Yard Haunt Landscaping

**IshWitch** · 06-12-2007,09:03 AM

We are finally getting some rain so are planning on laying sod or grass plugs in the back yard. So I'd also like to decide on some planting areas and such.

But in that, I am kind of worried about how to landscape so that it helps my scene areas for my haunt and doesn't obstruct or take away from my favorite spaces.

I love the area I put my graveyard in and it is shady all year long so won't grow grass, which is great for digging graves in! :jol: And is also a great area for a shade garden. Which would still be looking nice come Oct. here in FL.

The exact reason why I still don't have it after 6 years! LOL

Have any of you changed plantings or landscaping in your yard to help or enhance your haunt?

For those of you who live farther south, have you run into any problems with your haunt items hurting or killing your grass or plantings?

What plants have you found that adds to the ambiance?

**njwilk** · 06-12-2007,10:26 AM

I have a very small in-town lot so my haunt covers most of it. Last year I took the opportunity to dig up my tired iris bed to move the plants to a better location in the back yard. And since the bed was dug up anyhow, I dug a hole in the middle for my pirates to stand around with shovels and a treasure chest - one of them ended up in the hole. For Christmas I filled in the hole, put some landscape fabric down and covered it with a gravel bed for my train tracks (the Rudolph Express passes through my yard). Planted annuals in the spring that will be cleaned out in time for this year's decorating. My graveyard goes next to the fig tree and I just keep a few hostas there - they usually end up behind the tombstones or hiding spotlights and electrical connections . Snowman collection goes there for Christmas. Never had much luck with grass on the main part of the yard - neighboring oak trees keep it very shady. Between the drought and the shade and the pirate ship last year, I killed off what little was left so I now have pinestraw on that part. I left the train bed in place on that side (taking up the ties and rails to store back behind the shed) It looks like a nice pebbled path leading to the side of the house, placed a few plants in pots along it. Come October, I'll move the pots and cover the pebles with pinestraw and put the pirate ship back up. Last year I also got a little impatient with the fig tree and smote it with the hedge clippers to get rid of the leaves that were blocking view from the sidewalk. They grew back just fine this spring and I have figs.

**AuntBite** · 06-14-2007,04:28 AM

I think ferns and calla lillies are traditionally associated w/funerals plus they're shade loving.

Crape Myrtles look creepy when they loose their leaves and are draped w/spanish moss. But this die back probably doesn't happen where you are.

Do you have a kinda set pattern of how you lay out your graveyard. If so, plant ivies, jasmines, or some other creeping ground cover outlining the rectangle shape of your graves. Lay pinestraw (should be a cheap and easy get in Fl.) on the inside of these rectangles. Then put your showy, pretty plants in pots sitting on or in the pinestraw. Come Halloween just remove the pots and fluff up the pinestraw to look like grave mounds or remove it alltogether if you want the dirt to show.

I can visualize this idea but don't know if I've explained it very well

**UnOrthodOx** · 06-14-2007,05:40 AM

Not yet, but we're planning to. I'm making a "marsh" area in the back for a witch area, we're redoing the fences to better accomidate a walkthrough, moving the shed, and making me an area I can plant corn, both for eating and decoration.

My current problem is not the items killing my grass, but the PEOPLE.

My front yard has a distinct 'ring' in it that is PRECISELY where I had the path through everything last year. It's not dead, but it's not as green as the rest either.

Any tips for that would be most appreciated, as I don't know if I can continue to change the path to the greener parts every year.

**IshWitch** · 06-14-2007,01:14 PM

Our path is pretty much where we walk when we are going from the front yard to the back so that is okay. And I've pretty much had the walk circle around the backyard with mostly all of the props to the perimeter of the yard. But our lawn has been dying off for a few years, so that is why we are looking to put in sod.

I have had lots of people suggest the potted plants and I have to say, after giving it a lot of thought, I am going to do that for that area. The place is so shady it just doesn't grow grass, we've put out all kinds and had some luck with the rye in the winter when the leaves were off the trees.

So right now my plan is still to put a bordered shade garden of hostas and impatiens around the tree in the corner. We have several pine trees so I can easily rake the needles into the rest of the area that I have the graveyard in rather than having the sod up to the edge of the garden. I can then add in a bench or two and use plants in pots and planters "strategically" placed in the pine needle covered area creating a situation that can be changed around rather easily.

But how do flowers fit into my "abandoned graveyard" design you might ask?

Well, here's my plan as I've thought it over so far. I have one tombstone that is simply marked "Beloved" and in the past I've had a white spectre floating over it and/or a graverobber digging there. So I can put her grave in the flower bed, have her floating over the area as it appears to stay sweet and pure with the flowers. And put my grim reaper to the other side, maybe having the stones become more dilapidated or evil toward him.

What do y'all think?