DIY landscaping: Do it yourself, if you know what you're doing

WESLACO — Landscaping on your own can give you a sense of satisfaction by putting more of yourself into your surroundings without spending a fortune.

You become the artist, the architect, the creator of a miniature eco-system, with ponds filled with fish and dragonflies, native plants where butterflies dash about colorful flowers, and lush tropicals blanket your yard with wet greenery.

However, you could end up wasting that money on needless materials and having a really ugly yard if you aren’t careful.

“On of the things I find, when people do it themselves, they seem to plant things at random,” said Benito Treviño, co-owner of the Rancho Lomitas Native Vegetation and Wildlife Refuge north or Rio Grande City.

“Then nothing matches, they don’t follow a plan,” he said. “They just plant one plant here, one plant there. After they’ve made the investment, it looks really bad, because there’s no organization, rhyme or reason. It’s almost always better to at least consult a professional.”

Joe Garza saves up his money and takes on about one project a year on his 10 acres at Farm-to-Market Road 1015. His home is surrounded by avocado, peach and papaya trees, Texas mountain laurel, ferns, petunias, hibiscus, bougainvillea. Wisteria grows around the lattice work over the brick pathway leading from his home to the gazebo he built several years ago.

“Part of that brick path is from 1992, and the other half is from about two years ago,” he said. “I looked for brick which is called adobon, made from adobe.”

Garza, who says he recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of his 30th birthday, had to look around for the adobon. Not too many people make it anymore; he finally found a source in Reynosa. He wanted that type of brick because it had the look of being much older than it really was. He prepared the ground the same was as he would with brick pavers, by leveling it out, laying a bed of sand and compacting it, then setting the brick on the sand. He placed the bricks unevenly to add to the feeling of antiquity.

There are ways to build your own garden pond, said Anabel Cuellar, office clerk at Mid-Valley Garden and Pond in Weslaco, which sells liners, fish, chemicals and other materials.

“We have books that tell you how to build a pond,” she said. “And we have flyers, booklets that tell how to get pond materials, how to measure gallons in your pond, how to test the pH. They kind of train us on ponds. We have a lot of knowledge on ponds.”

Treviño said there are kits available that come with plastic molds and pumps.

“Those are easy for do-it-yourselfers,” he said.

Even the simplest projects require some advice from the experts. Patti Alexander, former community outreach specialist for the South Texas Refuge Complex, said that last year a family of mockingbirds attacked her tomatoes as soon as they turned orange.

“I’ve got to put some bird netting up, because some of the tomatoes are going to start getting ripe,” she said.
Alexander, who keeps a small vegetable garden and butterfly garden in her backyard, definitely recommends consulting experts for any garden project.

“You are going to be getting your plant material, your pond material, your lumber,” she said. “You are going to be buying the materials for your project from someone. And a lot of places have brochures, and there’s a lot of information on the Internet.”

If you expect to plant a tree, do your homework first, Treviño said.

“I find a lot of people will plant a tree that’s two feet tall, not realizing that it’s going to spread to 25,” he said. “Then when it grows it’s way too close near the house or power lines or fence. Especially when planting trees they should always consult at least the person that’s selling it how far away from the house or power lines or fences they should plant it.”