Garden Projects 4 - 2010

I thought I'd start a new thread for this, as the other was getting pretty long. We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1083161/

I have been working on a big project this year. I have a huge mound of dirt that was dumped here over 10 years ago by the town. It's stuff they swept off the roads. My mother was using it for various projects, mostly for walkways and such. Anyhow, this year my sister decided we really needed to do something with this huge eyesore. She had the great idea to terrace it with rock retaining walls, and then I could line up all my potted plants that I'm selling all along the wall. It's going to have 2 tiers on the terracing, and I will have the bottom level and the second level to line up all my potted plants. The top level will have a garden on it, and there will be stone steps leading up to it. This is a really ambitious project. My sister started out helping, but of course, as with all projects that she starts, I'm usually the one who ends up doing most of it. I'm thinking she's probably already pretty much done all she's going to do on it, and now it's up to me to finish it. Our friend/tenant Rich has been a big help cutting out all the brush and brambles out of there last weekend. It's really looking good already. I've been working at it for 2 weekends now. I still have a long ways to go.

Here are some before pics, then I'll post some after shots.

Karen

Here's the mound of soil. Those are all empty pots at the base of it. You can see a brush pile and bramble pile in the middle foreground and right bottom corner.

As you can see from this photo, that mound of soil is by my pond. This is on the south side of our house. The front of the house faces west.

Karen

Here's a different view, showing all my empty pots. In the background, in front of the wheelbarrow, is a leucothoe shrub that has gotten out of hand. I'm cutting it way back and will probably put some picket fencing along it to keep it more contained and neater looking.

Karen

Here's the area where my sister was working. You can see the terracing already, and she's stacked some potted plants there, too.

Karen

Here's another shot, looking back towards the leucothoe, so you can see which area Hope worked on.

Karen

Here's where all my pots were. I have since cleaned them out of there and stacked them up nice and neatly along the leucothoe shrub, where the picket fencing will go.

Karen

Another view of the mound and my pots.

Karen

Finally making some progress. I got all those pots stacked up along the leucothoe.

Karen

Another view. This and the previous pic were taken 5 days after starting the project. Here I still have to level out the soil at the base of the dirt mound where all my pots were.

Karen

Here's Rich helping to clean up that area.

Karen

Here's the mound. The area's been all cleaned up in this area, and now I begin the work of leveling out the base, where the bottom level will be. The dirt that I take out of there will go around the septic tank where the soil has been gradually sinking, and where I have a rock garden. I've had DL's around that tank for a number years now, but I've removed them and have made it for rock garden plants exclusively.

Karen

Here's a shot to the right, showing the rest of that area. All the potted plants you see there will go around the wall that I'll be putting in.

Karen

Here's that area at the end of the day, after I've leveled out the base and removed all that dirt.

Karen

Another shot.

Karen

Here's where I put all the dirt around the septic tank and filled in with plants. Most of the plants were already in the rock garden. I just divided and spread them around. I put a couple of new ones in, some hens and chicks. Will probably add a few more here and there. Oh, I just bought a couple of rock cress plants I'll be putting in there, too.

Karen

Those last few pics were taken on April 11th. Hopefully tomorrow I can get more done. I have a lot of potting to do, too. I'm hoping it won't rain.

Karen

wow you have been busy!!!

Yes, muscles hurt just looking at the pictures--big job!

Wow a big job. So much work will be worth it when you get everything completed. Love those before, during and after pics of projects. Looking forward to more of this project. Great work.

nice project karen!

Thanks, everyone! Yeah, my muscles were really killing me last Tuesday after all the work I did over the weekend. I still have so much to do, but I also have lots of gardens that still need cleaning up, as well as getting things potted to sell and trade. I'm doing a plant sale with a fellow Garden Club member in 2 weeks, so I need to get a lot of stuff for that, plus I need stuff to donate to the club sale in 3 weeks, as well as stuff I can sell from here. I'm busy, busy, busy for sure. I wish I could just skip work on nice days and just work on rainy ones. Would be nice if I had that option, but it just doesn't work that way.

Karen

Whew! What a job! Glad, that Rich is a help. Will be a great addition to your garden.

Rich has really been a great help all around, whether in the house or in the yard. He's a hard worker, and we like having him live here with us.

Karen

Lookin' great, Karen!!!

grabbed two more granite posts today and there is at least one more that i will get tomorrow - planted most of the stuff i got the other day, actually everything except the little sedum which go in front of a soon to be planted jm.

That's great, Bill! Love those posts! Hank has been asking for one for his birthday for a couple years now, so I need to make it happen at some point soon. Better not tell me where you're getting them from! LOL You know how much I love my GPS - the one that doesn't work in our area!

there is a lot of heavy lifting involved where i get them:) - you need to find and old one to match the rock at your nh house for hank.

We saw some really nice ones at the place where we got some granite. The main thing they sell is granite grave markers, but they branched out into household granite as well and we found just what we wanted in our kitchen in their "surplus" stock for about 60% less than elsewhere. But the posts were pretty pricey, so I haven't jumped on that yet.

Thanks, Louise!

Bill, I want some granite posts, too. You sure are getting lots done. I have so much to do, but I have a ton of stuff I need to pot up, too. I concentrated on potting things today. I got a lot of stuff potted. I'm doing a plant sale with a friend from our garden club on May 1st, so I want a lot of things to sell. Hopefully I can make some money to fund some of my projects. I need a load of wood chips, and I would like to start on that wall.

Karen

You're a busy lady, Karen! Sounds like fun!

Wow, Karen! No wonder why I have not seen you posting! Have fun.

Started to dig in the ties for extending the gazebo patio and hit one of the Pillars of Hercules, spent about an hour trying to fracture part of it with no luck. Pulled a hamstring using the demo sledge, ended up resorting to stone chisels and a 4# hammer, finally got it down far enough to get it level. I thought I'd be over half done in that amount of time, instead I'm 1/8 done and have a pain in the grass stained posterior. LOL Ric

go rest Ric... nothing ever works the way we want.. or expect

Yikes, Ric! Got a hot tub to jump in???

No Louise, I haven't got around to fixing it yet, a power failure kicked a breaker and froze a couple of pipes before we caught it. I think next winter I will have an alarm wired in. To repair it, you have to pull it over the edge of the deck and work up under it, since we're above freezing I may attempt it. I miss the nice hot soaks under the stars. Ric

I don't think I'd attempt it just yet, Ric! LOL

How are people in New england working outside (yes, Bill, you) It has been cold & damp here for the last 3 days.

Wondering where you've been, Karen. Looking great!
Don't hurt yourself too much, Ric!!

This New England resident didn't do anything outside for the last three days!

Karen, that looks great so far. I have such a list of things I'd like to accomplish out there, but am feeling overwhelmed by all of it. I'm getting nothing done, fast.

it really has not been that bad here.

ric that is one big stone!