Pavers with gravel -- how do people make this work long-term?
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melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Chemical Fertilizers - Do they Affect Long Term Health of Roses?
Comments (95)There's two meanings of "organic" being intermingled and confusing the issues, I think, harmonyp. Whether or not something is grown "organically" (a cultural movement based on sometimes questionable premises, in this ecologist's opinion) has nothing to do with whether or not it is an organic form of nitrogen (i.e., nitrogen as part of a large organic molecule that breaks apart slowly into plant-usable forms of nitrogen). Nitrate and ammonium, which are inorganic, ionic compounds, are considered the plant-usable forms of nitrogen, although this view is being modified as more and more evidence piles up for plants sometimes using organic forms of nitrogen directly. As opposed to nitrogen in large organic molecules, the inorganic forms of nitrogen, provided en masse by synthetic/manufactured fertilizers, are highly mobile in the environment. If they aren't taken up immediately by the plant, they readily move into waterways or the atmosphere where the excess becomes a problem. So, probability of over-application is the main issue, first-order, not the form of nitrogen. Don't use excessive amounts of synthetic fertilizers and it's not a problem. Over-application of synthetic fertilizer by rose gardeners would be less than a pittance, anyway; it's large-scale use of excessive amounts of synthetics in big agriculture that is of concern (plus concomitant doubling of "in-play" nitrogen in ecosystems due to the need to feed exponentially-growing human populations, but THAT problem is second-order and beyond...). My preference for alfalfa lies in it being an organic molecule form that makes nitrogen slowly available over a long period of time, having other benefits for the soil, and posing less potential for application of excessive amounts. It is cheap, easy to obtain and use, and my roses look fine to me. I am too lazy and busy to keep track of multiple applications and timing required for synthetic fertilizers over the growing season. So, win-win on a number of fronts; who could complain? As a consultant in restoration ecology, I'm actually a big fan of Roundup. It's an important tool-of-the-trade, though usually considered only after non-chemical means are considered and rejected....See MoreWhat's Your Really Long Term Garden Plan?
Comments (19)This is a thought provoking and valuable thread. Although I highly doubt we'll be in this house when all of our landscaping has reached full maturity, we did plan things for the future. All of the trees were planted taking into consideration their ultimate size and suitability for where they were planted. Perennials and shrubs are mostly in their places now and should be happy for decades. Our hardscaping work has been built to last. Our house was built in 1938 and has seen landscaping come and go. By the time we bought it though, it was so neglected (and paved over) that we had to raze everything to bare dirt. The only shade that existed was that thrown by the house. Beds that are in full sun now will eventually be left to part sun/full shade as the trees mature. Right now, our irrigation system is designed to support maximum happiness in full sun conditions. But we use minimal water to support my habit. It's a series of drip lines and directional sprinklers that can be moved around as things progress and extablish. This elaborate system requires maintenance right now, but eventually only a small amount of our space will require them at all. I can expect several more years of experimentation until my sun/shade patterns are finally set. By then, it will probably be time to hand over the shovel to the next owner. I can tell you this though, our next (and probably last) home will have all the bones in place. At my age, I never ever ever want to undertake a project like this again. If you hear me say otherwise, feel free to slap me until I come to my senses. Steven...See MoreHealth Reform's Long-Term Care Option
Comments (3)Sorry - a little more info to be added: (IÂm a believer itÂs best to get a private policy before one turns 50 [most carriers will not write an LTC policy on anyone younger than 45] as the premiums start to rise substantially after that age. As the first article states, the premiums for the CLASS program are not much cheaper than a Preferred risk would pay for a much better private LTC policy if purchased at age 50 or younger. Our own policies (purchased thru DH's employer 10 yrs ago) are miles better than the CLASS program offers, but if we tried to obtain these same policies now, weÂd either get turned down or have to pay three or four times more than what we currently pay.) Further info: Article: With Health Reform, Long-Term-Care Option Becomes Law CLASS Act enacted with health care reform 3/24/2010 By Stephen Miller Under the CLASS Act program, all premium costs can be charged to employees. Employers who chose to participate in the CLASS program wil be required to permit employees to make contributions by means of a payroll deduction, once the CLASS Independence Benefit Plan is designated by U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is to be no later than Oct. 1, 2012. Employers either would create automatic enrollment procedures that allow workers to opt out, or allow workers to choose to enroll and pay premiums. Participants must pay monthly premiums for at least five years before they could receive benefits. Seniors (over age 65 years old) who have paid premiums for at least 20 years and are not actively employed are exempt from paying any premium increase. Premium payments will be placed in a "Life Independence Account" on behalf of each eligible beneficiary and managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a new insurance program. As the CLASS program is developed, participating employers will need to coordinate with their payroll services providers to facilitate these deductions and contributions. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the monthly insurance premium will average about $123 in 2011. Premiums vary with age and will not increase once employees signed up, but they would increase for those signing up later. After five years of paying into the program, enrollees who continue to pay monthly premiums would become eligible for assistance if they experience limitations in two or more so-called activities of daily living, including eating, bathing, dressing and taking medications. This assistance would take the form of a modest daily cash benefit, estimated at $50 per day for impaired enrollees living in the community, for services such as respite care, home care aides and accessible transportation, and up to $75 a day for enrollees who become institutionalized. These amounts would increase with inflation. Here is a link that might be useful: Earlier info on CLASS program...See MoreLong Term Care Insurance--do you have it?
Comments (29)Like Jim_1, we evaluated our risk profile for morbidity and decided on buying it. We have the equivalent of "Cadillac" LTCi (I guess that might be Mercedes-Benz or Bentley, these days, lol), purchased through the state pension fund which polices the LTC carriers very strictly. It's costly. But we knew that going in. I'd worked in insurance for almost 20 yrs and still have friends in the industry, including corporate actuaries. I told DH that the original pricing was too low and we should be ready to budget for premium increases in the future. Those increases have happened, and fortunately we're still able to afford the premiums. We have no intention of letting them go. Our morbidity risk is still high. In 2013 we moved my MIL to a wonderful full-care senior facility. She had early dementia but was fine with a regular daily routine. She was a sociable sort but shy about making friends on her own, so the facility was great for her. She was age 85 when she moved in, and sure she was still "too young" for this place. Imagine her shock when she was seated at a dining table with three other residents, and she was the YOUNGEST. One of her new companions was 100 yrs old and had been living in the facility for 30 years! Because MIL needed to have enough $$$ to afford Memory Care as she declined, we were and still are, conversant with what facilities charge for Skilled Nursing and Memory Care in our area. Interestingly, when we were researching facilities for MIL, there was little difference in the Asst. Living monthly rents, although costs for services varied, between the for-profit and non-profit facilities. But when looking into SN and MC units, the difference was substantial, to the tune of more than $3K/monthly. It had nothing to do with the quality of care; the non-profit we selected for MIL was one of the more reasonable ones yet is rated 3rd in the state. In 2015, the cost for SN/MC at this facility was $8500/mo. You need to remember although this cost is inclusive of all medical services, personal items and some extras deemed non-essential are NOT provided by any facility we interviewed. Such items, for increased comfort or emotional support, are the responsibility of the resident or resident's family, so that is an additional cost. It should also be noted that all the facilities we interviewed did not accept Medicaid patients at all as initial residents. All of the non-profits and a couple of the for-profits said their policy was to apply for Medicaid for residents who eventually ran out of funds (helping defray those SN/MC costs is one of the major expenses in a facility's General Budget). Some of the for-profits, however, said if a resident ran out of funds, they were asked to leave. These facilities would contact the state to arrange for a transfer to a Medicaid facility that would accept the resident: no choice of where to go, btw. As pointed out above, if you think there is any risk of needing Medicaid, it would be wise to find out the laws in your state, AND STAY UP TO DATE ON THEM. Medicaid is 50% federally funded and is always dependent upon the goodwill of Congress for its funding. Currently 80% of the U.S. elderly in SN and MC facilities are being funded by Medicaid. HTH....See Moremarcinde
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agopatty_cakes
11 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
PROYardvaark
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoSuccessful pavers rely on a solid, tightly packed granular base, side-to-side interlocking and secure edge retention. It doesn't look like you have a solid base and for sure you don't have side-to-side interlocking. Gator Dust (which is dry-applied mortar) will not work long term if your base is inadequate as the pavers will shift and the GDust will break up (the same as how the grout of a ceramic tile floor gives way over time on a wood floor if it is slightly bouncy.) If you want to grow plants between pavers, you still need a solid base and must use a pattern that still interlocks while leaving gaps between the stones. If not using special "grass block" type pavers, the most common pattern for this is as in the illustration below. (Don't allow a plant-growing-gap dimension greater than 1/3 of the paver length. Alternatively, you may decide not to grow plants between the pavers and have them be contiguous and solid. You need good edge retention which could be plastic paver edge, or the old standard, tooled concrete with its surface sunk 1" below the surface of the pavers. It will be easier to apply the edge restraint if you install a row border of pavers (with the field pavers being cut where they meet the border. Plan for and prepare all of the cutting so it can be done in one day or less in order to keep rental cost of the brick saw to a minimum.) I suggest an 8" brick shape paver for the edge row. The pavers should be at least 2" thick or they're not designed to support vehicles. Not just any stone works for the base. Something like pea gravel would be unusable. Instead, it could be a combination of layers beginning with crusher run (driveway gravel) on the bottom and sand-like granite or limestone screenings above. (Limestone screenings is what we use in Florida and it's commonly referred to as "paver base." (In warm climates, the crusher run may be eliminated and only a thicker base of the stone screenings used.) The sub-base of the excavated hole is compacted by using a vibratory plate compactor before placing any of the stone. (This machine is run over all the work, handled much as if one was using a lawn mower.) The various stone is compacted in two-inch layers as it is added. First dry, then wet. Above the stone is a 1" layer setting bed of UNcompacted screenings/paver base on which the pavers themselves are set. After the edge restraint is installed, the pavers are compacted into the setting bed with the vibratory plate compactor ... first dry, then wet. Installed like this, it will last. Get all the plants growing at once so as to get the jump on weed infiltration.
My own thoughts about using this scheme (growing carpet-like plants in between pavers in a vehicular area) is that it never works out as well as it's envisioned. I'm not saying that it never could, just that usually, it doesn't. The plants need attention and watering and unless this is kept up with, they're going to have too hard of a time. Also, having plants mixed in with pavers increases maintenance. It's not as easy to clean paving where plants are rising above its surface. I think it's better to have paver areas and then separate areas with plantings. Then, the issues of combining these two elements don't exist. In a paver area where no vehicular traffic will occur, it will be somewhat easier to allow plants to grow between the pavers.
melle_sacto is hot and dry in CA Zone 9/
11 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
marcinde