Here are some photo's of the rock wall i'll be building this summer. I'll start with the "stock" of rocks and before pictures and finally the rock construction.
this shot is from last fall - the only spot in the yard that is close to the where the wall will be - i forgot that i planted ferns here and now most of the rocks are hidden which is making it tough to find the right stone.
This message was edited Dec 10, 2009 3:45 PM
This white picket fence is being replaced by the rock wall
last before shot - the wall will be about 100 ft.
first section of fence is gone
end of day 1 - built about 4 foot of wall
couple of days later
another day - another 6 feet - this one is looking down the wall
taken yesterday just a couple more stones to complete the first section - it is about 40 ft. of wall.
looking down the driveway
this is taken from our second floor through a window and screen.
has last week off - now it will be only weekends 3/4 hours a day. will need to move the rose bushes into the yard and make new beds for them as well. that will take some time.
inside teh wall i try to leave no open space using small rocks - pebbles if i have to - do not want to have another condo complex for chipmunks and snakes - it also makes the rock wall very sturdy - i walk down the top of the wall to make sure it is strong.
that is what my mother-in-law asks - no not at all - it hurt "collecting" all the stone from the woods across the street last year - they were on piles from that a farmer had made while clearing fields that does not exist any longer.
You are an inspiration. I have rocks in Vt that need to be used to rebuild an old wall, but I would like to move it back 10 to 20 feet from its current location. I think it will stay a dream until I can afford to hire someone. Your work is beautiful. Patti
An amazing job you have done there. A lot of heavy work but it sure looks professional. I wish I had strength enough to do projects like this. Nice job recovering all the field stones too. Very well done so far.
thank you all - it is a labor of love for me - love rocks and rock walls.
i was sycked last year when my neighbor gave me permission to cut through his yard to get down into the woods with my wheel barrel. i broke teh axel twice rolling hunge boulders into it. had to push this up hill through the woods to get them to my property - stopping three times to rest each trip up hill. moved about 200 - 300 ponds per trip and collected about 20 ton of stone last fall. could only go at it 3 to 4 hours a day before arm cramps would set in.
no comments about that please - i know i'm nuts - gotta keep busy - and the wall will be worth the effort.
Wow - amazing, Bill! Did you mortar or are they dry? Beautiful job. Please come here and build 8 ft high ones for me.
Thanks Victor
i only do dry walls - i fill all the small gaps inside with small stones as tight as i can, try to lean everything into the middle then cap with flat ones if possible or fill pockets with interesting ones like white quartz or some veins in them
an 8 foot high rock wall - that would be a LOT of rock. i've seen an old one like that on a golf course that was out of smaller rocks - no boulders - and it was amazing. 8 foot high would need to be at least 12 wide. take up too much of your 1/4 acre.
this wall is about 3 feet tall and 3.5 wide at the base. 60 feet to go.
Very nice job, Bill! This is quite a project! You're doing an amazing job of it. My DH is good at building stone walls.....it is a real skill! I'm so glad you put sequential pics of it, so we can see the progress you've made. It is really amazing! Keep the photos coming! Lovely home and yard too!
Louise
WHA, Is that a Canadian flag hanging on your house? I want to build a wall like that also... We have a beach in Nova Scotia with lots of rock but I think it is against the law to remove material from a beach.... The cover of night I think. Robb.
Big house too, Bill. How many sq feet?
I love this thread, "change and progress " pictures are fascinating.
Had you studied the art of wall building or just instinct?
It really is beautiful.
How do you keep it straight?.
Good luck, hope you finish by fall and photograph where the rocks were originally.
looking real good.... we know how much work that is... believe it or not we used a play wagon that we were able to take the sides off and easily roll the big rocks on and off... to this day that wagon is still in good shape I was amazed the tires or tiny axles didn't break
That's simply amazing, Bill!
Is that a Canadian flag? Although i have many relatives in PEI it is not an Canadian Flag. We are PROUD members of Red Sox Nation!.
House is not that big 2400 square feet i think not including basement. I suppose it is big for just the two of us though.
hi ge - instinct - really not that hard to figure out big rocks on bottom and work your way up. I have read a couple short books since - after i got the bug and built about 800 ft of walls here. I highly recommend one called "the granite kiss" very instructive and almost poetry. I keep it straight and close to even height by eye. to perfect walls lack character.
onewish i can guarantee that the play wagon would not have held up. For the large ones like the big grey one at the end where gates will be i used a industrial 2 wheeler because the wheel barrel could not handle them. i bent the two wheeler.
i'll try to get some pictures of the area i pulled the rock from. i'll do it now instead of the fall - too many deer hunter in full camo down there - i drove them out last year with my creaking wheel barrel - don't think they were real happy with me.
and thanks for the complements!
I actually took this weekend off to do this...lol. It is no where near what you are doing, but I moved almost all 3 tons myself. Paul has several back problems that keep him from helping. I moved all of these stones over the course of about 14 hours...lots of breaks in between. There are some stones I do not know how the heck I am going to move...for now, they are staying put.
this is the last pic...trying to take this was a doozie...can't get the right angle.
Nice, Thom. What's going inside?
Victor-LOL...the list is HUGE. All of the dahlias, JI's, DL's, conifers I received from Forest Farm, anything I grew from seed that I'm not giving away, Peonies, Viburnum, Tri Colored Beach...the magnolia that is there is getting moved (when I have the 10 yards of soil dumped in there the magnolia would get buried) someplace else, and I'll be shuffling some other things around too!
To date: 20+ dahlias, until I get peonies in place (filling the holes up with dahlias before peonies can do that) aprox. 40+ Dl's. About 10 JI's. Several small shrubs/trees. Everything has been bought for that area already, except the soil and mulch! It measures about 20' (closes to me in the 2nd pic is the 20') from the closest corner down is a little over 30', from the furthest corner of the 30' to the hedge row is about 12', give or take, and the shrub line up to the existing wall is about 25'. The wall is a single layer of West Mountain Stone, and it's about 8-10" high. There will be a 3.5' path I will be making next year, and on the other side will be another raised bed area with a pond, and more plants. Then, I will be attacking the garden. lol.
It's my 3 year plan.
Sounds great! Look forward to seeing the progression. I have back problems too so I'm jealous of anyone who can do this themselves!
That is just amazing!!! That looks like such back breaking work. I love seeing how the whole project is coming together through your photo's.....however I every time I see a new photo I think "ouch that has to hurt at the end of the day" LOL I really like the wall - great job!
Bill-gorgeous area there. Love your yard. After you're done with your wall, then Victor's wall you can come and do one for me. Thanks!
YEAH AND COME TAKE MY ROCKS TO MAKE THEM
:)
Hey, bring them with you the next time you come down to Trenton.
can't do that in the state car Miss.. even though I would love to
:)
they'll never know, hee hee
not worth getting fired for... or getting the car taken away.... we will have to find another way
I love everyone's ambition! It is so very inspiring to me. Thank you for sharing all of your hard work, guys and gals. It shows us all what can be done with a little effort (OK, a LOT of effort!!), and some planning.
Ya know, I'm only kidding!
