Ideas for the land in front of the house?

[greenmojo]

This is a picture I took a few moments ago looking out from the front porch of the new house build.

Out there at the turn in that road there is a rock pile, that is around 100 yards away to give scale.

My initial thoughts are at the moment, is to doze that sagebrush and dirt towards the house and flatten it out about 100 yards long by about 60 yards wide or so and plant grass. The idea being that it will open up the view off of the property, and clean it up a bit. I'd like to trench a water and power line out there as well.

This is my simple solution for now... what other ideas are floating around? I'll even take crazy, money wasting ideas as well to stir my imagination.



My tools to accomplish everything include a JD 4300 with an assortment of implements and a JD 450C among other things.

~Moses

 

[nybirdman]

Will any trees grow in that area?Looks odd to me without any trees at all.

 

[greenmojo]

Will any trees grow in that area?Looks odd to me without any trees at all.

Yes, off the back porch there are some 20' ponderosa pines, and if I move the camera left a bit, there are a dozen or more pines there as well, not as tall yet.

Elevation is about 4,000 ft. If that spurs any ideas.

~Moses

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I'm with you ... If that was my "front yard", I want some lush lawn surrounding my house.

 

[greenmojo]

I'm with you ... If that was my "front yard", I want some lush lawn surrounding my house.

I was thinking of flattening it out, so that the grass essentially rolls off the edge of the hill out there about 100 yards.

Think "infinity grass" rather than "infinity pool". ;-)

~Moses

 

[Bengineer]

Do you have enough annual precipitation to grow grass? A quick search listed Douglas co. at about 10". The prevalence of sagebrush would tend to go along with that amount.

 

[davrow]

How about a giant wind farm! Everyone loves those big blades twirling, thrumming and casting flickering shadows, from what I hear.

100 head of cattle? Some Saguaro cacti?

 

[KiotiKowboy]

How about a giant wind farm!

An auto salvage might be easier

 

[greenmojo]

Do you have enough annual precipitation to grow grass? A quick search listed Douglas co. at about 10". The prevalence of sagebrush would tend to go along with that amount.

That is probably about right.

This is my weather station here on the property:

Moses Bench Weather | Personal Weather Station: KWAEASTW18 by Wunderground.com | Weather Underground

Not enough for it to flourish on its own. On the side and back of the house I planted grass last year to keep dust down while we are building, and I kept it nice and green with 30 minutes of water on it each morning.

As for water source, I have a well that produces about 85 gpm limited by a pump that produces 30 gpm from 319 feet.

I think I have enough water to keep it nice.

~Moses

 

[davesl708]

I would contain myself with the wind farm idea. Nobody should have that much pleasure.
The grass idea sounds best. Do you have a grass variety that can grow with that little annual rainfall?
Auto salvage could be a money maker??