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Friday, March 8, 2013

WHEN GARDEN PROJECTS SNOWBALL

Have you ever started a project which snowballed into something much larger? For us it began as my simple suggestion that a fence to hide the air conditioners alongside the house would improve this area. D agreed and before I knew it the fence was built.


He then decided to make a pathway down the side of the house. We use this route regularly from front to back. Because there is a slope away from the house, which becomes greater further down the pathway, it wasn't simply a matter of putting in a single height of edging.


There was a good deal of discussion about what material should be used to line the sides of the path. Chopped limestone block wouldn't match the house and we don't really care for metal edging. In the end we decided on wood to match the new fence. You can see that the edges of the path step down towards the far end and then rise up again. The surface material would run right up to the wall of the house.

This part of the project was greatly aided by this little gadget. I have no idea how much they cost but I know we paid $1 for it at a garage sale. When I think of all the times in my life I could have used this, but it only arrived last year.


More discussion about the material we should use on the surface: gravel or decomposed granite. In the end we decided on 1/4"-1/2" Fairland pink granite gravel from Geo-growers at $37.50 yd. We did a split load which included 4yards of granite for this project, 2 yards for other projects and 2 yards of soil to replenish the vegetable beds. That's quite a load for someone to move!

By the weekend the job was completed.


Now we just need a good rainfall to pack down the granite.


I asked D to add up the cost of this project. All those little trips for cement and wood added up to a tidy sum.
Total cost for both the projects $860. The project also came with a promise from me not to allow plants to grow in the pathway!

12 comments:

  1. The new fence and pathway looks beautiful.
    Good job

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  2. Not even a few plants to soften the edges? :)

    Looks great!

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  3. Looks great! I really like your wood edging. It fits perfectly with the style of your home. Hope we get that rain they are predicting:)

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  4. Very professional job. Looks marvelous. The planning time put in for your projects is always apparent!

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  5. No plants in the pathway? That's crazy talk.

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  6. What a lovely new path and fence! I love the way the wooden edging steps down. My projects always snowball like that. One thing leads to another.

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  7. Very good job! David really pays attention to detail.
    It won't be easy keeping things from growing, in the gravel. Those seeds love sprouting in your gravel.

    Have a great weekend. We're getting a tiny bit of rain here, already. Maybe they're right, and we'll get more.

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  8. It looks great! David did a wonderful job with it - very professional-looking.

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  9. Beautifully done! David does such nice work. We're both so lucky to have hubbies who love to help out in the garden. Mine is building a wall right now. It's one of those snowball projects. The cost is yet to be determined. It's still snowballing.

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  10. I must say all my projects snowball into avalanches. The good thing about this one is it is completed..

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  11. Wow, that is remarkable! So lovely. And I love your new stock tanks and water wrangling. Ever talented, you two are.

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  12. It looks fabulous, Jenny! I'm chuckling over the promise not to let things grow in the path. That's one of the Executive Producer's perennial laments ... "Why can't you just let a path be a path?"

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