Sunday, October 9, 2011

We're Building A Rock Wall

Back in June, I wrote about our summer landscaping project, the building of a new rock wall in our back yard. Well, it's still a work in progess, but it's really starting to come together.



This is what we started with, a sad little timber wall that had been in place for almost 30 years.


The neighborhood chipmunks called it home!

The first thing we needed was a new curvy shape.


And a whole lot of rocks.



The piles kept growing.




And the rocks kept getting bigger!

Big stone slabs arrived.


And rocks turned into boulders.



See the number 3514 written on the bottom corner of the pallet? That's the weight of one boulder. I think we topped out at a little over 4000 pounds!






And the only way to move a boulder that size is with a whole lot of muscle and a very big machine!









Beginning with a visit from Irene in late August, Mother Nature has been our biggest obstacle. It rained almost every single day for over a month. It was the wettest September ever and the third wettest month ever recorded here in Maryland - yuk!


But the guys kept plugging away and a wall started to take shape.






And finally today, we have brilliant sunshine and an almost complete wall!



It sure doesn't look anything like the old timber wall!








The guys have taken great care in selecting each rock and boulder. They even made some special little spots along the wall to sit and enjoy the view.







And those big stone slabs are now the most amazing steps!





I'm thrilled with what has happened so far. Actually, I think it's awesome! But we are not finished yet.





It pretty much looks like a construction site around here.





There's still a raised bed garden to be come and lots of grading and drains and irrigation and seeding and planting. Oh, I can't wait for the plants to come!



So I guess I better keep my mud shoes ready. We're not finished yet!



I'm linking to...

A Glimpse Inside


Photobucket






Making The World Cuter
A Southern Daydreamer

Blue Cricket Design



20 comments:

Katie said...

It's looking great! It'll be gorgeous once you have a bunch of colorful plants! I love the large slabs for the stairs! I bet it is so relaxing out back now!

Okio B Designs said...

Those steps are amazing! My hubby did some slate ones for our cabin upstate (NY). Don't you just love that look?!

Jeanine

NanaDiana said...

Sharon-I am so excited FOR you! I love rock walls and big rock walls the best of all. The steps are wonderful and I love the way they look. I can't wait to see this all planted and landscaped! xo Diana

Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal said...

Oh Sharon, it's looking fantastic! I love stone walls. The little built in benches were such a great idea. It's going to look so beautiful all planted. Can't wait to see that!

Kim @ A Brush of Whimsy said...

Your backyard is awesome! The rock wall is looking just amazing!

Katie @ Wildwood Creek said...

Wow--what a great rock wall! It's going to be fabulous when it's all planted.

Mariella said...

Thats'a a very impressive renovation BIG SCALE!!
keep it up!! the result is amazing!

Rachael said...

Wow it looks great! So excited for you and all the fun you'll have in your beautiful backyard.

Pam@OurAdventuresInHomeImprovement said...

Very impressive! I love that they put the bench in there too. It looks like you've got an incredible yard!

Good luck with all of that rain!

Have a great week.
Pam

Lisa @ Shine Your Light said...

How beautiful! And those steps - they are gorgeous!!!
I'm a huge fan of stone walls and this one is quite the project! How fun to watch it take shape.

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

That is nice and hard work. I wish we could tear up our yard and start over.

Tammy @ Type A said...

love it, the rocks look amazing. you must be in pallet heaven!

Linda said...

That looks wonderful! I love the seats in the wall...fantastic!!

kathie said...

How much FUN! I know its a mess right now ~ but oh my goodness, those steps… those benches… amazing! Please keep us posted!

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a project! It looks amazing though. Going to be gorgeous after you put your finishing touches on it.

Dana @ craftedniche.wordpress.com

Handy Man, Crafty Woman said...

What an amazing transformation. You have some skilled artisans working there! Thanks for linking to Wicked Awesome Wednesday!

Jilly said...

Well, How beautiful you started. And those steps, they are gorgeous.
I'm a huge fan of stone walls and this one is quite the project! How fun to watch it take shape.
Waxman Mosaics & Waxman

Lindsay said...

Oh my goodness, this is going to look amazing! What a beautiful thing to add to your yard! Your hard work is definitely going to pay off! Thanks for sharing @ Show & Share! I am so happy you did!

Julie @ followyourheartwoodworking said...

I love your wall. It will look so pretty when it's all planted. We built a garage/workshop and had to clear the land and found many huge rocks where the foundation was going. Hubby worked the backhoe and placed them all perfectly where we needed them all to make a rock garden wall (not stacked neatly like yours, just random) and I planted in between.

Unknown said...

So far, so good! Rock or stone walls are pretty awesome for gardens, aren't they? They serve as a foundation or perhaps a stage where the plants get the spotlight on them.

Well, best of luck to finishing that. It's looking great!
Megan Payne