I don't think the vertical layout of your block wall is the problem, that's the way they are supposed to be. If it is failing perhaps not enough rebar with concrete fill was used? Here the alkaline soil combined with water is destructive to concrete and a special mix has to be used but that may not be your problem. A nice look used here that is more expensive than regular block but a less than real stone is stone faced block and it is zero maintenance. Since your neighbor is going to be looking at this wall perhaps he would help pay the difference between a cheaper wall and one he would enjoy looking at? If your aggregate stoop is concrete with rocks seeded on top or brushed to expose internal rocks then you can put mortar and pavers over the top of it. Do talk to your neighbor though about your wall, you never know if you don't try, Maria

Pretty nifty planter and setup. Love it. Your planter setup determines how the roots will behave. Roots behave differently between raised bed or container. Roots typically like to grow out, not down. In a big enough raised bed, plant roots have room to spread out. In a pot, they try to grow out, but begin circling after a while once they begin to outgrow the pot. If it's easier for your roots to circle while boxed in then grown down or under the planks, your planter will act like a pot. After a few yrs of circling roots, your plant health will degrade. If the roots spread out below the wood and deck into the surrounding soil, your setup is acting more like a raised bed. I think you need to get used to the idea that no soil setup is permanent for anything smaller than a tree. Whether in a pot or bed, over time you need to amend, condition, replace soil etc for the plants to thrive. Here's what I would do. I would go to nurseries in your area, not big box, and find the best store-bought bagged planting medium you can find. Not cheap peaty miracle-grow crap. I would also not go through the effort of making Gritty or 5-1-1. Find a premium bagged product with maybe some peat, some bark, but a large amount of perlite or inorganic matter. Something with the majority of particles feeling a bit grainy or gritty to the touch, but not so shreddy. I would remove all your miracle grow soup and replace with something like this. Then I would buy a new bag of it each spring and top off the planter with fresh mix to replace what has degraded. If you can't find it, I would shovel in some local top soil, amend it with some organic matter and just call it a day.

ladyanglertx wrote: "I think Smbnobles, Stonesmama, and Tresw may have aggregate. You can do a search for their projects." We do indeed, below is a link to our build thread with a bunch of photos of it. We've been swimming for just over a year now and we love the exposed aggregate! As Kelly said, the aggregate size makes a difference in how it feels. Ours is small pea gravel. Also there are two types of this finish, the "seeded" type and the "integral" type (may go by different names). With the seeded type they pour regular concrete and then seed the gravel onto it and imbed it. My mom-in-law has that type and pebbles are constantly popping loose on hers. Ours is the integral type, the pebbles are mixed in at the batching plant and are therefore throughout the concrete. After they pour it, they let is set up a bit and then broom it to expose the pebbles. While our pool decking is only a little over a year old, our adjacent patio and sidewalk are around 10 years old and still look fantastic! I've had to power-wash them once, but other than that the finish has been maintenance-free. We looked at every deck finish when we did ours and cost wasn't nearly as big a concern to us as appearance. We actually liked the look of the exposed aggregate the best for our particular application. I don't think it would be as fitting for a Grecian or formal style pool, but for a more natural lagoon look it's perfect. Here is a link that might be useful: The pool life

Although I don't like the rock on the house in photo two (way too busy for my taste), I prefer the smooth stone on the porch surface, which should come in various shades. I would have the vertical riser between the steps faced in a similar shade to the porch stone, in a natural "rough" rock. In a climate with snow and ice, in my experience any stone is going to take work to keep clear whether smooth, flagstone or interlock. In the winter on some days we need to use ice melt to deal with ice buildup. Even though it is not "salt", it is tough on the mortar. According to my stonemason, over time the grouting in flagstone will take more maintenance and be more difficult to repair than in the case of smooth stone but I don't think this is a major consideration even in a harsh climate. Love the look of the porch you are getting!