special. Also, grew pineapple and bananas for fun in flower beds.
We did amend soil w/ good amount of free bunny poo and compost material. overall I was surprised how well things grew.
Before planning yard – Make sure you have sufficient concrete space by house for sitting area and chairs to watch kids in play area. Space for fire pit or BBQ and kiddie pool. Then Figure out position of swings and maybe a sandbox. From there, map out planting beds and note full sun or part sun. Make a list of your goals. Do you need Low maintenance, kids play fun, family fun, food foraging fun, more shade w/ more trees, additional structures or lots of umbrellas etc. If you have reclaimed water option for outside and rain barrels, then that might help some w/ costs.
Florida is a great place for young families – wishing you the best!
Forget rubber mulch unless you want your backyard to smell like a hot tire and burn your kids feet in the Florida sun. Spreading regular wood mulch over that entire sandy lot is not much better because it will track straight into your house and turn into a giant litter box for neighborhood cats. You need to zone this yard to make it work. Build a simple border out of pressure treated landscape timbers for the jungle gym and fill only that specific box with engineered wood fiber. That gives you a safe fall zone that actually stays contained. For the rest of that sand trap you should plug in a tough native groundcover like Sunshine Mimosa or Perennial Peanut. They actually prefer sandy soil, handle kids running all over them, and will not rack up a massive water bill like regular turf grass.
Taking down that chain link is a good move but the yard still needs structure so it does not feel like a barren holding pen. You need to soften those harsh fence lines by planting a sweeping curved bed of native shrubs like Firebush or Coontie along the back. Since you are on a budget do yourself a favor and run a picture of this dirt patch through the GardenDream web app first. It lets you overlay different groundcovers and test out exactly where the play area and planting beds should go right on your photo. It acts as a visual blueprint so you do not waste money guessing what fits or buying the wrong materials. Mix a decent amount of compost into the sand where you plant those perimeter shrubs and let the groundcover do the heavy lifting everywhere else.