using silver pony foot with rain barrel footings?

Hi folks,

I was just reading about the use of silver pony foot, and someone mentioned--perhaps on this website--using it draped over walls, to form an almost a waterfall-like effect.

I'm in the process of building footings for rain barrels to support my landscaping...I wince every time I think of using water from the dwindling Colorado River, especially for outdoor plantings, not to mention the cost of water in the City of Austin, TX!

While I do try to plant drought tolerant plants and trees, even they need water to get established, of course.

Well, I digress. The footings for my rain barrels are upright concrete blocks, contained by Yella wood 2X4 frames for added stability, and filled with sand in the center areas, but I ran out of sand on the edges, and was planning to get more sand to finish filling the centers of the blocks. Rain gutters will be installed once I have all the rain barrels in place: Two down and the last one is now under construction!

I've just hit on the idea of filling the open corner blocks with soil, and planting silver pony foot. Until I try it, I won't know whether it will work, or whether I'll even like the way it looks, but I'm intrigued by the idea. (If I don't plant something, some likely un--wanted volunteer is sure to do so...in this area, probably fire ants! I think fire ants have special scout ants, whose job it is to select the site for establishing a new colony.)

Of course, a metal flange fitting could be used as an alternative, and something to consider.

I thought I'd pass along the idea--and if I try it, I'll post an update later. If not silver pony foot, or, in addition, I'll be looking for other solutions for plantings to partially surround the rain barrels and footings. The rain barrels themselves are plastic and one is a darker camo green, and two, in the back yard, are a lighter camo green. (I was too impatient to get all the same color, and took what was in stock.)

They actually are not unattractive. (Certainly less objectionable than the strange utility box in my front yard.) Each will store 250 gallons of water. I'll post photos later, when this project is further underway. The potential variety of plants which I might grow around the rain barrels is endless. I must be careful not to run amuck at the nurseries! Each of the rain barrels presents different lighting conditions, making it an even more interesting project.

My sister has a house with beautiful and varied landscaping, and has pointed out that it has taken years to reach its current stage of maturity. That's fine, but the sooner the plants are in the ground, the sooner I'll begin to enjoy the results. I was thrilled this morning to see a butterfly in my butterfly garden--simple pleasures--but they do take time.. I started the butterfly garden last year, and this year many of the flowers have just burst into large showy displays, especially the lantana and salvia! The salvia were unremarkable last year, but are blooming this year like fireworks at the Fourth of July!

Dichondra argentea 'Silver Falls' can grow in an area with good drainage and moderate water. Yes, it can look like a water fall.

If you can post some pictures of the area, and a few close ups of the problem corners perhaps others will chime in with possible solutions.

I am not sure that filling the blocks with sand does anything. It is not structural. Maybe keeps out the spiders?

Maybe it's not structural--I thought the added weight might help make it more structurally sound--and, also keep out odds and ends. Who wants to be fiddling with the nozzle to empty the tank and be surprised by a scorpion, for example! Yes, I know photos would help....I promise some soon!

Loose sand does not add structural strength because it just shifts around. If you want to build a solid base then pour concrete. The way I see it from what you describe all you have is the CMU blocks. They are plenty strong, but hollow. Good hiding place for all sorts of wildlife. So filling with sand does exclude anything that cannot dig. As the animals (worms, insects, and larger things) living in the soil start tunneling though the soil under it the sand will sift through their holes and disappear.

Another option is compacted road base. I do not know too many critters that are willing to dig through that when nice, inviting soil is available.

(Sigh...) You make a good point. Since the rain barrel system is not yet hooked up, and the water barrels weigh only 62 lbs, each, it is still possible to replace the sand with rock, such as you suggest. Adding some quickcrete would be probably just as easy.

I'm not convinced it is necessary, though. The simple plan I devised should be adequate to support the rain barrels, and I thought, would be easy to remove or move to another area, if that becomes necessary at some later time, but doesn't solve the critter issue. On the other hand, The previous owner put a lot of large limestone rocks around bedding areas as borders, and everyone I move has the usual pill bugs and millipedes, etc., living underneath, and they seem to do no harm....

There are a lot of soil type crawlers that indeed do no harm, and their minor burrowing is not a threat to your rain barrels. However, if you are concerned about scorpions, then I am just questioning sand as a filler.

How about...
Expanding foam filler?
Not many critters will gnaw on it, so it might be worth looking into as a barrier to scorpions.
You would not have to fill all the blocks, just the exposed parts where a scorpion could get in and hide. Even these would still be half sand.

You need to accept that ALL gardens have creepy Crawly things, some are gardeners friends and some are absolute pests, BUT it is true that almost ANY crawling insects that are FAST movers, are garden friends as they eat slugs, snails and other slower moving pests, the fast runners DONT eat plants.
The slow movers like slugs /snails and other insects flying or crawling are mostly the ones who eat out plants.

By using sand, you run the risk of harbouring ANTS, and these can farm Aphids as they are like buddies to each other, then you find plants covered in Aphids, look around for ANTS, the ants live off the excrement the aphids drop (Aphid Poo) as it is sweat like a honey for the Aphids. these ants attack any other insects that come close to the plants with Aphids.

I only mention Ants, but there are several other creepy crawly bugs that would love a home built from sand as they can control the air flow and temp by moving the grains of sand about.
Maybe look at Gravel, NOT FINE GRAVEL but smaller like Pebble stones. BUT remember, there will be open gaps between the stones.
I think Diana's idea of concrete is probably best as you can always smash it up when done using it, I feel sure IF you couyld give a picture, others would be able to offer other ideas, like Mine, it might NOT be of any use to your project, BUT then again, someone might have a better idea.
take good care.
Kindest Regards.
WeeNel.

WeeNel, it is even worse than ants that farm aphids. In Texas they have Fire Ants. I would not wish them on my worst enemy. I do not know if they will set up house keeping in pure sand, but I would not want to risk it.

Yes, you're right, Diana. Fire ants are indeed a real problem here. Fortunately, I have found a product that does not harm other critters, that I spread around fire ant mounds. They take it into the nest and eat it, and within a few days the colony is dead. It takes constant vigilance, for fire ants migrate, and I am always discovering new colonies. So sorry about the lack of photos--I've mislaid my camera and haven't really searched for it--have been busy with a number of other things...must find it!

At last: Photos of my rain barrels. Depending on where you live, you may find that these easily pay for themselves. Austin, TX, draws its water from the Colorado River, which is dangerously low, albeit dammed at Ladybird Lake in the center of Austin, as it flows through our fair, but growing and thirsty city.

With cost a concern, I first bought two 250 rain barrels, and then after some consideration, decided I would regret it if I did not add a third. The higher cost will be adding gutters, but I still believe the cost will be paid off in five years or less. It takes only one inch of rainfall on one section of my roof, to generate 300 gallons of water! Even with three barrels, I will not capture more than a third of it. With heavier rains, I also won't capture more than my barrels can store. In one location, it might be worth adding a fourth barrel to store the overflow, as a friend just offered me another free rain barrel!

The question was, whether to plant ground cover coming out of some of the cinder blocks; then the question was raised as to whether it was wise to fill the cinderblocks with sand, as critters are sure to invade the sand. I'm not particularly concerned if they do, as I think the cinderblock base as constructed will do the job of supporting the structure. As I designed it myself, I hit upon the idea of building the cinderblock base, and, to be sure it was level, I thought I would start by building a treated 2X4 wood square, sized just half an inch wider than the concrete blocks, laying down the base, and leveling sand within it to assure it would be level. Adding sand to the inside of the concrete was more or less an afterthought.

I could easily see planting in the exposed blocks! Nice!