Building an informal path on clay
jenn
13 years ago
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Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
13 years agojenn
13 years agoRelated Discussions
native red clay-pack hard-packed clay surface patio
Comments (16)Toad, I'm sorry to be so blunt, but you need a little attitude correction here. You do not come onto an internet forum where participants are sharing their knowledge and experience with you for free, and yell at them for not telling you what you want to hear. You also do not denigrate them by telling them they live in the wrong area, nor by waving your "professional" in their faces. Nor can you by demand conjure up a person with the right opinion located exactly where you want them. For what it's worth, you have heard from some very accomplished professionals above, and also from some knowledgeable do-it-yourselfers, as you might have known had you researched the forum a bit before posting. Furthermore, some professionals that you find on the ground are idiots, or brown-nosers who will tell you anything you want to hear so you'll hire them. If you want people to help you on the internet, then politely answer the questions you're asked, and try to open your mind to the answers. Also, don't forget to say thank you, even if the advice isn't quite what you expected. Participants come here to have fun, and being insulted and talking to someone who has a brick wall for a brain is no fun at all. So such posts are usually left to sink without further responses down the forum into oblivion... which is what was starting to happen to your thread before you bumped it up again this morning. Now, I'll try one more time to frame IB's question so that you'll understand its importance: Is it really necessary to raise this patio and if so why? The patio may in the end be nice and practical, but if it is raised it will look like a sore thumb and if surrounded by concrete blocks it will be butt-ugly, no matter where you live or what you plant around it. KarinL...See MoreBuilding A Compost Bin. Information OVERLOAD!
Comments (21)We have a 3-pallet (sides + back, no floor or door) bin in our backyard - fortunately no rats to worry about (the occasional chipmunk seems to be it), and the backyard is fenced in so that nothing larger than a rabbit can make it inside anyway. I was able to get a bunch free where I work - the loading dock area accumulates them, and if people didn't take them, I'm not sure what happens. I've seen them at almost any type of manufacturing facility too. Our pile is staying quite warm in the middle - I don't have a thermometer to use, but I know that it's uncomfortable to leave my hand in there for a long period of time. We are always on the lookout for more "browns" - we have trees in the backyard, but way more lawn (3/4 acre) that generates clippings than we have dry leaves to keep up. So I have some "side piles" of just grass clippings that we're using for mulch in the garden (the piles are turned frequently to speed the drying process and reduce the stink) as well as waiting to add into the compost pile. My daughter just started horse riding lessons a month or so ago, and the stable said that we can have all the old (i.e. pre-composted) manure we want! So each week I fill 2 trash cans while she's riding, to help add organics (I've got a clay+manure pile going separately from the compost - we plan to use that stuff around the yard in flower beds etc initially as we have bad clay problem almost everywhere, then sprinkle w/compost as needed)...See MoreSafely Mulching(?) Pathways on Boggy Clay
Comments (10)Hi Flora. Thanks for that. It's a dangerous thing to ask for photos of my garden because I LOVE to share my garden :-) The pathways I want mulch mostly run behind the garden beds at the bottom of my slope. I have about 2' between those beds and the fence. I don't feel that I'm fighting against my garden so much as im fighting the poorly planned layout of our estate and the refuse left in the soil by the builders (I've pulled copper wire and other rubbish from my garden). Also, my neighbours gardens on both sides drained into my garden. I understand why you think I have small compost piles. The picture I posted previously is after my heap had significantly reduced in size (and id robbed it for mulch) My current pile is 10x4x4. I've raised beds on the borders of my neighbours garden (with Thier consent.) and have stone lined French drains into the field behind my garden at the bottom of my slope (with the estates consent) This is a bed I amended by digging up the stones and builders rubbish and adding my cold compost. I usually have my container roses here but I am going to plant them in the spring... I have two areas of the garden where I grow a few ornamentals mixed with native flora... Many of the native plants have been cut back already for winter ... The other half of the bed pictured above... I have my compost heap on the bottom of the slope because I plan to grow veggies there and I've had great success creating beds on sites of previous compost heaps. I've cold composted previously with smaller piles but have been excited about my first year hot composting. I am straw bale gardening in the spring and the next compost piles will be built in autumn 2013 on the site... There is a cold compost pile underneath all the containers. I should be able to plant them in the bed in the spring I raised this area (again on cold compost) and used stones from my garden. I have creeping thyme planted. I'm hopefully the thyme will fill in between the stones by next autumn... I've just expanded the beds on this side of the fence - again, cold composting topped off with leaves. It may be next autumn befor I sink the container plants ... I don't have any more winter pics but will post photos the garden when it's all colourful in the spring M This post was edited by mirendajean on Mon, Dec 10, 12 at 14:22...See Morebuilding dry stack wall on compacted path
Comments (1)Rustygreer: I understand what you are saying and your thought process appears to be on track. It sounds like you are dealing with difficult circumstances. However, even a little freeze-thaw will impact the integrity of the construction over time if you have no base at all below grade. Ideally, you would excavate to a point where the bedrock interferes or to about 8" if you can get that deep. Then, as you say, compacted gravel, followed by the flagstone. Again, some flagstone should be below grade even on short walls. The attached two-tiered wall is a lot taller than what you are referencing but in this case we have 6" of compacted CA-6 gravel base and about 6" of flagstone below grade. Good luck with your project!!...See Morejenn
13 years agocalistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
13 years agojenn
13 years agohoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
13 years agojenn
13 years agohoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
13 years agojenn
13 years agocalistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
13 years agocalistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
13 years agojenn
13 years agoloribee2
13 years agojenn
13 years agocalistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
13 years agojenn
13 years agoloribee2
13 years ago
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