Yesterday I went and picked up a yard of #78 gravel($32) and put together the cement mixer. Given the trailer was nearly over loaded I made another trip in my Scion and picked up rebar and 4 bags of cement($90). Expenses so far $192 on this project.
Here is the site for the bottle wall. I marked in gray where it will be approximately. The lower right side will have a small deck just enough for two chairs to sit. The left side will have a treated lumber walkway at the bottom.
I started digging the first footer, in 2 hours I had dug about 12 foot.
Started mixing concrete using this formula: 1 shovel Portland cement, 2 shovels sand and 3 shovels gravel. I tripled this formula and the mixer filled a wheelbarrow in no time. Around 2 gallons of rain water was added to make a soupy mix, just tilt the mixer into the wheelbarrow and go!
The cement mixer took all the work out of mixing, I'll say it was a really good $300 investment.
It took maybe 12 wheelbarrow loads to fill this. The footer is about 20 inches wide by around 10 inches deep. The wall will hold back some dirt so it needs to be strong.
New crocus opened up Crocus sieberi 'Firefly', just 3 out of the 10 I planted, they just popped open without warning! Believe we'll really enjoy this one.
Crocus 'Tricolor' continues as many of the others fade away.
Daffodil 'Barrett Browning' opened yesterday!
Can't wait to see the finished project! Carla
ReplyDeleteSounds like some back work into this project. I cannot wait to see the finished wall.
ReplyDeleteYou know, Randy. You and Meg will be having a LOT of interest in this project... and a LOT of people wanting to see it in person! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou know, Randy. You and Meg will be having a LOT of interest in this project... and a LOT of people wanting to see it in person! :-)
ReplyDeleteYour early blooming crocus and daffodils are making me ache for Spring's arrival here, too!
That daffodil and crocuses are so pretty! I can't wait to see what the wall will look like.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the results!
ReplyDeleteCan you believe this spring weather? Great for the garden cleanup, but plants are getting too far ahead of schedule.
Hope we really do get enough rain tomorrow to break this drought!
Richard's bluegrass group (Boys from Carolina) will be playing at Broad Street one evening in May. I hope you and Meg will be there. Love to meet y'all.
Randy - the boys will be at Broad Street Cafe in Durham on May 13. 9:00pm, I believe.
ReplyDeleteThey are also playing at Bynum Store (between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill) on May 6 at 7pm.
Just like everybody, i can't wait for the project to finish. But it seems like real hard work!
ReplyDeleteLooking good! Can't wait to see it progress.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited about your bottle wall, how exciting! I cannot wait to see what you create…
ReplyDeleteAnd now you are getting into Bee Keeping. You are adventurous souls. Our next door neighbors have bees as a 4-H project. I don’t know too much about bee keeping but I never see them near the hive box. I do know one thing, some of their bees were in our Liriope grass and I was watering it last year not knowing they were in there and they attacked me! Yikes, those bees hurt. Fill your brain with knowledge on bees and be careful around them….
Can't wait to see how your bottle wall works out. Very cool!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you are making good progress. You are going to enjoy the whole setting with the deck next to the wall.
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested to see how the wall turns out. Good thing you have such good weather to work in.
ReplyDeleteThe Crocuses are really pretty!