Sunday, April 24, 2011

Bottle Wall, Day Six

Seems there is never enough time. The heat is already upon us. Today the fava beans and other plants in the garden were wilting in the heat. I Worked on the bottle wall and wilted also, so much to do. I feel as if I'm ever going to get this done I'm going to need help. Laying the bottles in one job in its self. Fetching and readying the bottles is another job. Then after you set the bottles the mortar needs dressed as it hardens up and then cleaned.
As you can see the darker mortar near the top is the progress I made today. The wall will be rolling up and down, the flower will have a mortar cap at the very top. The right side is close to being done, then the middle needs another flower.
Mid day the blue bottles were glowing in the sun, awesome. Even the concrete was blue for a while under the blue bottles. I was thinking of changing my name to Cobalt for a few minutes. I can't wait to see it without the 2 x 6 supports on the back. It'll be weeks before I have time to get back to it.

I did get a little nature in while working on it. I saw a 7-8 inch snapping turtle in the pond swimming, also lots of Eastern Painted Turtles. We see snappers only once or twice a year here, at breeding time. Also had two good butterfly sighting on the bolted kale flowers first a Hayhurst's Scallopwing and next a Henry's Elfin.

This is it, the last daffodil to open in our garden this year. It is ' Lieke ' and several are still opening. This is from Brent and Becky's own seedlings.  Pretty nice IMO.

This anemone is for Janet, We planted these very late in December or January. A lot of foliage came on and now we have 5-6 blooms like this right now. 
This is two hydrangea plants from the planter we purchased at Costco. The square planter contained 4 plants, this is have to $20 planter. Supposed to be hardy here. I looked online and the mail order nurseries get $24 a gallon pot and up for plants like this!
Here is a portion of our front garden by the driveway. Notice under spider guy the phlox is almost gone. The pansies are looking great, in a few weeks it will be pulled out, they just do not manage 90 degree days very well.  The blue iris was a house warming gift from Meg's sister. Sorry the water feature needs work, it is a mess.

27 comments:

Alison said...

Being new to your blog, I have never seen spider guy before. He is cool!

That bottle wall is really coming along! Sorry it's been so hot there.

Hazel said...

That bottle wall is awesome! I have been hanging out to see how it would look. Once it 'naturalizes' it will be wonderful.. I am thinking where I could build one. What sort of mortar did you use and how will you stabilise it so it doesn't fall over?

ann said...

Your bottle wall really looks great. You must be quite satisfied with your work. You spring flowers are really beautiful. I planted a hydrangea last summer and it does not look like it made it through the winter--to dry and too cold, I think. Your's is so beautiful. cheers. ann

Randy Emmitt said...

Alison,
Spider guy was purchased at a yard art event a few months ago if that. It nearly reached 90 today, it was pretty hot.

Hazel,

This is a LOT of work. I dug a footer and poured concrete then added re bar to help hold the wall on the footer. The wall is curved and inward sloping for strength. The is some ladder wire as reinforcing near the edge of the soil. The flower will have a band of metal lath in the concrete too.

My mix for mortar is my own doing. I add one shovel of Portland cement, 1 shovel of small gravel (#78) and 3 shovels of sand. I usually triple the mix and fill the wheelbarrow.

Karen said...

Randy, great progress on the bottle wall. It's really coming along and the flower looks wonderful.

L. Ambler said...

I really like your bottle wall. I'm sure it is beautiful with the sun shining through it. Lovely anemone and daffodil photos.

Janet/Plantaliscious said...

Hi Randy, I'm so glad you visited my blog, I'm not sure I would have found yours otherwise. I love your bottle wall, it is going to be stunning. The "lieke" daffodil already is!

Unknown said...

Randy, the bottle wall is an amazing creation! I love seeing your garden art in progress. Enjoy the unfolding spring. :)

Cyndy said...

I'm in love with your bottle wall, though not the idea of a lot of work with cement! Up north, it's probably more prudent to go for the more common, less amazing bottle tree.

Ginny said...

The bottle wall is looking fantastic! And I like spider guy, too :)

Chandramouli S said...

That's awesome, Randy! I like the spider guy too. Love the rustic addition to the garden.

tina said...

You are making tons of progress! I had to show this post to my husband as he is having a difficult time getting started on our simple mortar and wall project. He needed some inspiration and I told him if someone could do something as complicated as this bottle wall then surely he could do a simple wall. We shall see. It is wonderful!

Phillip Oliver said...

Wow, the bottle wall is incredible!

Beth at PlantPostings said...

It's great fun to see the bottle wall taking shape! I have to admit I'm a bit jealous that you have so much warmth. We are having a lousy April here in Wisconsin. Feels like a repeat of March. But I'm crossing my fingers that May will be as magical as it usually is. Good luck with the wall. Soon it will be completed and you will be so pleased with your beautiful handiwork!

Q said...

The bottle wall is looking wonderful.....
cool and rainy here. I know what a too early summer is like!
Hope you get a cool down soon.
Sherry

Skeeter said...

The bottle wall is really coming along! Love the flower and such talent to make it all work at that weight...

Congrats on the honeysuckle making a come back. This daffy is going out with a bang!

Victoria Williams said...

LOVING your bottle wall! It's really coming along. That blue bottle flower looks fantastic. It will be worth all the trouble, but I can feel your pain through your post! Ha ha!

ryan said...

The wall is looking great. I love bottle walls. A lot of work though. When my partner lived in Santa Fe there was a structure behind a glass studio that everyone would occasionally work on together. It was in its ninth or tenth year and not yet completed, though very cool, the last we heard.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Hi Randy,
Wow, your bottle wall is coming along so well! It's beautiful! My husband was walking through the room, and I showed him how it's looking now. I can't remember which post I showed him when you were first getting it going.

I am so looking forward to some highs in the 70s. We've only had a few so far. It was nice to see your front garden. I showed Larry what I have in mind in our front to make sure he's going to agree to it, and he told me to go ahead and plant the whole area if I wanted. Our son was over, so he was a witness. I looked at Larry to see if he was doing it out of frustration, and he said he meant it, but that I shouldn't ask him to give up any more grass. I'm a little overwhelmed, though. I don't know if I want to do it all this year, but if I don't, he may change his mind. I want to put a seating area where the stump was. I'd like to have brick there in the future, but I'm thinking about having some wood mulch, maybe from the tree stump, and then put some of the round pieces around, and plant some low growing plants in between them.

So, if you don't thin your lettuce, how and when do you harvest it?

Nancy said...

Oh wow, I love your garden! The bottle wall is quite a feature and I love that little bug guy thing on legs. I'd love to create these kinds of things but I'm sure if I did it would just look naff. Yours are gorgeous!

Lisa Blair said...

Oh my goodness, Randy! That wall is freakin awesome!

Sharon Creech said...

Love the bottle wall and lush flowers - and appreciate all the hard work that goes into this.

David said...

Fantastic bottle wall. I love the bottle flower as well. Great job!

Lisa said...

Holey Schmoley! That bottle wall is audacious.

You one eyed cat is pretty great, too.

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Randy, I was a total "Mess" when it came to keeping up with your project progress!! I LOVE your garden wall - Wow!! Jealous? Welll... maybe a little. ;-) Happy 2012!!! (Hope you find this comment - I never find the old ones...)

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