u/Shoddy-Honey856

I want to make this backyard look more aesthetically pleasing and manageable for my mom.

I also have to maintain it mostly by myself, so I need something relatively low maintenance that can survive a little neglect.

The biggest issue is invasive ivy, especially poison ivy. I already rented a bobcat and stripped a lot of the yard down to clay, but everything eventually grew back. I think it’s because there’s still ivy around the crawlspace, under the deck, under the shed, etc.

I’m hesitant to use herbicides because there are some expensive plants back there already, including old Lenten roses. But if targeted herbicides are realistically the only option, I’m open to it.

The yard has heavy tree roots, a lot of shade, clay soil, and patchy grass.

What would you do if you wanted to improve this yard while spending as little money as possible?

Right now I’ve been considering:
- clover instead of trying to maintain a perfect lawn
- privacy bushes instead of replacing the fence
- mulch/woodland style landscaping
But I’m open to any ideas.

So I just got a free hello darling blueberry bush from my aunt but she planted it incorrectly and I’m not sure how to fix it. It’s planted in miracle gro potting mix and she dumped maybe 3 handfuls of soil acidifier into the mix, watered it and threw the blueberries in. But I have no clue what the ph is or anything. Waiting for the ph strips to come in.

But now I’m looking at this plant leaves and it’s looking like it could have a disease I’m not sure. Maybe fungus from the black discoloration? I cracked open some of the blueberries and they look healthy. No pests

She planted it in this large container 2 days ago. So far I have given this plant full sun almost all day on my backyard deck. It’s in a 10 gallon container.