the bench

[low_delta]

Here is today's project. No, not my wife. The flagstones. I laid them out a week ago, and finally had a chance to set them into the ground.



I think it looks pretty good. I was worried that the bench was too big for the garden, but now that it's down at ground level instead of raised three inches above it, it feels a lot better.

I'm going to put plants of some kind in the cracks. I'd like some kind of moss, but it's too sunny and dry there.

At the moment, my back is protesting the day's activities. I just hope that it's warm enough this summer to sit out there. It certainly isn't today, despite Cyn's sunny demeanor. It was in the low fifties all day.

Comments

[msfledermaus.livejournal.com]

Holy cow, that looks awesome!!!



And the gardening, too!...*waits for drum roll, hears crickets*

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Har, har!

[vocalista001.livejournal.com]

Hey.... nice tulips!

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That's why I married her!

[northernsnokat.livejournal.com]

Cyn looks like she belongs there sitting and enjoying a cup of coffee or tea! You did a great job!

[i.livejournal.com]

i have an idea for your next garden project.

a second tier, about two feet (or so) out from the existing wall and merging with it at either side of the path.

just a thought...

ps

[i.livejournal.com]

i love what you have done so far

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

Wow..... you built her in a week!?! :)

Looks very nice. If past patterns are any indication, starting tomorrow it'll be warming up in your neck of the woods.

Re: ps

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Thanks. That's not a bad idea. I would like to expand it a bit.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

It might. It's up to 60° now.

It took a couple of hours (at least) to lay out the stones last weekend. Yesterday, I think I worked on it from about 3:00 to 7:30, with a dinner break. Nothing fancy - the stones are just set in the dirt.

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

Did you use anything special to level the dirt first? I'm having problems with wobbly stepping stones, and am ready to make a home-made grader to level the dirt...

Re: ps

[i.livejournal.com]

it stands alone really well. it just struck me that you might be able to expand it that way without detracting from the original design. otherwise you'll just have to find something else to work on!

Re: ps

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I have enough to work on at the moment. But give me a couple of years. :-)

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Last year when I made the garden, I decided where the path was going to be, and packed the dirt down by walking on it. Then I figured the layout of the stones by setting them there. Then, since I wanted them in the ground, I dug up the dirt. I tamped it down, with pieces of stone, so it was about three inches below where it started. Then I put down a little soft dirt in hopes that when I laid the stones down, it would not leave air pockets behind. Not sure if I'll end up with wobbly stones or not. It's not going to be a high-traffic area, so I'm not sure how much I'll care if they are wobbly.

I guess the official way to do it is with sand or crushed gravel underneath. Are they dug into the ground?

[marswalker.livejournal.com]

They're just sitting on top of the ground.

I need to re-do them the right way, with at least one "step" down made like a mini-retaining wall. lol.. in other words, it's a project.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

How about this. Move them all aside, lay an inch (or less) of sand down, put them back, and then fill dirt in around the stones.