Cracked Concrete Out, Native Plants and Pavers In

Here's what we were starting with - cracked concrete, invasive overgrowth taking over every corner, and a yard that had basically become a dumping ground. There was debris piled up, an old boat sitting in the side lot, and weeds choking out anything that was trying to grow. Not exactly the backyard anyone wants to spend time in.

First things first - we cleared it all out. That meant hauling away over 250 square feet of broken concrete, removing the debris, and cutting back all the invasive growth that had taken over. Junk removal is never the glamorous part of a job, but getting a clean slate is what makes everything else possible. You can't build something great on top of a mess.

Working alongside our partners at Urbanscapes, we came in with a plan that made sense for this space. A permeable paver patio went in where the cracked concrete used to be, with gravel walkways running alongside the house. Permeable pavers are a smart choice - they let water drain through instead of pooling on the surface, which matters a lot in a city like New Orleans where heavy rain is just part of life.

The plant selection is what really brought this yard to life. We went with a mix of colorful native plants and pollinators - Louisiana Iris, swamp milkweed, hibiscus, agapanthus, and rudbeckia. These aren't just pretty. Native plants are low-maintenance, drought-tolerant once established, and they actually support local pollinators. The planting beds run along the paver edges and fence line, giving the whole space a finished, intentional look.

The side passage got gravel too - clean, low-maintenance, and no more mud. What we ended up with is a backyard that actually functions as an outdoor living space. Every part of this job - the junk removal, the paver work, the landscaping - fed into the same goal: giving this homeowner a yard worth being in.