Garden Projects # 15

He ended up selling insurance.

Rosemary, Showing us that stone fire pit was just plan cruel but amazing.

I am big on the benches in a garden. We currently have 5 out in ours and a friend just told us he has two that need work, but we will fix them up or cannibalize one to get at least one good one out of it. They are big heavy wooden one, so I am thrilled to get them. Gotta have a bunch of good places to collapse. Not sure where the next one is going, but I will find a good spot. I just remembered that we have another one up by the veggie bed, but it is ugly, so maybe I will retire it back to the dump where we picked it up about 25 years ago. Patti

Why do I think I will see a stone slab bench in a prominent spot in your gardens Patti LOL

that fire pit is a copy of one dan snow in VT made - maybe he built that one?

LOVE LOVE LOVE that fire pit!!!

Any one else want to answer this? I'll reply by dmail if you're squeamish about the answer. There is no right answer, just interesting (to me) individual differences.

I think I ought to look up Dan Snow. I could see that fire pit in my yard, if only I can pay for it, though.

We had Dan Snow for an author signing and lecture at our old Bookstore in Vt and from what I could gather back in 2001 was that we had paid about the same amount for our Vt house as I would have to budget for one of his his amazing stone landscapes. I do know a women who had him do her property in central Vt a couple of years ago and I keep hoping and hinting for an invitation to go see what he did for her, but so far no luck. I will have to work harder or maybe just throw rocks at her. Patti

Just googled him.WOW what a fantastic talent.

his work is great I have a few of his books and a dvd he released, and I've been lost on his web site a few times!

moving mulch here and it has been slow going - with all the rain the weeds are bad and I am spending more time weeding than spreading the mulch -only got done the huge bed around the pond Saturday and Sunday finished three large beds, was hoping to do twice that much!

noticed deer eating some more just planted hosta done back - grrrrrrrrrrrr

Grrr is right....they pulled off a lily that had at least a dozen buds.....I have it in a vase trying to coax the blooms to open......I weeded part of the garden yesterday, will be spreading mulch there in a few minutes.....

I can count on deer appearance as soon as lilies are budded.They ate 2 of my faves,just nipped off the buds on Giraffe.Its the only place I didnt spray.

I ordered Dan Snow's two books from the library. I'm guessing if you have to do that, you're not going to be able to afford one of his sculpures.

Big ideas aside, I think somehow we'll get the project done. There are new shrubs and trees in our yard because I manage to get a few in every weekend. It is mind over matter.

The fellow from Season's Four nursery, who was sitting by three grottoes he had made at one house told me I could handle the job even without DH doing it. I'd just have to use reasonably sized river rocks. He is now closer to 80 and has had a stroke, so he says that's the only thing that stops him now. Photos showed him at 60 laying it all out.

it would be good to include a mixture of stone sizes - get the dh to roll some in that tractor and move them over:)

Rosemary, I dug ours alone back when I was the much sprier age of 62 beginning on Oct 18, 2007. After I got it started my DH decided to help me with the liner Oct 29th then he started to help me with the rocks, though I did most of the lugging of the rocks myself. DH knew I was determined and thought it would get done quicker if he helped. It was done on Nov 6 2007. He now loves it so much that I don't have to do much with it except sit on a bench and enjoy it.

Here is an album that shows the area before we put in the endless stream followed by shots of the process of us installing it. Not the most flattering of pictures of me. I also included shots of the our latest work on the endless stream to replace the original falls which had some leaking happening around the hose connection, so we dug the original one up and replaced it was a newer falls and filter that was made of a heavier material and came with the through hole in a better spot for connecting the hose. It is all fixed now and no leakage which was only a minor problem, but that bugged my DH no end. Hope it helps you see that you can handle this job. My inspiration was from a women on DG who posts as Songsofjoy who has an amazing endless stream and pond in NH that she built.

Patti: What a great album.Just so much energy in that project with a great pay-off.

That's an amazing project, Patti......worth all of the hard work.

Enjoyed seeing the progression.

great album patti - you must really bite the bullet to tear it up and repair the leak - came back together like it never happened - those construction shots made me think of your visit last year when cindy asked you if your yard looked like a construction project when you were building yours.

still would like to re-arrange one turn in the stream and move the start back a bit here for another turn - maybe next year too much on the plate in the yard right now.

WOW, that was a lot of work...it's looks great!

Thanks all, it went in really quickly once I got it sort of planned and all the stuff needed picked up over in Hyannis at Country Gardens, but the property kind of determined where it had to go. A gal and a shovel can do some damage when no one is looking.

Wha we changed the shape of the end of ours shortly after we first put it in as it seemed to symmetrical and manmade. Since then we have been encouraged by many visiting folks to enlarge it, but I think it is fine the way it is, and we don't have any more rocks. I can't see you ever stopping tweaking your until you haven't an inch of ground left to play with. And you do have a very nice upper slope to use in the future. Perhaps you could start the flow up by your front door and wrap it around the house? Cindy would be thrilled with that suggestion. Patti

so would national grid :)

I'm rejoining gain after a period without electricity. I guess during a power outage, the stream stops too.

Thank you sooo much for your pictorial account of the stream project, Patti. It is truly a beautiful addition to an already terrific garden. Between you and Bill, I am quite encouraged. I am so ready to get a project happening here. I am taking a few days off work in early July, but otherwise there is a time factor to consider. Surely at our house, a construction site would be going on for quite a long time, but clearly the results are worth it.

So the books on stone projects all say to have a separate focal point inside the patio area. I vote for a fire pit. Fire there, water on the earthy slope and maybe a small wind sculpture on top near a vertical plant wall. Am I forgetting anything? Oh yeah, cash. Today we start calling for other estimates because our first guy hasn't quoted on the wall and steps yet.

The young man I hoped to hire for an outdoor sculpture is probably going to med school.

My plant pals at Lyman estate told me to definitely contact the fellow who does conservatories--the one Patti used. He told them he is overstocked with glass for greenhouses. I should try to construct an ersatz conservatory under the deck stairs to overwinter camellias. Of course DH and I can now envision our house with a large modern conservatory right in front.

Rosemary: your stream of consciousness plans are too funny.
Its of great value to all of us the hear whats going on with this project.I hope you do include a fire-pit,just because I want one so much.

:) DH doesn't subscribe to my brand of fantasy. He is appalled that I would put in a fire pit. Course I say if we got tired of the fire pit we could turn it into a rock garden. Nor does he understand that I am building the steps and the stream to go up to a destination. (sigh). Fortunately he does humor me. Little does he know that if we get the project done this year, he will start to see what I mean about adding a fire pit. Marriage is like that. Sometimes we just have to wait for our spouses to catch up :) I think he may hire our first contractor too since he did come in with a reasonable quote, although I am ready to get several estimates. That means I can start talking to Bill Ward about collecting some glass to build my little under-steps conservatory. Camellias don't mind the darkness. Then DH might start talking to him and....

Remember I posed a quiz about what does one see in the dark? Well, I'll be honest. Once the stimulation on the retina has calmed down, I can start to see images of things I am thinking about. This is perfectly normal, but people who don't experience this must think it's strange or even crazy (its not). Lately it means my garden plans are becoming rather like a vista with leafy plants around it. Pretty much like seeing things clearly in one's mind's eye. I learned in psychology school when I studied human perception that less than ten percent of the population can do this. In fact, when I tried meditation techniques it was enormously distracting. I am much better at active meditation which they call the outer way, Gardening is clearly the outer way.

My son says he read on the internet that this is to art as perfect pitch is to making music. No wonder the poor guy had trouble at times in school. He has a double whammy. He can make art or wonderful music and never get down to studying, and heaven forbid he has a teacher who wears clashing colors or has a grating voice.

Interesting about retinal retention....nothing here. Your plans sound wonderful, Rosemary....hope things fall into place. I'm getting my new windows in 3 weeks....Yay! The painter cannot begin til Sept., so the house will look strange on the north side, oh, well......gives me more time to try to decide on a color. I'm thinking a little darker & grayer than it is now, with darker trim, but I welcome suggestions...it's a fairly large house, 3 stories on the north side, so I don't want to go too light.

WOOOO-HOOOOO
I found this,people who were intrested in stone benches.I wish he listed prices but I havnt scanned the whole website.I got my Basalt fountain from him in'09.
http://www.orientalgardensupply.com/index.php/carved-stone.html

I think I see a new bench in your future!

Not here.I dont have any place with the aesthetic for one.

Where it says "VIEW PRODUCT" if you click on it, it will give you the price.
I already have one of the owls....albeit it's for the fairy garden but I have one. LOL

Like that owl!

almost finished mulching the back yard this week end - had a friend and he wife stop by yesterday to get some ideas for a yard project - was really nice to hear them talk about colors and mixing conifers, plants, bushes and trees together when they were looking at the yard - best was there young son who thought the yard was awesome, and then as they were leaving asked why was there a house in the middle of all the plants - love that kid!

Cute!

Pixie: There was no "views product" banner on the benches. I think $500.00 for a 26 inch stone bowl is too much.

This message was edited Jun 17, 2013 4:13 AM

Saw similiar owls like that on the garden tour I went on

Bill, that's a cute story!

That's funny, Bill

Good story, wha! Maybe he will grow up to be a gardener, stone guy, too.

I think my buddy will have to be a stone guy - his wife was pointing out all the rock art and walls to him and saying can you do this?