Landscaping: Anybody use broken concrete for raised garden bed?

Replies: 213 Views: 1,349

Author	Comment
philsgal Middle River, MD July 22, 2009 11:20 AM	Anybody ever use busted up concrete (aka urbanite - love the name!) for a raised bed border? We have a 20 x 20ish pad that needs to come up and we are planning on using the rubble for a raised veg bed. I haven't the foggiest idea how to start. just seemed like a good idea since we have no $$ for extra stuff like that now. I have studied techniques for dry stacked stone wall and it all seems pretty easy, just very time consuming finding just the right rock for the right spot. any tips or pix would be appreciated.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) July 23, 2009 07:57 AM	hi philsgal, we built a dry stack wall , it was time consuming but it came out pretty good. We used fieldstone though. Actually we built 3 walls, took us 3 summers . But I have lots of chunks of concrete that was dumped in my yard by the builders...I have been wondering if I can do something creative with them. I have seen it busted up & used for walkways, but I don't know about walls. Will be interesting to see if anyone has any ideas.
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) July 23, 2009 06:28 PM	Philsgal & Lynnie6868, I have much the same situation. Had a concrete cutter cut my neighbor's driveway off where it was poured 10 feet over my property line. Also had an old sidewalk rerouted when I built a new porch. They broke the concrete up into "bite size" pieces and hauled it around back for me. I have a "rock pile" that I think would be great for edging flower beds, etc. There are some really large pieces (too big for me to lift) but it breaks up pretty easily with a sledge hammer. Like you, I thought "Why not? Free rocks!" I was going to stack some of them two-rocks high which would be the same as your making a raised bed. I don't see why it wouldn't work. It's been too hot here to do anything for the past few weeks but I'm dying to get started on a bed to see how it looks. I'm going to try a post a photo but I'm really new at this. Here's my "rock" pile: View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) July 23, 2009 06:38 PM	I might add that the neighbor was very agreeable to the whole process. We didn't discover the error until he had his yard surveyed for a fence. Since it would look funny to start his fence in the middle of the driveway, we had the situation fixed ... and I got a bunch of free rocks in the process. Urbanite, huh? That's a new one on me. But a very appropriate name. I would be very interested in seeing the results of your stacked wall if you decide to do it. I had thought about doing the same thing and felt a glop or two of mortar between the stones at various points would help stabilize the wall. Let me know how it goes. Judy in Newnan, GA (just south of Atlanta)
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) July 23, 2009 09:04 PM	wow Judy that's a lot of concrete! I don't have much at all. That will be labor intensive, but you can go at your own pace and it's worth it. My 3rd fieldstone wall is more of a raised bed, done with the leftovers of the fieldstone, and I did it by myself but my husband put those glops of mortar around to help....my kids walk on the walls, so they get tested!
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) July 23, 2009 10:32 PM	Lynnie, 20 x 20 is a lot larger than you think. All those "rocks" in the photo are from a pie-shaped piece of concrete about 40' long and 10' wide, plus a piece of sidewalk about 10' x 3'. The pile in the picture is about 80' long. The depth varies and is very irregular because they didn't level the ground before they poured the concrete (sloppy builder). However, I'm pleased with the similarity to real rocks and am eager to see what they look like as edging. I think you will have more than you realize once you get it all broken up. I put my grandchildren to work breaking up mine LOL.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) July 24, 2009 07:16 AM	The area with the debris is just getting cleaned up, so I'm not sure what's in there yet. Lots of real rocks, too. You'd think my husband was pulling up diamonds out there, I get so excited when a rock comes up. It will be fun, anyway! Post pics as you go along!
philsgal Middle River, MD July 24, 2009 09:54 AM	Good, I'm not the only one who thought - hey free rocks! HEY FREE GARDEN BORDER! YIPPEE! HEY HONEY, WE CAN USE THIS TO MAKE ME A RAISED VEGGIE BED! honey answers with a grunted "We? what? veggie bed?" I've seen this done where it looks awesome also seen it where it looks pretty crappy. I'm hoping for more of the awesome look. As we are still in the beginning planning stages, i thought I would build as high as possible with the materials we have. It needs to be at least 18 inches high just to prevent the dog from watering it. I'm thinking that the wall will end up being 24" high by 12" wide so I can sit on it to garden. the bed's inside dimensions will be about 3.5' x 18'. Just enough for me to do my thing. I'm still trying to figure out whether to use mortar or construction adhesive, how we will support it from the inside if needed and how we will afford to rent the concrete saw to get this stuff cut into useable chunks. It may end up being a few weekends of sledgehammering if we cant rent the thing. I'm not sure how we would get the stuff busted up evenly with out one. cold chisel maybe? I'm looking forward to seeing the other dger's projects take shape. Currently my veggies are all in large bright yellow cat litter buckets. not pretty but gets the job done and the veggies seem pretty happy. Now the next question... what do I fill it with? Mel's mix, cornell mix, lasagna garden stuff? thanks all
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) July 24, 2009 11:09 AM	Philsgal, here are some links...my husband & I pretty much just researched online & did it. We did get a masonry chisel to break up the rocks, and we did the gravel trench & the tieback pieces (longer stones going back to front for stability). We used pallets of fieldstone, which is harder than stackstone but I'm sure waaay easier than concrete chunks. Ours is called mountain laurel or rainbow rock. The colors helped tie in the house, driveway, etc.....we did use the level to keep it, well, level :) The second link has more links to mortar stones & whatnot. http://www.easy2diy.com/cm/easy/diy_ht_index.asp?page_id=357... http://www.ehow.com/how_4934023_build-stacked-stone-wall.htm...
philsgal Middle River, MD July 24, 2009 01:42 PM	Lynnie, I'd love to see some pix! thanks for the links too. My brain is now officially in "concrete raised veg bed mode" and running a million miles an hour with ideas. :-D
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) July 24, 2009 04:07 PM	Philsgal, I think the beauty of "rocks" is in their imperfection. That's why I went with the sledgehammer approach. The "cutting" with the machine had to be done in a straight line to keep with the property line. Then the triangular slab was cut into LARGE chunks and later broken with the sledgehammer. The sidewalk was "busted"into chunks with a sledgehammer starting on the edges. Once you get some "air" under a piece, it breaks pretty easily. The big rocks in the pile you see were further reduced by placing them on top of another rock, and hitting them with the sledgehammer. I'm only 4'9" and I could do it myself. In fact, when I was moving some of the larger ones and tossed them wherever I could, if they landed on another rock, they broke by themselves. I still need to break more down into usable sizes. No DH to help, here. I'm doing it myself. Stubborn old woman. If you're thinking about cutting yours into even pieces (like large bricks) it would be interesting to see the pattern and effect you'd get on the outer edge. It would be a lot easier to stack them and cement them if they were uniform in size. I just prefer the random pattern made by breaking with the sledgehammer. I'm more of a "cottage" garden person where things sort of evolve on their own. In fact, until I saw some of the posts on DG and GardenWeb, I was going to use bricks to edge my beds. Now I'm definitely set on using my "free rocks" for a more casual look. When the weather cools off a bit and I start making the beds, I'll post more photos. You guys do the same. I don't think I've seen this done before. Maybe we have started a whole new area of recycling. :-)
philsgal Middle River, MD July 24, 2009 04:28 PM	Actually Judy, I do prefer the broken, natural look, but I think cutting it evenly may be easier to lay. Or is my thinking flawed? Would the jagged edges actually set and hold the mass together kind of like a puzzle. I do think at the very least the capstones and 'dead men' would have to be cut to achieve the right size and shape. Maybe a chisel may be better for the look and shaping. or a combo of chisel and masonry saw. Ya know saw it out then rough it up and fit it with a chisel. We still have no clue how thick it is. We don't think it has rebar in it. It's been here since the house was built in the 50s so I'm hoping that maybe it will crumble easier because it is old. I can't wait to see pix of yours too Judy. It can be a really beautiful material if done right. these are the examples that inspired this whole idea. well that and our lack of funds http://www.stripmindmedia.net/blog/2008/05/urbanite-construc... about halfway down the page on this one. i love the thyme planted in the cracks http://laevgarden.wordpress.com/ I have alot of work ahead of me! MY BRAIN WILL NOT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. If i didn't have to cook dinner soon I'd be out there now with a sledgehammer! Rachel
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) July 24, 2009 09:22 PM	I didn't ("I" ok I mean "he" lol) use any machine, just a chisel to chip a piece out if it was needed to fit. Iove the pics in the link....I was thinking if you have raised beds, if you step the concrete back the soil of the bed should help hold it.....that's what we did with ours, they were raised beds just because the yard slopes. One end of one wall was about a foot high with the other being 2 1/2 feet. The other side was even, they're foundation beds. My 3rd one is just on the side of the garage, it's also a raised bed & I put roses in there... it's been raining buckets, I'll get pics & post them...I have some pics on davesgarden from when we first built the beds, but I'm not sure if they show the walls, I was looking for landscaping help...I'll check.... Rachel make sure to wear goggles to protect your eyes.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) July 24, 2009 09:28 PM	here's one tiny part of the wall..... http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=5254667 And Judy I like your style! You probably do more with determination than others with brawn!
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) July 25, 2009 02:10 AM	Boy! Love those links. The first one shows a lot of time and effort to get the "rocks" fitted just right and it looks like the concrete has aged a lot. You can't tell the difference between that and real rocks. If that's what ours will look like in a few years, Rachel, I'm really enthusiastic about doing it. In the second photo, the concrete still looks fairly new ... or newly cut/broken. Not as much effort was taken to fit the rocks together but the thyme "flowing" out of the cracks gives a nice effect. That's what I love about the "cottage" look ... just do whatever floats your boat. Lynnie your wall is beautiful. Took a lot of effort to do that, I'm sure. I do not envy you the job of lifting all those stones. Your selection of plants is most interesting. I have never seen one of those Walking Sticks thingies. I am still learning and trying to choose what will go where. I love seeing whole sections of gardens (as opposed to closeups of just one or two blooms) where you can see the relationship of the house to the gardens/beds, what kinds of plants grow well in different parts of the country, and I love seeing what kind of house everyone lives in and how the style goes with their garden. (Nosy me!) And, yes, I'm kinda tough and determined. When you're my size you have to be or people leave footprints all over your face LOL. I have been an Army widow since I was 33 (just turned 70 in April) and you have to learn to do things for yourself. We had not been married long and he had introduced me to gardening. He had worked at a nursery all through high school and was wonderful with plants. He bought me a pallet of bricks for Mother's Day (it was my crazy request) and I built a brick walkway and low wall for a flower bed. Loved doing it. After he died I lost interest. It sort of "renewed" about 10 years ago and I'm trying to make up for lost time. It's slow going but I'm determined. Now, if I can just get those beds dug and edged ... :-)
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) July 25, 2009 08:38 AM	Judy I am your size lol so I know what you mean....it sounds like your husband left you a great gift, a love of gardening. I have done more to the landscaping in that section, I'll try to take some better pictures of the front & post them. Harry only went there because I didn't have anywhere else to put him at the time, he's moving to a new spot in the fall. :) Those walking sticks get 8-10 feet tall. I made a new bed with a weeping norway spruce & a red smokebush and some other shrubs, he'll go in there. Walking sticks are contorted shrubs...the branches & leaves twist and turn, and in the fall they get big yellow catkins on them...I love them. that was a mother's day gift, too. I didn't realize concrete aged like that either. Nice!
philsgal Middle River, MD July 25, 2009 09:59 AM	Lynnie, that is a really nice wall. That's the type of material we would be using if we had $$$ right now. not only for the veg garden, but all along the foundation of the house. aaah...to be a homemaker - the sacrifices we make with only 1 income. it's ok, my kids will thank me when they're older. :) We are planning on stepping the wall back for more support 1/2" per row seems to be the magic number. Judy, your dh brought you a pallet of bricks for mother's day that's sooo sweet. My dh built me a compost pile for valentines day five years ago. my mom said "a compost pile for valentine's day - how nice (dripping with sarcasm)" nope, I'm not a flowers and candy girl - give me a rose bush instead of getting me that dozen roses. It would be great if all of us could post pix of progress. I think we'll help each other, but there are so few pictures of this type of thing on the net, we may even inspire somebody else. Think about the savings of every aspect - 1. depaving. the world needs less concrete and asphalt. I live right on a major tributary to my beloved Chesapeake bay and the less runoff we have from our yards to the storm drains to the creeks the better off we are. unless you replace pulled concrete with another non permeable material that is. we will be filling part of the hole left from removal so we get more lawn. 2. saving a gazillion tons of stuff from the landfill. Here in Baltimore county, our landfills are reaching capacity so recycling everything possible is important to me. 3. Money to buy rock, money to break old concrete, money to haul it away. nuff said there 4. it looks really good! I love the look of stone walls, and as this stuff ages, it really starts to take on a more rock-like appearance. I may even see if I can get some moss to grow on the shadier side of the wall 5. pride. I will be very happy when I get to show my friends and family what I've (dh will help, but mostly it will be me) done with some nasty looking concrete chunks. the pride of having accomplished something good for me, my family and the earth. not to mention all of the delicious food I will be able to grow, organically of course. I am so stoked about this project! Lynnie and Judy thanks so much for your input. rachel
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) July 25, 2009 01:03 PM	hey Rachel the kids are your most important resource! They're worth the sacrifice. :)
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 07, 2009 02:10 PM	look what I got! View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 07, 2009 03:41 PM	Beautiful, but how ya gonna move those behemoths? prybar & muscle? Where are you going to put them? I'd love to see them in situ. I'm working on the landscape plan now. I'll also be redoing my front & side beds (with free black plastic edging till I can do better - maybe xtra concrete?) this year and though it would be good to have at least some of my ducks in a row before I start. then again, flying by the seat of my pants is my specialty. that's just how i roll. If all goes well we will be starting demo in mid september. I am PSYCHED! Cant wait to see the progress from everybody and all the different ways to utilize this material. One man's trash...
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 07, 2009 04:11 PM	lol that's right, the man I got these from has tons on his acres of land, his trash my treasure :)...we have a big tractor thingy here right now, I know where 2 of them are going but I better quick figure out the rest before the tractor is gone
philsgal Middle River, MD August 07, 2009 05:05 PM	The spotted one on the right would look nice half buried with a ring of annuals around it.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 07, 2009 05:13 PM	I can do that :)
newtonsthirdlaw Arlington, TX August 07, 2009 05:18 PM	A neighbor in MI used salvaged concrete and his looked pretty good as walls. One trick he used was to plant into the wall itself to soften the look. Try a practice dry stack wall and see if it looks the way you want before you begin on a large scale. I do this with most of my hardscaping just to make sure its what I want.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 07, 2009 05:27 PM	When I was very young, we moved to a house where the backyard had a deep slope and was just a mud hole at the bottom. My father used broken pieces of concrete sidewalk to build a retaining wall, flat side out and concrete in between the pieces. He used pieces to make stepping-stones, 2 stairs with concrete, a patio with concrete, and a 2’ tall stacked wall around the patio. There were different type of succulents between the pieces, vines on the steepest slope, and all types of flowers going up from the sitting area of the patio. I saw some photos of him building all of that. Talk about working hard and doing backbreaking work! It is hard to believe that he did all of that by himself.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 07, 2009 05:37 PM	Venice that sounds gorgeous! Newton I was told I get one shot to get those rocks in the right place lol
newtonsthirdlaw Arlington, TX August 07, 2009 06:06 PM	Now I want some concrete!
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 07, 2009 11:22 PM	Wow! Lynnie. Those "boulders" are beautiful. Can't wait to see how and where you use them. Looking with envy at all that wonderful flat land. LOL, Newton. "Urbanite" does invite creativity. And "free" is the best kind. Like, you, I can't wait to work with mine but it has been 90+ degrees here for weeks and August is usually our worst month for high temps. I'm probably looking at fall before I can even get started. Our first frost doesn't come until mid to late November. I'm going to use my "rocks" in the back first to see how it goes, then I'll use them in the front if they look okay. Rachel, I pretty much fly by the seat of my pants too, LOL. I confess to doing a lot of "constructive" staring before I do anything because, with just myself to do anything and my being an old lady, I don't want to have to move things around too many times. Lynnie, keep posting photos of your "boulder" project. Those things are really gorgeous. I'm jealous!! Judy
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 08, 2009 06:40 AM	philsgal,great thread,a friend of ours used broken concrete to build fairly large retaining walls ,they are beautiful,had no idea that is was urbanite !! until he told me what it was.I will try to stop and get a picture of it.We live on a nice hill,our house is a walkout basement,so we had to terrace all the way around the house.32 ton of field stone,3 loads10,10 ,12,ton. That started in 1980,Iam still building with rocks !!! I love it. Cant wait to see what you do .early spring pic we are working on this area now. View Larger
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 08, 2009 07:01 AM	Huggergirl that's pretty! I think I've seen pics of your property...did you post some somewhere else...it sounds familiar. Judy this flat yard drove me crazy...new development, square boring house on flat field...talk about a blank slate...I was uninspired and at a loss what to do. And this is before I discovered I liked gardening. I made a mess of the front the first go round. Philsgal I'd like to see yours as you go along too. Boy we'll be some strong women come fall won't we lol
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 08, 2009 07:21 AM	Lynnie6868,Yes you have ,cottage gardening or uppermidwest. And rock wrangling will make you strong !! I should of taken more pics when we started out 25yrs ago,Ive changed it more than once,Iam really working on the cottage look now,from rock garden,always a work in progress:)
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 08, 2009 08:01 AM	Hugger isn't it funny when you start out one way then end up going another way? The hardest part is explaining to my husband....... rock wrangling hahaha I'm gonna get a cowboy hat grin
philsgal Middle River, MD August 08, 2009 08:36 PM	Venice, that sounds really cool! Got any pictures? Newton, Put an ad on craigslist for free concrete haul away. I'm sure you'll get some offers. I plan to do that in the future when I'm ready to do the front garden bed. huggergirl, I would love to see a pic of that retaining wall. Please share if you can.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 08, 2009 08:41 PM	I haven't been there in many years. And sorry to say, I don't have any photos. My father did all of that work over 50 years ago. If you have any questions, I could expain it further.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 08, 2009 09:07 PM	There are some sites on the Internet about how to build a wall with used sidewalk. You have to make a footing, put concrete between the pieces, reinforce the wall, put in some type of drainage, don't disturb the existing soil, and compact the rest. They give abbreviated directions of how to build the wall by stacking the pieces. My father made a 3 1/2 foot tall retaining wall so the smooth side was along where you walked. It held back a fairly steep slope with honeysuckle and I have no idea how he actually did it. There was a drain on the ground beside the wall so he must have put in some drainage tile. The short sitting wall didn't have concrete but the pieces were stacked. I have no idea how he held back the soil. Or how he did the stairs or patio. Everything was in pretty good shape the last time I saw them. He was an engineer so he was clever about those things! I guess that is all I can tell you!
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 09, 2009 07:42 AM	philsgal,we are going to get the harleys out today and we will stop and take some pics for you.
philsgal Middle River, MD August 09, 2009 10:22 AM	Thank you. Looking forward to seeing it. Have a nice ride!
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 09, 2009 08:31 PM	philsgal,heres the photos, View Larger
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 09, 2009 08:32 PM	2 View Larger
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 09, 2009 08:34 PM	3 View Larger
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 09, 2009 08:35 PM	4 View Larger
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 09, 2009 08:38 PM	hope this is helpful,Its been there 7 yrs now View Larger
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 09, 2009 08:51 PM	I busted up a concrete sidewalk andparking slb and used the pieces for a retaining wall in the front yard to break up the hill wich was way to hard to mow.I motared the pices together and then brushed them clean took me all summer but looks great. And costed me abot $20 in mortar. Which was a saveings cause the city wanted to chrge me $100 ro dump there for that ammount or $300 for a dumpster. Will post pic tommorrow
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 10, 2009 12:42 AM	Huggergirl, Those are great photos. Thanks for posting them. It's amazing how good plain ol' "busted up" concrete looks when it is stacked. Those are some monster pieces too. Somebody did some back-breaking work making that wall. It looks as if those pieces are pretty uniform in depth, whereas mine is of varying thicknesses, in smaller chunks, and more like the haphazard shapes of rocks (see photo way up there above all this). Also, while mine may be stacked in places (to level one side of a flower bed, for instance), I will be using them more like rocks to line the beds. I think Lynnie and Rachel were going to use them for a stacked wall. I am glad to know it looks so good whatever way it's used. We got ourselves some free resources here. LOL Judy
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 10, 2009 07:46 AM	Judy,have you played around and dry stacked any yet,Iam thinking placing them like I did with the field stone,well I guess like a puzzle more or less.I did not use any morter with my stone,just dry stack,we have real winter here freeze thaw, morter not a good option with out footers here.Ive had to rebuild spots over the years.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 10, 2009 08:03 AM	Hugger that looks great! Judy have you started yours yet? I'm in the "constructive staring" phase that you talked about...I mentally moved my rocks closer to my screen porch with a fountain.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 10, 2009 08:32 AM	Judy, if your concrete pieces are dug into the ground with the tops all the same level with the ground, the border might look like cool stepping stones. Just a thought.
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 10, 2009 09:05 AM	Everyone just make sure not to go straight up ,unless you have flat rock and a level starting surface,mother nature will push it forward yr by yr .here is the last stone wall I built,dh helped he hauled my back fill up and down that darn hill !!! Its kind of a mish mosh of plants right now,not sure how I want to plant it, the whole area is not quite done yet,always a work in progress !! This message was edited Aug 10, 2009 9:08 AM View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 10, 2009 09:14 AM	huggergirl thanks for all the pictures, every one i see gets me more excited about it. very helpful. artwestallis, i would like to see pix of yours too. venice, I've decided to use any extra chunks as a path thru my future front garden. just like you said level with the ground so they look like stepping stones. just ripped out two old useless garden beds from the front yard. I reused the broken stuff as a border for a sitting area. not as nice as the concrete, but It does the trick for free. and i now have my blank slate for creating the front foundation bed!
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 10, 2009 03:53 PM	Hugger & Lynnie -- My friend has done amazing work in her rock garden and she put a small pool with a stream in it. The rock garden has small stones on up to small boulders. I forget but I don't think they are as big as yours Lynnie. She said she is not done with it yet because they had a lot of continuous rain in Texas before the hot spell started and she couldn't work in the garden during that time. I asked her if she would share a couple of her photos and she said she would send them to me tonight. Hope they give you some ideas.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 10, 2009 07:14 PM	Venice that would be awesome! Thanks! Philsgal, that's some work you got done!
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 10, 2009 07:16 PM	That's a nice area Hugger!
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 10, 2009 08:35 PM	Lynnie6868,thanks,a deck is going in on the other side of the screened porch,Ill most likley be posting pics of the progress,slow progress !!
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 11, 2009 11:00 PM	Huggergirl and Lynnie: No, I haven't started yet but when I do, I think I'll have a good idea of exactly what I want, thanks to all that "constructive" staring and contemplating I've been doing. I have taken my "before" pictures so I can also look at them on the computer and mentally make notes of what might work. I hesitate to share them just yet because everything really looks cruddy right now. There will be no more than two "rocks" stacked because what I want to do isn't that high. Just enough to "level" or "almost level" the bed. My back yard slopes downward from north to south ... not a whole lot, but enough that there will be a nasty wash if I don't block it in places. I've never really worked on a lawn in the back but just let the grass come up where it will. There's a lot of centipede, some bermuda, and a lot of just junk grass ... but it's green and stops the runoff. It has been just too hot here to even think about working outside. Temps in the 90s and humidity right alongside. I almost wilt just walking to the mailbox. :-) Venice: I am way ahead of you on the stepping stones. I had even entertained the thought of making a small "patio" under a tree using the large chunks of concrete laid flat into the ground like flagstone with moss between the stones (moss is already under the tree). But for lining the beds, I definitely want "rocks" ... big, chunky stones. There is a guy in North Carolina who posts on the other forum. His gardens consist of grass paths winding through rock lined beds and it is absolutely charming. That is what sold me on doing mine that way. I looked at my rock pile and said, "Dad gum! There's my flower bed liners!" Am just dying to see what you guys are gonna do with yours! Judy
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 09:50 AM	Judy, on what forum is the NC guy you were talking about? The one with winding grass paths through a rock garden. Would really like to see his photos.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 09:59 AM	Judy there's no way your area looks cruddier than my back yard did until a couple of weeks ago! lol I had such an eyesore, and it wasn't out of sight of the whole street, either. Finally got the scrub & debris pulled up. Hugger I need a transition from my screen porch too...I have a porch off the screen porch, now i want a patio off that lol THAT will be a while coming. I'd love to see the NC guy's pics also!
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 09:59 AM	Hugger and Lynnie, send a D-mail with your email address and I will email all the photos my friend finally sent me. I don't have a file I can attach here. You won't believe what she has done!
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 10:51 AM	Does anyone know how to change a photo that is on an email with the text (not as an attachment) and change it to a file that I can attach here?
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 12, 2009 02:26 PM	Venice, Sometimes this will work: open the email with the photo and drag the photo to your desktop. See if the name changes to "something-blah-blah.jpg." It may be a string of numbers or a name or whatever. If that is the case, you can treat it just like a jpeg and attach it to a message, email, whatever. I have a Mac and that usually works for me, but I think it will work with a PC too. White Flower Farm sent me an email with a photo of an Asiatic lily mix they were promoting. It was so beautiful it took my breath away. The name of it was "Strawberries and Cream." You can imagine. All the colors from maroon to white and all shades of pink in between. I tried dragging it to my desktop to send to my sister and it worked. Needless to say, I ordered many bulbs (I ain't tellin' how many because you'd laugh at me). I hesitate to post the photo here because I don't know if WFF may have a copyright on it. If someone can clarify that, I will be happy to post it. (Any list administrators listening?) Judy
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 02:53 PM	Judy, I have tried everything and nothing will work. I can highlight it and copy it. However, when I pasted it on my desktop yesterday, my computer called it an active desktop. It has a link to the Internet. Anyway, it really messed up my computer and I had to update it to a previous day. Also, I tried to look on the Internet, but I couln't find anything.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 03:29 PM	Friend's rock garden in TX. View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 12, 2009 03:29 PM	Lynnie, By back yard isn't as bad as yours? I bet it's worse. We are talking severely neglected back yard here. However, if you insist ... here's the crud. I really need to start a thread on the Cottage Garden Forum with something like, "A Newbie Begins: First You Need a Cottage," because I've really turned a tract house into a country cottage and I dearly love it. It took me 10 years before I really got interested in doing anything with it and 10 more years before I really started getting serious about my gardening. (I raised, trained and showed dogs for 25 years). I have been here since 1988 and just bought it to get out from under a bad landlord situation and give myself a tax break. It was bare bones and ugly but had an acre of land and lots of room inside (nearly 2000 sq. ft. with the half-basement). It had possibilities I didn't see then. I just wanted a place of my own. The deck extension you see was added in 2003, the steps were moved from going down the left side to coming out the center, and things have progressed from there. I want to use the "rocks" to line the flower beds planned for both sides of the steps. The far left side will probably take two or three stacked to even out the bed with the right side. Haven't decided whether to make the right bed longer than the left or cut it off equal with the left and make another bed coming farther out into the yard on the far right side of the deck, with a small tree (Japanese Maple or Crape Myrtle ... something on that order). I intend to put lattice on the bottom of the deck. The bricks you see stacked at the base of the steps will be used for a walkway from the right deck steps around through the gate to the garage. I had originally planned to use them to line the flower bed but changed my mind when I saw the NC guy's garden. The pile of sand was left over from a front yard project and will be used in making the walkway also. The plants temporarily set in the bed areas are variegated pittosporum which I may use back here or in the front. I just love the plants. The light colored plants on the steps are variegated privet which will go in front of the Leyland Cypress trees (not in photo) to make a screen on one side of the yard. I like my neighbor on that side but there are lots of kids and I like to sit in some semblance of privacy on my back deck. May do it on the other side too. Neighbors on that side are BAD news. Had to call the cops because they were stealing my "rocks." Also caught them cutting down my small trees in the "woods" out back. Whatever happened to respect for what belongs to another? Anyway, here's my cruddy back. Hopefully it will look better as soon as things start to cool off. You guys have given me inspiration and some gumption to get going. View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 03:30 PM	Rock garden. View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 03:31 PM	Rock garden View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 12, 2009 03:48 PM	Shoot. I might as well give you the whole picture. Here's the Leyland Cypress side and more of how the house is situated. (I love to look at y'all's houses and how the gardens fit around them.) The plans are for a row of variegated privet in front of the LC and a row of roses in front of that. May line that with the rocks too, if I have enough. View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 03:55 PM	Judy, you really have a very nice backyard! That area has great possibilities. That was a good move having your steps coming from the center of your deck. I don't think the gardens on each side of your deck need to be the same length but the stones would look good if they were the same height but not equal, if that makes sense. Huggergirl, I hope my friend's rock garden can stimulate some ideas for yours. See 3 photos.
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 12, 2009 03:58 PM	Here's the back "before" ... back in 1993 when we had one of our rare snowstorms. LOL. Most of the trees have been cut down now except one huge oak that came up from seed and covers most of the back yard. View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 12, 2009 04:02 PM	Thank you, Venice. I agree it has possibilities. The longer I stayed here, the more "constructive" contemplating I did. Wait until you see what I did with the front. I am really quite proud of the change. I designed all the changes and gave sketches to the contractors. They really did all the work. Here's the front in 1988: View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 12, 2009 04:04 PM	And here's the front today: View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 04:07 PM	Ooooooooooooh. So cute! Good job!
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 04:08 PM	Judy your house & yard are so nice! Sorry girl, my eyesore has yours beat lol We had a weed filled kennel out back and invasive sumacs (if I can find a pic I'll post it) and a neighbor's falling down fence. Then some debris mixed in the weeds, as icing on the cake. ugh! Venice, THAT is GORGEOUS! is that all the pics or do you have more you need to mail? How long did she work on it? You're right, Judy, I'm getting excited to start! I'll get before pictures & post those first! Venice I agree, my front foundation plantings are longer on one side than the other, 1 side is 22 feet, the other 12 or 15, I forget. They have the same bed depth (each bed is about 10 feet deep) and the same height. One wall is higher because the ground slopes down, though.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 04:13 PM	wow nice job!
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 04:15 PM	More View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 04:23 PM	She sent me 17 photos! How many do you want to see? View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 12, 2009 04:26 PM	More front today: View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 04:30 PM	They first just had a pond but it was too much maintenance. So now nearly her whole backyard is a rock garden. Recently she made a small brick patio by a Hawkins shed, that may not be any more than 2' deep, where she keeps all of her garden stuff. Out front she has more formal gardens with roses and I can't remember all what else she has. I think she has been working on her rock garden for about 5 years. I could be mistaken though. I will try to find out. View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 04:35 PM	Judy you certainly have a beautiful house and a very spacious yard. By the way, do you know how to copy over that hyperlink of Farmerdill's garden? Over in Slugs, Jim was asking for it.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 04:38 PM	Just let me know if you want to see more. View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 12, 2009 04:39 PM	Thank you, you guys, for the compliments on the "cottage." I still have a long way to go. Venice, that rock garden is awesome! It must have taken years to get that look. So, so beautiful. Lynnie: would love to see your yard ... warts and all. LOL Got to run. Will be back tonight. Judy
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 12, 2009 04:44 PM	Judy, thanks but I figured out how to do that hyperlink.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 08:00 AM	Venice, there's no such thing as too many pictures of rocks :) Judy, your yard is nice! I'll get pics when I ge back to my desktop computer..
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 08:25 AM	judy,judy ,judy,your yard is perfect,we all have sore spots ,I have more than one,here is one,8x10 deck going in who knows how long it will take,have to reroute gutter tiles,found a tree root growing over and crushing the 4 in plastic tile,always something:) and see the ugly concrete wall,Iam trying to think of how to change and plant that area also,then when all the brick comes up ,i will have to most likley use the brick for maybe a walk path,where the grass is,next to the boulders This message was edited Aug 13, 2009 8:29 AM View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 08:36 AM	Your rock garden looks really pretty! What do you think about painting your concrete white? Or just putting lattice over the concrete to frame your garden? However, you are on your way to having a very nice area there.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 08:39 AM	Judy -- Was that link you gave me suppose to be for Farmerdill? Do you know where he is? (I guess my limit is up for sending emails).
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 08:50 AM	venice ,we just installed some vinal lattice on the other side of the house,and we are going to do the same there,I have to move all those rocks,its kind of a holding area for rocks right now,Ineeded a spot to put the rest of my rock pile,till I was ready for it.Iam changing over to cottage from rock garden,well I could call it cottagerock,I think I like that :) Talk about an eyesore look at all that stuff that needs hidden ,aarrggg!!always a work in progress View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 13, 2009 08:53 AM	Thanks for the pics, i am really inspired! and as for ugly yards I got y'all beat hands down! 1950's end of group rowhome. neighbors on all sides but one and theres a street there 35 yr old falling down rusty chain link fence, half the backyards concrete or mud or sloped, the shed that was put up in a weekend by the previous owner and is now looking like it will fall down any minute. oh yeah and about 12 bright yellow cat litter buckets with toms and peppers in them. the cherry bomb hot peppers are the prettiest thing in the yard. Plus I have 2 kids the dog and multiple neighborhood kids who tear up what little grass I have. the fence will be replaced when our friends put up their privacy fence they are giving us the fence fabric and top rail. The shed will probably fall down before it gets replaced! I'll try and post pix so you can have a good laugh. my groundbreaking begins mid september!
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 09:07 AM	philsgal,Iam glad you dont need to build a very tall border out of the urbanite,you will be able to play around with it a lot more,it will be like fitting a puzzle together.
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 13, 2009 01:19 PM	Huggergirl, I bow to your slope. LOL. Mine is not that bad but I couldn't take my eyes off your screened porch (envy, envy, envy) and your awesome rock garden. OMG. That is beautiful! The deck is going to be great once you get it done. Building the deck isn't that time-consuming but preparation is very important (drainage, etc.). That's not ugly at all. Just a work site to be proud of! I had seen your post on another forum where you had mentioned changing from "rock" to "cottage." Cottage rock, indeed. Cute :-) I was especially noticing your rocks and they reminded me of when I lived in Utah. I had never seen such rocky land. They looked like big baked potatoes. I had a dog pen on a concrete pad in the back and dug a one-foot-deep trench around it for drainage. Came across enough of those "baked potatoes" to fill the trench on all sides and it was a big pad ... 20 x 25. Wish I had some of those rocks here to line my flower beds. Philsgal: Your home sounds like a typical suburban home with kids and dogs and things getting worn to a frazzle. A "making you smile" American portrait. Pure Norman Rockwell stuff. My daughter has six kids, three dogs and I lost count of the cats, and her house is completely worn out. But they're happy and the kids have good hearts. You guys are so fortunate to have your youth working for you in your gardening ventures. Look at me. Old and decrepit and trying to do stuff I should have been doing 30 years ago. LOL Keep the faith, dear. Garden while you can. Venice: I don't know nothin' 'bout no Farmerdill. LOL That website came from the Garden Web forum from a guy who lives in NC. His site is called "Seventh Street Cottage." (I don't know how much I'm allowed to say here before they knock me off.) I think it's one of those "blogspot" thingys. I clicked on his name, went to his GW page and got the URL off of that. I checked it before I sent it to you and it was the right website. His gardens are so simple and inviting. You want to pull up a chair and sit down so you can take it all in slowly. Nothing big and fancy just a beautiful peaceful place. If it's allowed, I can post the URL to his blogspot site here. Somebody let me know. Judy
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 01:32 PM	judy I didnt show the whole picture !!! My wonderful DH is the worlds worst procastinator and perfectionist all rolled into one,and he is left handed,well that means he is left brained too,anyway there is the main entry to the house little porch concrete pad and walk,NOT FINISHED YET 12 YRS NOW !!! soo glad you cant see it from the road.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 01:49 PM	Judy -- Yes I did get that link to the guy in NC. I really enjoyed looking at it because he shows how he grows seedlings before planting. I don't have the space or patience to do all of that. But I appreciate seeing what others are doing.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 01:52 PM	Judy, how old are you anyway? You make it sound like you are 90 years old! Huggergirl, at least you have some very fine plans for you all to work on.
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 13, 2009 02:26 PM	Venice: I turned 70 in April, but health problems have slowed me down considerably. Three heart attacks, bypass surgery, and breast cancer with surgery will take the wind out of your sails right quick, believe me! However, I am determined to have a decent garden before I leave this dear world. I'm a tough ol' broad. LOL I did want to post one more "before" photo where I intend to use the "rocks" if the back looks okay. This is in the front and I've about decided to go with sasanquas here because it is very shady and they will do okay in shade. Don't know what I'm going to put in front of them but I'll come up with something. The rocks would start just behind the downspout, come across to the right, then curve down and take in the tree, and continue to the side gate. I'm going to put those Asiatic lilies along the side of the house and in front of the fence. That's the south side. Gets lots of sun. Also plan to put lilies in front of the fence on the other side. After trying several colors around here, I have decided I'm definitely a "pink" person and will go with all shades of maroon, rosy red, pink and white. Here's a closeup of the right side of the house: View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 13, 2009 07:49 PM	Wow! Judy! You must be a very strong and determined woman to go through all your physical problems and still be able to garden. I really admire you. You have some great plans for your flowers and yard. Those lillies in varigated shades of pink sound like they will be very beautiful.
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 13, 2009 11:06 PM	Venice, You know, I sat here year after year, thinking and planning, doing a lot of that "constructive" contemplating we talked about, but it wasn't until I found the garden forums and you guys that I was spurred into really doing something. You don't know what an inspiration it is to have people who can identify with your passion and give you encouragement, even though they live hundreds of miles away. I live right on a busy highway and I know there are people who drive by (and have for the past 20 years) and probably comment to themselves on the changes I've made in the house and yard. But until someone says it to YOU, it doesn't really hit home and give you that warm feeling of accomplishment. That's what all of you have done. Now I want to get out there and get started more than ever. And the best part is that when I do something ... even just a little ... there is someone to share it with. Thank you all so very much for being there. Judy
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 14, 2009 12:26 AM	Hugger, I think you're married to my husband lol Judy your yard looks good,the unfinished parts, I mean.... the "finished" parts look great! But even when we finish, we're never finished. I get those big potato rocks in my yard...my husband thinks I'm nuts, I get all excited when they pop up. hi Venice!
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 14, 2009 01:49 AM	Hugger, I'm sorry. I didn't pick up on that remark about your procrastinating hubby. I thought that went with the territory. You mean it doesn't? All hubbies don't procrastinate? Gosh! I didn't know that! My dear one, God rest his soul, was probably the world's worst. Lynnie, yours too? See? They all are! But it's hard to get along without them, isn't it? However, I sure get irritated with myself when I have to break down and ask a MAN to do something I just can't manage myself. You guys are lucky to have a live-in handyman. The fact that they're "putoffskeys" is a small price to pay. Lynnie, Thanks for the kind comments about my unfinished house and yard projects. I am pleased with what has been done to date. I do hope to get most of the rest done within the next two or three years. The inside is just about as bad. When people enter, I tell them the house is a work in progress. I still need to finish painting a couple of rooms. But, as you said, even when we're finished, we're never really finished. Maybe one day ... :-) Judy
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 14, 2009 06:40 AM	judy,you did hear me say wonderful ,before I said procrastinating !!!!LOL, you are so right,Iam so lucky to have him 32 yrs now,he is 64 Iam 50,
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 14, 2009 07:08 AM	philsgal,HEY ARE YOU GONNA POST SOME PICTURES ,we what to see what the hheck your up to!! we want to see.Iam reusing some blk plastic edging also,I need it to keep the mulch from washing into the yard in hard rain.I will keep showing my ugly spots,if you show me yours!!! LOL. Ps have you been to the trash to treasures forum,Ideas reusing and recycling,Iam always looking and thinking one mans trash my treasure !!! like picking rocks out the freshly plowed fields. This message was edited Aug 14, 2009 7:22 AM
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 14, 2009 10:15 PM	lol Philsgal is probably working hard on her rocks and I'm literally sitting here eating chocolates :) (harry & david malted milk balls, who can blame me?) maybe she'll have it all done & will have pics to post when she's back. Judy I'm right there with you on the inside of the house. I've been trying to get my bedroom refinished for 2 years now. Once I subscribed here, I found there are remodeling forums , have you seen them? My attention now is on the yard, but once the weather changes I'm hoping to get the inside stuff done. I did manage to refinish my stairs this spring, that's something. Everything takes time.
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 14, 2009 11:47 PM	Hugger, Maybe if we nag her enough she'll show us her projects. :-) I LOVE that Trash to Treasures forum. Garden "art" is, to me, what puts the icing on the cake for a real "cottage" garden. Old seatless chairs, twiggy arbors, bottomless pails, watering cans, bird baths, oddly constructed trellises, old iron headboards, and, of course, who can do without the charming garden gnomes and fairies? I have the gnome ... still trying to find a fairy that doesn't look cheesy. Definitely don't want Disney's Tinkerbell. Looking for more of an Angel Fairy. Several years ago, I bought an antique iron bed (headboard, footboard and side rails) I thought was a double. However, when I tried to put a double mattress on it I discovered it was actually a 3/4 bed and one of the "clamps" on the side rails broke (very soft metal). It would be difficult to repair it (re-weld) without being afraid the rail would give way in the middle of the night and send someone tumbling to the floor. Besides, I could only put a twin mattress on it and I don't have a twin bed in the house. The grandkids sleep either on the floor in the living room (why do they prefer that?) or in the double bed in the "grandkids' room." Sooo ... I thought maybe I could use the headboard and footboard in the garden. Not for a "bed" with headboard and footboard, but use them for "gates" or separate backdrops. They are quite ornate but not so much that they would look gaudy. Still tossing that one around. They would really look pretty with colorful flowers in front of them. Lynnie: Toss me a couple of those malted milk balls. Once I sit down with those I usually don't stop until they're gone. Lordy! Those things just melt in your mouth. I have seen the decorating forums but not a remodeling one. Will have to check that out. I am really proud of how my bedroom turned out. Several years ago, I received a "Romantic Homes" magazine with a front porch done in pink and green with white wicker furniture. I went ape. It took me 30 years to realize I didn't share my bedroom with a guy anymore and didn't have to use neutral or drab colors. So I went over the top. Exchanged all my old Danish modern bedroom furniture (actually I gave it to my daughter) for "Shabby Chic" style 1920s furniture I bought at auction and painted white. Painted the walls a pale green and the woodwork a high gloss bright white. Switched the king-size bed for a double to give me more room (white, old-fashioned chenille spread) and hung frosty white, puddled sheers with a white lace valance. Use pink for accents in the throw pillows, chair seats, extra quilts, and a gorgeous bowl and pitcher set with huge roses painted on it. Man! Talk about feminine! I love it! Went totally the other way with a bold color in the living/dining room which is roughly 25 x 30. It originally was "builder's special" white and you felt like you were floating uncontrollably with all that open space. I painted the walls cobalt blue and it brought everything in where it belonged. I have cobalt blue bottles and glassware sitting on all the windowsills. I replaced all the old furniture, once again, with 1920s "vintage" stuff. My mother laughs and calls it junk because it's the kind of furniture HER mother had. LOL. I am an auction junkie ... or, at least I was. I don't have any room left in my basement to store things! I couldn't believe the prices and bought stuff I really didn't need because bidding was so much fun. My dining room table was only $65 and it's gorgeous. I have mirrors. tables, paintings and prints, all kinds of stuff down there. I redecorate once a year and just swap stuff out. I need to have a garage sale and make more room. But then, what would I redecorate with? I will check out the remodeling forum. Like you, I do painting and stuff on cold winter days when you can't get out in the yard. Can't wait to see Philsgal's projects. Sure hope she'll share soon. Hint! Hint! :-) Judy
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 15, 2009 07:20 AM	Hey ,quit tossin around those mmb,ill gain back all those mmbs I lost !!! we have each taken off 13 lbs .since spring.High cholesterol, smokes are next. Judy sounds like you were describing all of my garden art,have you been here ? View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 15, 2009 01:45 PM	Hugger, That is absolutely precious! Yes, that's what I'm talking about. I swear I have never set foot in Indiana! I have collected a few pieces but don't have gardens to put them in yet (the gnome is in the bed in front of the porch) but my sister's garden has been my inspiration. I'm posting a few pics of her garden that were taken the first of May when things weren't in full bloom yet and they were getting ready for the Pike County Garden Show which was coming up the first week of June. I think they have been working on their garden for about 7-8 years. Bought a 1930s house on three acres and have taken it from nothing to gorgeous. Here are a few of their whimsical things ... guy with grassy crew cut sitting in bird bath View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 15, 2009 01:48 PM	And here's a twiggy arbor my nephew built. It's starting to fall apart and my BIL had secured it with rope until he could fix it properly. Remember, things had not fully filled out yet. There's a white clematis starting to grow up the side ... View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 15, 2009 01:50 PM	And here's an old piece of rusty fence she found at an antique store (actually she is part owner of one herself) ... View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 15, 2009 01:52 PM	Angel in bird bath ... View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 15, 2009 01:55 PM	Bottle tree and bird house ... View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 15, 2009 01:59 PM	And this is not really garden art, but it's so pretty I wanted you to see it. My BIL built this pergola and it is covered with roses and confederate jasmine ... so gorgeous. View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 15, 2009 02:02 PM	I know I can never have anything like that but it's nice to have something to guide you. They work many hours keeping things up. I just don't have that kind of strength. But something scaled down I think I can manage. Still waiting to see Rachel's stuff (tapping foot, looking at watch). J.
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 15, 2009 02:26 PM	judy ,great stuff,the bust,twiggy arbor,bottle tree,OMG Iam having visions of future projects. we are leaving for a hog roast,i baked cookies to take,later Tamara View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 15, 2009 02:59 PM	I also had seen your pony and bowling balls. Cute, cute, cute!!
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 15, 2009 08:47 PM	oh those pics are all awesome! I love those head planters, I want one, nowhere to put it right now....I'm itching to get my rocks rolling hahaha....(tired & punchy, bear with me ) maybe i can put one in my rock garden stream bed fountain area...still haven't nailed it down as you can see.
thatswho Endicott, NY August 18, 2009 03:21 PM	I suppose you're all sick and tired of the subject by now, but I just saw it. My sister has been building up her beds for a long time with broken concrete. She said she wants them waist high by the time she's 80 so she won't have to bend down, lol. She founded EcoHome, a demonstration home for ecological living in an urban environment. Her site is: http://www.ecohome.org/pages/index.html Good luck with your projects....Harriet
philsgal Middle River, MD August 18, 2009 05:02 PM	we've been sick. no pix yet. DH uses the camera at work every day so I don't get acess as much as I'd like. DH & I used the sitting area i created under front awning last night and it was very nice. we were both doing some constructive staring and getting some garden decisions made. we did some more plotting and planning for the backyard too. timetables and such. can't get a whole lot done with the kids, so trying to con my parents into taking them for a weekend here and there this fall & winter. They'll help with the planting in the spring. after the inspirations we've had, we may need to craigslist for more concrete! We hope to put in a nice winding path thru the front garden, a set of steps to the front door from the side yard and maybe a new tree. The biggest challenge in all this is doing it at virtually no cost. gas to pick things up & some mortar are about the only things we will pay for. the dump has free compost and mulch, I can pinch newspaper and cardboard from the neighbors on recycle day. Gonna look for free topsoil on CL. If dh gets home before dark, I'll try and snap some pix Judy you called it - worn to a frazzle. well loved. also "fixed in a very haphazard way by the previous owner" we're talking masking tape instead of electrical tape, extension cords hardwired instead of romex. it's a wonder the joint didn't burn down on us. I still remember 8 yrs ago the ad for the house "shows pride in ownership" Yeah right. But I love this house and neighborhood. We sacrificed having a bigger single family with a bigger yard for getting a smaller townhouse right across the street from the water. Nothing beats walking the dog on the shore or launching a canoe just across the road. or the water's reflection shimmering on my bedroom wall. or the wild life. I love this house and want to make it pretty again. i'm getting lots of inspiration here.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 05:32 PM	What do you do with you newpaper and cardboard? I can't believe you can get compost and mulch from your dump! That is great!
philsgal Middle River, MD August 18, 2009 06:52 PM	No pix tonight it just started pouring! Lightning hit the house down the street, nobody hurt, but it's been interesting. Venice, the newspaper and cardboard are for the base of the garden to smother the grass lasagna style. I will not be digging or tilling. then pile organic material I can get my hands on as thick as I can. settle over the winter and it's ready for plants in spring. Baltimore County is very good about recycling anything since our landfills have been at capacity for years. they keep finding ways to eke by. One in particular has been utilized in such a way that they have gotten about 5 extra years out of it. and they are now using the methane emissions from the dump for power too. We have more green/open space than most counties this means lots of organic debris. they started composting & mulching years ago. I hear they even compost the roadkill apparently it disappears in weeks. despite the astronomical taxes we pay in maryland. Baltimore county is a nicely managed place to live. the bayshore is beautiful.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 07:07 PM	You must have enough space where you can add a few inches on top of it. How deep do you think your soil, mulch, etc. will be? I am ashamed of Indiana. Indiana takes in garbage from other states! Also, most places you have to do recycling on your own and take it to a recycle site. I just recycle my paper and No.2 plastic bags. I don't have that many other plastics or cans. It is so frustrating. Many people dump everything in those bins and I just bet they end up dumping them anyway. Then phone books go at one location and paint etc. both go to separate locations pretty far away. I sure wish Indiana was more responsible.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 07:38 PM	thatswho thanks for the link, as you can see we never tire of this subject lol I have a pic of the area I'm going to put the behemoth boulders in....there's nothing there now except a chair to mark the spot..so I guess this is my before.. View Larger
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 07:40 PM	and down the side of the house (and please excuse the weeds, haven't been home much this month!) View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 08:05 PM	Wow! Great land.
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 18, 2009 09:00 PM	Rachel, We weren't trying to rush you. We missed you. :-) Sorry you were sick but so glad you're back. I'm with you 100 percent on the smaller house on the water versus larger house and land inland. I would give my eyeteeth if I had moved to Florida when I had the chance nearly 40 years ago. I love the beach ... and, if not the beach, then the shore anywhere on a body of water. Your house, though "well loved" and worn out, sounds like it has loving owners who will bring it back to its proper beauty. And we want to be with you every step of the way. Lynnie, I'm still envious of your gorgeous flat land. Can't wait to see where you put those boulders. Still doing constructive staring and contemplating. Must have moved at least 100 "rocks" today ... mentally, of course. Judy
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 09:01 PM	Venice thank you, you're too kind. I look at it & think 'too much, too hot, too sunny.' lol The area where the pine tree is will eventually be planted with trees & shrubs, meeting up with the rock area....I need shade, privacy, and a windbreak. Philsgal, we spent a weekend in Baltimore a few weeks ago, had a great time! Judy we cross posted....I haven't found the pictures of the bad back area yet...when I find them you won't be envious! This message was edited Aug 18, 2009 8:04 PM
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 18, 2009 09:17 PM	this was done with broken concrete and mortar View Larger
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 18, 2009 09:18 PM	took me 2 summers to build View Larger
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 18, 2009 09:20 PM	now just need to landscape and plant it next summer View Larger
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 18, 2009 09:22 PM	Its on a rental propertf of mine View Larger
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 18, 2009 09:26 PM	need to replant it next summer and hopefull the tenants will take better care of it or I will have to. But it was impossible to mow and was going to cost me almost @300 to have the concrete removed and only spent about 50 on mortar and lots of sweat lol View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 09:34 PM	Art -- Looks great! I bet that did take a lot of sweat!!! Planting it should be a breeze after all that work!
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 18, 2009 09:36 PM	yes lots of it but real happy with the problems it solved now just need to get tentant that likes to garden the one I have now started out but lost interest in it
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 09:36 PM	Artwestallis, that looks beautiful! You must be so happy with the way it came out! The mortar looks great.
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) August 18, 2009 09:36 PM	I would think the broken concrete would be easier than natural stone if only because it has at least one flat side. The following are pics of a wall I did last year by dry stacking native sandstone from the hill behind the house. I offset each layer towards the rear to strengthen the wall and help hold back the soil. I would just lay each layer and backfill with dirt then start the next layer. Time consuming (less than you think) and laborious but the results are great. Doug first pic: 06/23/08 View Larger
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) August 18, 2009 09:38 PM	Second pic: 07/27/08 Doug View Larger
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) August 18, 2009 09:39 PM	Also from 07/27/08 Doug View Larger
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) August 18, 2009 09:41 PM	Pic from 04/18/09 Doug View Larger
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 18, 2009 09:41 PM	yes that was an advantge was one flat side and uniformity in thicknessdidnt need to do a puzzle lol
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) August 18, 2009 09:44 PM	And finally 05/29/09. I need to take some more tomorrow to show you just how much the grasses especially have grown. Doug View Larger
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 09:49 PM	Beautiful Doug! I offset mine too, but mine is more a raised bed than a retaining wall, doesn't have to hold back so much, so I didn't step it back as much, yours looks very stable & sturdy. Artwestallis mine was like a puzzle, but i found the process relaxing somehow.
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) August 18, 2009 09:50 PM	VERY relaxing and therapeutic... Doug
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 09:52 PM	Amazing! Great rocks! And all those were from the hill behind your house. How convenient. Many of them are fairly similar in size except for those large ones. How did you move all of them? I especially like it when you did a curve with them. Seems more organic.
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) August 18, 2009 10:01 PM	A garden tractor, a trailer, (see my username for a pic) a friend every once in a while, a crow bar or spodge bar to lift them out of the ground and quite a few beers!!! It really is like putting a puzzle together. I have done several more since then although smaller in scale. I thoroughly enjoy it! Doug
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 10:28 PM	I see why you enjoy it now!
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 18, 2009 10:48 PM	Art and Doug ... Two different types of projects and both beautiful. Y'all keep inspiring me and maybe I'll do more than move my "rocks" mentally. Mine is going to be just lining flower beds and stacking (no more than two or three high) to make the bed level in some places. Nothing like the humongous projects you two took on. Waiting for these August temps to drop down a notch or two so I can get started. It's great being able to have someone to share it with. :-) Judy
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 18, 2009 10:55 PM	What is a spodge bar?
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 19, 2009 06:22 AM	Iam thinkin ,we call it a spud bar,its a very heavy duty 4-5 ft long pry bar.
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 19, 2009 06:24 AM	art,nice work,if I were your tennant id gladly take care of those beautiful beds.
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 19, 2009 06:27 AM	sad thing is all she has to do is water and weed and shes not doing that this year I pay for everything else
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 19, 2009 06:32 AM	dug,All that stone for free,man o man,great work.we live in field stone country,lime stone too but its not the slab kind,thats a little more south of us.
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 19, 2009 06:36 AM	art, I couldnt take being a land lord,peoples disrespect ,I would be biting my toung off.LOL
huggergirl Columbia City, IN (Zone 5b) August 19, 2009 07:54 AM	lynnie,Ive been wanting to tell you ,scarf up all those rocks and boulders ,before he finds out he can sell them. seriously,boulders and field stone go for $100.00 a ton.We bought 3 loads 10-10-12 ton, each load was $ 60.00 20 yrs ago,The farmer boys down the road used to give it away,not any more they pile it up "for sale".So get it while the gettin is good. LOL I never would have spent 1000S on field stones.
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) August 19, 2009 08:45 AM	Doug, I looked up spud bar. One could think it has to do with potatoes! NOT I saw a photo of it and that is some tool. They say it weighs 15 pounds! I can't imagine you digging up a ton of boulders and stones to sell. How long would it take you to dig up one ton? I imagine your friend would need to help you with it also. So in the end that would be $50 a ton!
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) August 19, 2009 10:12 AM	I use all of mine, I wouldn't dare sell them! Doug
Grantman31 West Palm Beach, FL August 19, 2009 10:18 AM	My uncle lives in Waupaca, WI and has an antique shop and makes and sells garden and birdhouse items. His shop is well known through central Wisconsin. He used to keep reindeer and the kids loved to come around Christmas time, but they didn't last well. Some died from a bad batch of reindeer foord (lawsuit recooped some of his investment), and others got a hold of some twine that wrapped around their organs. Poor things. I was there for the autopsy on one of them, and we buried it behind his barn afterward. He has quite a bit of land and has huge boulders and stone all over his property. When I was young I used to help him dig them up. He has a small bobcat and would roll these things around. I'm sure some of the large ones weighed a couple tons. Fun times! I wish I had some stone that accessible for my landscaping...
Grantman31 West Palm Beach, FL August 19, 2009 10:21 AM	Art - What part of Milwaukee do you live in? I have another uncle in Milwaukee, and a lot of family (including my mother) in Racine and Kenosha.
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 11:15 AM	art, thanks for the pix that is great. two years huh? cant wait to see it planted. you could always try boring but extremely tough plants, low maintenance. i can imagine mowing it to be difficult. I have a heck of a time with just the hill. My front yard has a similar hill in front, just slightly taller and a bit deeper. My problem is that mine is on a corner so that hill wraps around the house and gradually levels out (sort of) in the backyard. the side of that hill is trampled from dh walking from worktruck to front door, so that's where the idea for the urbanite steps came from. doug, i love the way that looks! i kinda thought the process of fitting the rocks would be kinda zen. it is a puzzle. thank you for the pix.
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 11:56 AM	OK found a pic from when we moved in front of the house from the corner View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 11:58 AM	this is the spot under the awning where i put the sitting area. View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 11:59 AM	side of the house with slope View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 12:00 PM	deck from just inside the back fence View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 12:05 PM	the back of the house. These are all from when we bought in 2002. boat is gone. we've moved the fence to the edge of the property. the concrete pads you see are the ones we will be breaking up. the veg bed will be on the far right next to the sidewalk. This message was edited Aug 19, 2009 11:06 AM View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 12:19 PM	corner of the house last month. since the old photos, we have removed the evergreen in the front and the garden bed that surrounded it. I used the broken up garden bed to create a border for the sitting area under the awning. i'll post pics of that later. also the small white decorative fence w/rosebush behind is gone. the holes are still there though as I am reminded every time I mow the lawn. lol got rid of 8 inch wide (only 8 inches and in the direct path of the deluge of the gutterless awning???) bed surrounding the porch. Removed rosebush planted too close to house in said bed. also stripped ugly outdoor carpet from porch, removed layers and layers and layers of adhesive, repainted porch and front door. sanded, painted, primed railing all two summers ago. oh yeah painted the Adirondack chairs I got for mother's day. unfortunately they got rained on right after so they're peeling now.Whew, forgotten how much we/i've really done out front! so now we are down to a blank slate in the front at least. View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 12:28 PM	side of the house last month. behind dh's work truck is an arborvitae that i want gone. you can see it in the older shot. nice tree, just in the wrong place. when our friends give us the fence to replace ours it will line up with the front edge of the house instead of the back edge like it does now. View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 12:37 PM	from the bottom of the deck steps out thru the backyard. As if my yard couldn't get more redneckish, the cat litter bucket garden. this will be the position of the new veg bed. note the 30 yr old fence that we moved to the bottom of the yard. it barely made it and is currently put together with cable ties. However after years dealing with essentially no yard, I am loving it. I keep thanking dh for my new yard. the dog and kids love it too. View Larger
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 12:44 PM	just for perspective, my son trying to escape. the veg bed will be behind him. note the bending fence. lol I plan to take a pic of the sitting area and a better shot of the backyard later. now I just need to get something for a bit of privacy. a privacy fence would have graffiti on it in a matter of days and planting anything along the fence is out because of the dog and the fact that would eat up too much yard. plus it would spoil the water view. thinking... View Larger
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 19, 2009 02:48 PM	Rachel, Rachel, Rachel... Thanks so much for the photos. What wonderful projects you have ahead of you and what a lot of work you've already done. That looks like a wonderful, cozy community. Looking at the "patio" you're going to break up, girl, you're going to have more concrete "rocks" than you've bargained for. That is at least as much as, and probably greater than, the amount I started with. You should have enough to make your raised veggie bed and then some. I can't wait to see the result. Please keep us posted. Judy *A big blond duh! I posted this on the wrong forum (Cottage Gardening). We are all conversing on two of them. Must have old timer's disease ... even worse ... blond old timer's! Sorry. (hanging head in shame)
thatswho Endicott, NY August 19, 2009 02:56 PM	RE:Post #6962371, 375 Lynnie, Thanks for looking at my sister's site. I actually thought there were more pictures of her garden on it, and I think I'll ask her to post more. I know she has a lot. It looks like you have a perfect spot for a garden ... and it's great to see you have a water barrel. ...Harriet
philsgal Middle River, MD August 19, 2009 03:42 PM	Judy, it's good to know we'll have enough. we have alot of things we could use it for. we're thinking a raised foundation bed all along the front and side of the house over the course of a few years. Venice i will get my soil as deep as possible. I'm hoping for at least 12" which i think means my unsettled garden should be about 24" thick. by spring it should be ready to go. Every bit of organic material i can get my hands on will be included. I will start with wetted layers of newspaper, cardboard, paperboard, maybe even some 100% cotton sheets, whatever I can get my hands on laid right on top of the grass. then on goes the organics. topped with mulch. Starbucks will give me their coffee grounds, across the street in the park, I have access to pretty much unlimited leaves, my bunnies make plenty of waste that will be used. I have a compost pile. Dump is open year round so I can pick up as many loads of mulch and compost as i can stand. It's so close multiple trips in a day are feasible. dh should be home b4 dark today, if he is i'll be able to finish the pix
Artwestallis Milwaukee, WI August 19, 2009 04:19 PM	Im in West Allis 2 blocks from State Fair Park hence Artwestallis
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 19, 2009 09:26 PM	Hi Harriet! It's a big website, I'll have to look further, looked like there were some interesting links there. I have 2 rain barrels, need 1 or 2 more :) Philsgal that is a LOT of work you've done! Just looking at that concrete made my arms sore lol looks like you'll have plenty, though. That's a cool brick rowhouse. Judy am I missing good stuff on cottage gardening? I haven't been there yet.
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) August 19, 2009 09:56 PM	Lynnie, I think Cottage Gardening is just the cat's meow. (Dated myself, didn't I?) But I have many favorites here on Dave's. I just bought two new roses from Blissful Garden on the Roses forum and have left messages on a couple of others. I spend ENTIRELY too much time on these forums but I'm having so much fun, am learning so much, and getting help with my garden planning (and help is badly needed). It is so inspiring when you have someone to do it with you, even though they're hundreds of miles away. But I am definitely a cottage garden person and wouldn't want to miss checking that forum daily. If cottage gardening is your thing, I'd definitely check it out. Judy
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) August 21, 2009 06:14 AM	Hugger I can't see the guy ever charging for his rocks, he's a friend and good guy. Now that I've figured where to put them, the big tractor thingy is gone lol that's what happens when you go away for a week! Too humid now to do anything anyway.
flowers_delight Leicester, NC (Zone 8a) September 01, 2009 05:12 PM	Judy,Lynnie,Philsgal, Love the plans and pictures the only thing missing in the plans that I can see is maybe a pretty water fountain streaming over rocks into another fountain. The raised flower beds from concrete sounds great and you might even consider strawberry bed in one of those, think they would do great in GA. Good Luck Ladies enjoyed peeking in on this one.
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) September 02, 2009 12:04 PM	Philsgal, don't mean to butt in, but if you don't likr the color of the concrete, you can purchase a product called concrete stain. it goes on with a common sprayer like you use for roundup and stuff. It can be used to add depth of color and create a more natural stone look to your concrete. http://www.concretenetwork.com/staining-concrete/ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3938973411899950509#
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) September 03, 2009 07:36 PM	flowers I do have a fountain made of stone (what else?) that I'm planning on putting in my rock garden dry creek bed fountain area :) can you tell I haven't nailed down the details yet? lol
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 08, 2009 04:31 PM	Moon butt in any time ;) I moved one single rock since Aug 7th...(had to scroll up & check, yup 3 months) here it is.... View Larger
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 08, 2009 04:33 PM	has anybody else made progress on their concrete/rock projects? I shouldn't say "else" because getting one rock in place isn't much progress.
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) November 08, 2009 11:04 PM	Lol Lynnie, I think that may count as more than one rock. I can just see you lifting it! HA. No, I haven't done anything on mine yet, but I can go move one rock tomorrow to keep up ... well, maybe three or four ... or nine or ten.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 09, 2009 06:27 AM	well after that I was starting to think hypertufa is the way to go lol it took my husband & me a couple of hours....Judy go move 2 rocks and you'll be ahead grin
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) November 09, 2009 09:11 PM	Lynn here's one on September 10th of a pile of rocks I had. Doug View Larger
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) November 09, 2009 09:15 PM	And here's one October 5th looking up the same hill and the same pile of rocks. It looks totally different now as I've done some planting and more rock/path work since then. Doug View Larger
venice62 Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) November 09, 2009 10:21 PM	Postmandug, Wow that looks great! Seeing the before and after photos let us see your progress. Good job!
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 10, 2009 06:32 AM	Postmandug that's looks great! I love that fieldstone, you're so lucky to have that laying around. Did you have to grade any of that hill?
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 10, 2009 08:53 AM	Looking Good, Postmandug. Amazing what a little backbreaking work can do....grin...Keep us posted on your project.
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) November 10, 2009 10:57 AM	No grading but a little use of the Mantis tiller to level it out a bit for the first course of rocks and then to loosen up the soil and mix in the compost and manure. Moon, definitely back-bending if not breaking!!! I enjoy it very much though. Seems as if every time I complete a new project like this I have a new "favorite" spot to sit and enjoy my work and Mother Nature's work. Doug
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 10, 2009 01:15 PM	Good on you Doug. Nothing like enjoying Mother Nature surrounded by the "fruits of your labor". That is truly a lovely new addition. Moon
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) November 10, 2009 05:33 PM	Doug, You're putting us all to shame. :-)
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 10, 2009 06:41 PM	Judy did you move a rock? grin
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) November 10, 2009 10:25 PM	It's been pouring down rain for two days. Is that a valid excuse?
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 11, 2009 05:47 AM	heck yeah! lol
kellykari Kerrville, TX November 11, 2009 07:57 AM	Last image. It was all rather time consuming... but saved lots of $ View Larger
kellykari Kerrville, TX November 11, 2009 07:59 AM	Broken concrete for patio View Larger
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 08:46 AM	Kellykari, that looks too fine. Lots of hard work there, but oh so too worth it....looks great.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 11, 2009 08:53 AM	oh I'm having rock envy again...kellykari that is beautiful! And I was so proud of my one dumb rock hahaha
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 09:10 AM	Hey Lynnie, if ya sliced up your rock you could have a pretty patio like Kellykari's....ahem, just offering up ideas....grin
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) November 11, 2009 09:36 AM	Sledgehammer time Lynn! Doug
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 11, 2009 09:43 AM	actually I WAS thinking of my neighbor's concrete wall...no, no that would be wrong grin
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 09:44 AM	It's Hammer time, Lynnie...Can't touch this.... lol Morning Doug.
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 09:45 AM	Just tell them you got caught up in celebrating the fall of the Berlin wall....grin
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 11, 2009 09:47 AM	LOL Moon! Now there's some broken concrete!
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 09:52 AM	We actually have a couple chunks of the Berlin wall. DHJim's bro was stationed in Germany and sent them to us.
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 11, 2009 10:12 AM	did he get David Hasselhof's autograph?
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 10:15 AM	LOLROTFLMBO......The Germans LOVE David Hasselhof.....
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 11, 2009 10:26 AM	it was the jacket....
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 10:31 AM	Gee, I thought it was the hair....
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 11, 2009 10:43 AM	it's the whole package... View Larger
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 11:33 AM	Gee, Lynn, does it have a frame?.....grin Man his hair is perfect....
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) November 11, 2009 01:27 PM	And I didn't know he could sing. Did anyone catch that episode of America's Got Talent where he sang a blues-type song? He was really good. Surprised the heck out of me. Guess he's not just another pretty face. Wonder if I could get him to come down here and move my rocks? LOL
postmandug Bardstown, KY (Zone 6a) November 11, 2009 01:30 PM	Don't you mean "make the earth move" for ya? !!
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 01:31 PM	Maybe he could show up in his KnightRider car....and his wetsuit....grin probably need the wet suit after all the rain you folks got.... LOL Doug....earth, rocks...who cares as long as something gets moved....grin This message was edited Nov 11, 2009 11:33 AM
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) November 11, 2009 01:35 PM	Heh heh. That too. LOL
JudyinGA Newnan, GA (Zone 7b) November 11, 2009 01:38 PM	Rain? O honey you just don't know. All my flower gardens are bogs right now. I feel sorry for those who live near creeks and lakes. I think our grand total around here was about 5 inches in two days.
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 02:01 PM	I do feel your pain....can almost, but not quite walk across the yard without squishing....grin. That is why we were worried about Ida, as she was a really wet storm. It has been almost 2 weeks since the last rain, but other than a few small pots, nothing needs watering....small gifts, grin Hope you have a few days for that to be absorbed....wonder how wet the winter will be...ahhhh, Southern living...grin
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 11, 2009 02:16 PM	I thought David Hasselhof is dead?
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 02:31 PM	Hasselhof had a motorcycle accident in 2003...minor injuries, and his mother died in Feb 2009....you haven't seen a black flag flying over Germany, so he must be okay....grin
Lynnie6868 (Zone 5b) November 11, 2009 02:54 PM	well shoot I'd take him if he could move MY rocks HAHAHAHA
themoonhowl Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a) November 11, 2009 03:09 PM	GRIN