New flower gardens

[mboulais]

We are starting some new flower gardens at the new house. I leveled up the ground with sand and we set three rows of blocks from the local big-box store. My wife duplicated the process around the corner on the next wall too. We only had enough stone on the partial skid I bought to get two rows there. The next step will be procuring enough top soil for both. I figure almost two yards just for the larger one. The pics are of the larger flower bed.

 

[Egon]

That looks nice.

Will you build up with dirt on the outside to cover the sand and protect it from washing away?

Just a personal experience note on hauling blocks in a P/U : if not secured the pallets can slide forward upon heavy braking. This may bend the front of the box and back of the cab as well as breaking the window.

 

[Thomas]

I am sure that's gonner look real nice when the Mrs. done useing her green thumb

Just finish redoing the Mrs. 2' deep 8'wide 30' long flower box yesterday w/PT lumber...dang,glad that project done...Mrs. check out two different types of stone that you used,and the cost about blew me away...YIKES.

 

[mboulais]

That looks nice.

Will you build up with dirt on the outside to cover the sand and protect it from washing away?

Just a personal experience note on hauling blocks in a P/U : if not secured the pallets can slide forward upon heavy braking. This may bend the front of the box and back of the cab as well as breaking the window.

Yes, we were thinking the same thing about the sand wasing away. We will get emough topsoil to grade in front of the wall when we fill the beds up.

I find that almost nothing can slide of the 1/2" rubber mat I have in the truckbed. That being said, I still drove slow and started braking early. I was also carefull on turns and not a single block shifted.

 

[mboulais]

I am sure that's gonner look real nice when the Mrs. done useing her green thumb

Just finish redoing the Mrs. 2' deep 8'wide 30' long flower box yesterday w/PT lumber...dang,glad that project done...Mrs. check out two different types of stone that you used,and the cost about blew me away...YIKES.

Thanks, these stones weren't too bad $1.99 ea. , but you would need about 240 to do a bed that size. Yeah, that cost would make me flinch. Did you buy topsoil? or do you have soil onsite you used? I will either be getting it at one of the small gardening centers one p/u load at a time or getting some delivered. it's $18/ton delivered by the local excavation contractor. I'm guessing he has a 5 yd minimum like he does on sand. I'm not sure what the garden centers are charging, but it's by the "bobcat bucket" . I suspect they are using something around 1/3 or 1/2 yd bucket.

 

[Thomas]

We got plently of good top soil...whew...but mulch one pays dearly for...about $30.oo bucket,and the bucket not all that big.

I forgot to mention in the early post but you might have all ready notice something about those type of stones....little rearranging you can continue on w/the wall around the house etc...but I won't tell your wife tho.

 

[jbrumberg]

I spent almost $300.00 for 10 yards of bark mulch , and they would only drop it on my driveway . I did lay done some large tarps for the "drop zone". Jay

PS: Nice job with the blocks

 

[mboulais]

jbrumberg,

Thanks for the compliment

Thomas,

She already knows... But she wanted a break in the flower bed becuase the propane tank is right around the corner. She started the next bed right on the other side of the tank.

This pic is "two scoops" at the local small garden center. They sell it by the scoop with the loader of their old Massey tractor. This load was $27 and was about one yd. It did about 1/2 the first bed.

 

[RobertN]

Most block manufacturers recommend that the first course of blocks be at least 1/3 below grade. Otherwise, they can be pushed out by frost, water etc.

I have done walls where the first course is completely below grade. It was 6-8" of base/foundation material, then the first course. That was for a 36" tall wall though.

Yes, we were thinking the same thing about the sand wasing away. We will get enough topsoil to grade in front of the wall when we fill the beds up.

 

[mboulais]

This is a view of both beds. Tomorrow my wife is going to get a couple loads of compost from the local dump for $5/load. It's free if you load it yourself, but for $5 it is worth having them do it with a payloader. The stuff needs to be sifted to get the sticks out, but I didn't see any food waste or anything in the load my friend got.

I don't think all of them will be a third below grade, but I'll bet 1/2 the bottom row is by time we are done.