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The Grass is Always Greener...

One of the things we've done recently was to have sod (cesped in español) installed on the pathways in the garden.

I had been trying for quite a while to decide what I wanted on the paths but hadn't come up with anything low cost, low maintenance, and clean. The loose dirt and rock that the pathways had deteriorated to was unbearable; dirty, dusty, muddy, etc.


So I finally decided to get bids on sod installation. I had a recommendation for one place, So I went and talked and made an appointment for a visit to assess the state of my space and to get a concepto (bid). The appointed day and time came, went, passed by several more days and no word.
So off to where I wanted in the first place - I have a little local vivero (garden shop/nursery) close to the house; one day I must blog them. Anyway, Selva Madre has 2 lots, one at calle 75 x 54y56, the other at calle 77 x 54y56. Marcello gave me a ball park of 70pesos per meter squared, depending on what he found when he visited. He came with me right then and there to see the space. After talking we, Tom and I, decided we wanted an extra thick layer of clean topsoil put down because our garden soil is really bad; that took us to 80 pesos per square meter. An agreement was made and a date set.


Marcello and his cousin Gerardo came as promised, OK, they were about 2 hours later than they said, but they came, I was thrilled. The first 10-12 hours was spent cleaning, leveling, removing large protruding stones, delivering bags of soil, strips of sod, etc.



The next morning they showed up again, and again, I was thrilled.

They started the installation.




They spent the full day laying a thick carpet of new soil, and the pieces of cut sod. The cutting machines here aren't as uniform as those used in the States, so the pieces are not uniform in either length or thickness. This sod came from VeraCruz, and is called American. It is the same type as used in the park at La Ermita.

Drum roll please for the new sod

This is from the patio beside the pool looking out in to the garden before the sod.

This is after the sod

And this is looking at the pergola before sod

and after sod

ohhh, ahhh

They guys actually had to come back the 3rd day because we were short about 6 square meters of sod. They came early installed cleaned up and were gone. I have a 2 month guarantee. They came back after the first week to apply a growth stimulant, will return in 20days to do that again, and again in 20 days after that. If any of the sod is faulty or dead, they will replace it.

The sod has been in for 2 weeks and is doing incredibly well. - I am thrilled