| Project by scottb | posted 165 days ago | 329 views | 0 times favorited | 8 comments |  |
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Salvaged granite, found buried in our yard from an old foundation, and mostly, found by my father on his “excursions”.
The front yard slopes down to the road between these maples that were planted just after the civil war. The story is that there’s a hay penny buried under each one when it was planted.
Anyhow, despite some good afternoon light nothing really grows on the slope (except scattered weeds and sticks) until the grass finally migrates down to the road by the end of the summer – which, with the slope and protruding tree roots, is a pain to mow.
I decided it was finally time to build this wall, to have the yard terminate at one level, and put some periwinkle or some such ground cover on the other side. Couldn’t build the wall on the other side of the trees, as filling the yard up to level could kill these historic trees, not no mention be endangered by winter plowing, as well as limit off street parking.
Only had to dig down a smidge to remove (and relocate) the grass and make a level footing for this two block deep wall, which is good because the maple roots were interwoven just under the turf.
Didn’t expect to do half this much before I ran out of stone and shade (was over 90 today afterall). Just need to get about six more blocks, and move some fill. Already put about half the periwinkle (thinned out from my parents overgrown border). All in all, not a bad mornings work.
-- southern NH. - smack dab in the middle of 5a and 5b - with lots of shade and full sun, in all the wrong places.
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8 comments so far
GrandmaT
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3182 posts in 373 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 165 days ago
Great job!!!! I have always loved the look of a stone wall. Wonderful solution to your problem …
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b
Scott Hildenbrand
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905 posts in 267 days
hardiness zone 6b
posted 165 days ago
Lucky man.. I wish I could find rocks like that on MY property.. I’d love to do a wall down the driveway a bit for accent.
Looks really nice. The Vinca should do really, really well there. I’ve got some in a pot waiting to go someplace.. If I can figure out where.. The original location did not work out.
-- Planting Daylilies in Kentucky, zone 6b
scottb
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167 posts in 374 days
posted 165 days ago
thanks, Yeah we lucked out and found a foundation buried on the other side of the yard. It terminated somewhere under our driveway. It must predate our 1880s house. Base on an old map of the town, I don’t think it was an outbuilding as the first two houses on the street were drawn close together, and we found 3’ segments of clay drain-pipe.
most of the walls around the rest of the yard were scavenged. Dad built one that runs along two sides of their property, growing from about a foot high to over my head for a good portion of it – all scavenged from all over. One rule of thumb I’ve learned – if I can see it from the car, I can’t move it. Nobody told Dad that rule though ;) as he’s wrangled pieces upwards of 1/2×2 x 5’ by himself
The Periwinkle really took off at my parents, I’m hoping for some nice, no-maintenance ground cover. They also have some violets that took over their yard – between the two I might get some great no-fuss curb appeal!
-- southern NH. - smack dab in the middle of 5a and 5b - with lots of shade and full sun, in all the wrong places.
GrandmaT
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3182 posts in 373 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 165 days ago
Wow Scott I had no idea that your lived in such an old house … talk about living history … Fantastic!!! Man, in miy mind that makes finding those stones that much more exciting. Don’t ya wish they could talk and tell their stories.
-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b
MsDebbieP
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3776 posts in 496 days
hardiness zone 5b
posted 165 days ago
wow!
1) all that work in one day??!!! impressive
2) the history of the stone
3) the trees.. oh my! Our maples (in SW Ontario) are dying off left and right. Not sure what’s going on)
4) periwinkle: I love periwinkle. It’s going to be gorgeous.
Awesome.
-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)
Bon
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1705 posts in 276 days
hardiness zone 5a
posted 165 days ago
Love the rock wall Scott.Wish I had some of them nice rocks.You did a really nice job and the plants should make this an attractive area.Great history to your place….very interesting.
-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more
dini
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742 posts in 212 days
hardiness zone 5
posted 165 days ago
1- What MsDebP said, on all counts!
2- After spending two mornings wrangling broken concrete, I coulda used knowing your rule of thumb, haha. I learned that if it looks perfect, I really want one about 1/2 that size so I can lift it ! Lol.
-- the day you quit learning is the day you quit living.
roman
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625 posts in 315 days
posted 156 days ago
potentially awesome
-- Central northish Ontario