Ideas for a small back yard (320 sq ft).

I have a small patio home with a backyard that is approx 320 sq ft. There isn't much sun and the ground stays damp most of the time. I have 2 little dogs that bring back worms from their feet into the house, which is gross. Right now, I have pine straw on one side and dirt on the other. I need a plan. Should I put river pebbles all over the yard w/a few plants around the yard? Any other ideas? Thanks much!

I would probably put down either river rocks or mulch over the entire area. The rocks would be cleaner than mulch, and won't move around as much and expose the mud underneath when the dogs are out there, but it's going to be a little more expensive and heavier as well if this is a DIY project. For plants, I'd definitely recommend growing things in containers rather than trying to grow them in the ground--give the dampness and the dogs I think containers are a much better option for you.

You could put some landscape fabric down first, cover with mulch, then make a little curvey path with some inexpensive stepping stones from WalMart. I find my dog prefers to walk on a path if provided. Put some plants in different sized containers. You could even put a little tree or evergreen in a square wooden container from Lowe's and use it as the focal point. Maybe a piece of garden art too.

Is it fenced?

I like Pastimes idea of an evergreen in a container...topiarys don't cost what they used to or if you feel really daring you can create your own with an inexpensive juniper from Lowes with some snips and wire.....lot of good articles on the net on how to train and upkeep them...I think with the water shortage Ecrane is right on the money with her thoughts - I put down river rock because my first go round with red mulch turned icky quick when we got a ton of rain and it 'floated' everywhere...plus my cats thought the mulch their own personal cat box so entertaining friends in that shaded area quickly turned smelly - I know you don't have cats but you do need to think of a place your doggies will do their biz and the rocks won't soak up the smell like mulch wood...well thats my two cents for the day LOL!

I appreciate all the responses. Yes, it is fenced in with a privacy fence. River rocks would be very heavy to DIY and probably expensive. I have pine straw right now and dirt on the other side. What kind of mulch do you recommend and if I use mulch, is it going to attract roaches (I live in the south)? That's why I was thinking stones.

Mulch doesn't attract roaches. It can attract termites though, so make sure not to pile it right up against the foundation of your house. I would really recommend the rocks based on my own experience with my dog. I had a rock yard at my old house, and his feet were always clean and he never tracked stuff in. At my current house, I have very fine crushed gravel for most of the yard and that's fine too as a doggie surface, but there's one area that has mulch (it was supposed to be a a garden bed, but apparently I didn't explain that part very well to the dog!). He kicks up the mulch when he runs around, so I have areas where the bare dirt shows through, then of course when he's out there his feet get wet & dirty if it's rained, and he also gets bits of mulch caught in his fur and tracks those into the house. If the rocks are too heavy for you, see if you can get a teenager who wants some extra spending money to do it for you, or hire a handyman for a couple hours. It'll be more expensive than mulch, but I think you'll be happier with the result, and it really won't be that expensive.

What type of rocks would be best for small dogs feet? Also, I need 320 sq ft of rocks. If I go w/bags from Home Depot or Lowes, that's expensive. Where could I get them cheaper?

What I had at my old house was rounded river rocks (pebbles would probably be a better word...they were about 1 or 2" in size. Bigger rocks than that are hard to walk on, and really small rounded rocks like pea gravel will get stuck in their feet and get tracked into the house (not to mention probably being uncomfortable) At my current house, I have crushed gravel (the landscapers' term for it is quarter minus fines, which means fine crushed gravel no larger than a quarter inch). This gravel compacts really well and forms a very hard surface, and because of that even though it's small and you would think the dog would track it in, I get very few pieces of gravel in the house (pea gravel on the other hand since it's round won't compact, and that's why it's so easy to track everywhere). From an aesthetic perspective I like the crushed gravel better, but for the dog I don't think it matters, he was fine with either one.

Landscaping companies will sell you larger quantities of rock, you can usually pick it up if you have a pickup truck or something to haul it in, or many places will deliver for a fee. In terms of how much you need though, you need to think in terms of cubic yards rather than square feet because this is the unit that they sell by. At the places around here you usually you have to get a minimum of 1/2 cubic yard. To calculate cubic yards, take your measurement of square feet and convert it to square yards instead (divide your number by 9), then you need to multiply that by the depth of the rock layer that you want, also converted to yards. (I would put down probably 3-4 inches of rocks, that'll give you the best coverage, mud prevention, weed prevention, etc but if you're trying to save money you could probably be a little on the short side of 3" and still have it work OK)

Wow! Thanks for the info. So 320 sq ft would be 71 cubic yards. I'll see if I can get a landscaping company to deliver it for me. Thanks again!!

I'm not sure how you're getting that number...320 square feet divided by 9 = 35.5 square yards. Then if you take 3" for example and convert that to yards, it comes out to 0.083 yards. Multiply 35.5 square yards times 0.083 yards, and that gives you 2.94 cubic yards 4" deep will give you a slightly larger number than that. But you'll be burying your house in rocks if you get 71 cubic yards!

LOL...I guess I did it wrong. I was using 2 inch depth, but I guess I still did it wrong.

Divide your number by 9), then you need to multiply that by the depth of the rock layer that you want, also converted to yards.

320 / 9 = 35.5 2" / 36 =.055 35.5 * .055 = 1.97 cu yds

Got it!

OK, looks like you forgot to convert the 2" to yards first the first time around. I'd try to get a little more than 2" deep if you can, the cost difference on the rocks probably won't be huge. Also make sure you're clear with the landscaping company what you want. Delivery = they dump it in your driveway. If you want them to also haul it to the backyard and spread it around I'm sure they'd be happy to, but that'll cost more. If you can manage shovelling the rocks into a wheelbarrow and dumping them in the yard yourself, that's definitely the more cost efficient way to go. They won't charge you a ton of money for the driveway dump, but paying labor costs for spreading it around could add up.

Thanks again for all your help! I really appreciate it. Now I have to find a landscaping company.

VLT - hey I did not even notice how close you are to me! Willinghams up here in newberry sells med river rock for $48 a ton......I am not sure how many cu. yrds that is but dmail me if you would like some help...you are too close for me not to offer...I'd be glad to use my truck and bring it down to you or pick it up down there(since Cola has a ton more places to offer rock) and help you spread it if you would like some help...here is what Willinghams dropped off for me yesterday LOL and then it rained..of course....