Ric just finished building a new Arbor. It is built from very old wood that he salvaged from an old garage that had been an old carriage house before it was a garage. He says that not one piece of wood is the same size as another. It is at the side of the house where you go through the hedge to the Veggie Garden.
He laid down a small brick floor under the structure. He wanted it treated with Spar Varnish which darken the wood quite a bit. Here is some detail of the upper part.
He put wire on the sides. When he talked about using this wire I didn't like the idea but it looks great with the old wood. Really happy with the look of it. There is a bench seat on each size.
One of the things we did actually buy were the cedar shakes for the roof. Ric has a good bit of roof shingles but I really wanted the cedar shakes. You can see part of the big clipped yew that you go thru to get to this area.
For those of you that haven't seen the clipped yew. It separates the front yard from the side yard. You walk though the arch and into the side yard where this Arbor has been placed between the side yard and the Veggie Garden.
This shows pretty well where it sits in relation to the Veggie Garden. You can see where the new GH will be put. There where the stone pile and water hydrant are. The Veggie Garden and corral below are quite a mess right now as we are doing a lot of work in this area. There will be a brick walk from the Arbor to the GH with Veggie Garden on both sides of the walk. A good bit of the Veggie Garden is going to be converted into raised beds. with paths between
Good Job, Ric! I like the benches and the brick flooring. I think Ric put that wire there for maybe a rose or clematis to climb? I bet a Sweet Autumn clematis could cover that structure in a year's time. What a great place to sit, have your morning coffee or hot tea and listen to the birds, look over your beautiful flower gardens.
I would love to grow grapes on it but he wants to put up runner beans. ;{
Grapes always make me think of the wasps that go to them. I have to vote with Ric there, I wouldn't want to lure wasps to my sitting spot.
Awesome gazebo!!
It's in the veggie garden for Pete's sake, It gets scarlet runner beans and climbing spinach (if I can get it to germinate and it tastes good). I may do ornamental ginger bread with something like a pyracantha or something that will withstand the rigorous pruning required. I do mix flowers in my veggies as companions and as accents and containers of herbs will be forthcoming, as well as a couple of hanging baskets. Ric
That guy of yours is truly talented and a hard worker to boot. Looks great. Speaking of companion planting....I planted the Marigolds you gave me along side my Roma tomatoes from Nisi yesterday.
Earlier today I was potting up some of the wonderful houseplants I received from the swap. Slowly but surely, we will eventually get all the plant swap goodies in their new homes.
Ruby
Yep, He did a great job. I really didn't have a hand in this project. He pretty much designed and put it together without me. I did paint everything with the spar varnish and I wanted the shake shingles not much of a contribution to the project.
Ruby I still have swap plants in the driveway. Just planting a few here and there as I get a spot ready. The daylilies you & John gave me have been planted. I have the next two days off and no other commitments, so I am hoping to get some more planting done.
Really good looking gazebo, Holly (I mean Ric). Much more appealing than the ones that are sold in catalogs or stores. Has a flavor much more compatible with the natural outdoors.
LOVE IT, looks great!!!!
Oh good Holly, I was feeling lonesome in having the majority of my plant swap goodies still sitting on the screen porch. Most everything still looks happy and healthy, so at least they are not suffering at this point. John mentioned earlier that he would begin putting some things in the new bed later today.
Hope everyone is enduring the temperatures okay. My answer to temps in the mid 90's is staying inside in the cool air, as much as possible. Thankfully they will begin dropping some beginning tomorrow. That puts a big smile on my face.
Ruby
It's beautiful! :)
Hi Amanda- yes it is. You should see some of Rics other projects.!
You two are quite the dynamic duo when it comes to projects!!!! The gusto with which you tackle and complete them inspires me to think a little bigger and build more substantually. Your new arbor looks like it will be there for a number of generations! And kudos for good re-use of materials.
Ric, tell us more about that living "gingerbread" and the climbing spinach!
Holly and Ruby yesterday I (lol) found not one, but two plants still unplanted from last years plant swap!!!
Looks like a grand entrance to the veggie area. someday I hope to see it in person.
Jan, I had the privilege to visit Ric and Holly's home a couple of years ago when they hosted a plant swap. I was quite impressed with the amount of work they have done to their place too. Seems like they are really go getters and unlike myself who sits on an idea for ages and ages, they think and then do quickly.
It also doesn't hurt that they are some of the kindest and most outgoing folks you will ever want to meet. When hanging out with them I can promise there will never be a dull moment. They are really a great couple.
Ruby
I agree wholeheartedly. I met them once and felt a kinship. actually everyone from DG that I have met have been special.
Yes we did Jan.
Ric would very much like to host next years Spring swap. The GH and walk should be done and with luck the big pergola for the wisteria as well.
LOL Coleup, We have all kinds of unfinished projects around here and a list a yard long of things we would like to get done some day. It sure has been nice these last few years watching these projects some planed for years come together as we hoped they would.
OOOh, That sounds great! I am sitting here with the little princess sleeping next to me on the couch. I just love being a granmma! I wanted to do all kinds of things to help out in the yard, but it has been too stinking hot here in Texas. can hardly wait for Jeff to meet her.
There are always lots of projects to do. LOL. While we are gone, I have contracted a friend to power wash the house, garage, and two decks, take out an invasive vine and a couple other things as a surprise for Jeff. I am so excited. Since he has worked so hard to build me a new kitchen, I wanted to do something special for him. Hope I can keep the surprise til we get home. If the guy has time he is also going to paint the garage. I love being married to a guy that will tackle anything.
Hope the job is still going well.
coleup Here is a link to Malabar spinach that is pretty discriptive: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basella_alba . I had some seed which may have been too old, or I didn't give enough TLC, in either case I will have to try again.
As to the gingerbread, it takes a few years to do. Any hardy plant that lends itself to espalier can be used. In my case, it would be grown up the corner post and then trained along the eaves and gables. I've seen creeping fig, wisteria, ivy, jasmine, and Pyracantha used. The training is pretty intensive but the product is one of a kind. Ric
Jan, How nice to spend some time with "The Little Princess". Hope your vacation is going well. What a great idea to have some of those pesky chores done while you are away.
Well the GH is slowly moving forward again. Ric started digging the trench to the house for the electric line. It kept raining before he could get it finished. So it would partially fill back in. He worked on it several times and I worked on it several times. Then last night Josh showed up and said you have me for an hour or so what do you want done. He got more than half of it dug out and came back today to finish and buried the conduit for the electric line. There is a section maybe 15ft that we will dig later but the whole area from the GH to the edge of the Veggie Garden is done about 50ft. While he was digging Ric worked on the frame for the concrete floor.
(((Josh))) !!
Yay for sons!!!
We are missing the little princess already. We left their house and started our road trip. Surely is HOTTT here. We stopped for the night in San Angelo, Tx . 108 HOT degrees when we came out of the steakhouse after dinner. Guess we won't be going to Ccarlsbad cuz of the wildfires. Bummer!
Have a fun trip!!!!
Yes we are lucky he is handy and close. I have been hauling him around a lot lately. He is doing a lot of kayaking and needs someone to drop them off at the beginning of their trip. They are doing an overnight kayaking & camping trip this weekend I will be driving them up river several hours to drop them off on Sat morning. I think that is a pretty good deal I drive for him he digs ditches for me. LOL
WooHoo, Concrete is ordered and coming on Monday morning.
Ric and Josh finished the forms yesterday. There is a stone base then in the area where the concrete will be poured there is a 4 inch layer of foam insulation board. The center section will have more stone added and then brick. That will give us drainage and provide access to the water hydrant if we ever have any problems that require digging it up. You can see the yellow pipe in the corner where the electric line will come thru.
Holly and Ric
Here it has been rainingall morning...hope alot soaks in and no weather-related events keep you greenhouse floor unpoured and curing!!!!
Have you posted greenhouse details elsewhere or could you update on type size,etc? Thanks.
Also appreciate you pointing out those "plan ahead" details like access to the water hydrant!
Judy
The floor is in. WooHoo!! The rain pretty much held off there was a short hard rain about an hour or more before the delivery. Josh kept saying we should cancel but Ric held fast and put up our pop up canopy frame with a big old tarp over in case the rain started again, which it didn't.
I think I mentioned it somewhere maybe in the talk threads. It is a 10 X 12 Harbor Freight aluminum frame with polycarbonate panels.
http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ft-x-12-ft-greenhouse-with-4-vents-93358.html
We got it at an excellent price last fall. Actually it was a gift from my parents. It has been stored on my son's back porch all winter just waiting for us to get everything done.
Ric kicking back and relaxing.
Looks great!!!!
Thanks, It really does. I was thinking yesterday what a big difference that whole area is from a few years ago when it was still mostly perennial weeds. We started cleaning up the old mostly neglected Veggie Garden. Doing a new section every year till it was all cleaned back out. Added the flower garden down the one side a couple of years ago. This arbor with the walk and the GH will be a huge difference. Next year Ric will add new raised Veggie beds and I have been bringing home plants for the side yard, which has been mostly empty except for a few lilacs and some transitional plants waiting for new homes.
Well we have decided I guess I should say I have decided. Ric is chomping at the bit wanting to move on to actually getting the GH up. We are going to stain the GH floor a dark color to help absorb the heat and the concrete must cure for 30 days before we can stain it. I want to wait and finish the floor before we put up the GH as it will be so much easier to stain it without the structure in the way. Ric is dying to get started on the GH but I should be able to keep him busy with enough side jobs for the next 2 1/2 weeks till we can stain. He has added a brick apron to the front of the slab where the door is. It is wide enough to sit a pretty pot on each side of the door and there is a space to plant a box wood at each corner.
Should take him a day or two to put in the walkway which he is working on.
Holly and Ric--
Your GH is coming along nicely!
I will be very jealous when you have your GH!
I have a question....
What is the brick flooring for--in the center of the slab that will be
the floor in the GH?
If my thinking is right--I imagine that will be the only space to stand on--
and all the rest of the concrete slab , that you will stain, will be under the tables.
Right??? NOT right???
If NOT--what will that area be for?
Love today's weather....I am hauling outside!
Mowed lawn--edged all walkways and sidewalk--swept everything up--
am watering all areas as we speak. Gonna be a while! Too many areas....
Tomorrow--I want to put down the Summer fertilizer with Insect Control.
I am getting chewed up every time I am out there....
Between HD garden and here--I am in a state of "itch"....:o)
I have several "Projects" in mind as well--but they all have to bide their time...
It is ONLY me here--hear that? NO Ric--or anyone else to do all the heavy work!
Project #1--
I try to do this at least every 5 years---unload EVERYTHING in my shed--
clean it out--sort things, straighten things--organize all my pots and junk,
throw away a few things---VERY few....ahem...
Put everything back and revel in the fact that I can actually walk in there--
front to back--and get to everything...
Project #2---
Haven't washed my house windows in about 5 years---I know! I know!
You clean-freaks will be shocked.....I do not clean anything too often!
It is ONLY MOI living here....so the worst is dust and some clutter.
Mine windows are still the old versions....Tops and bottoms--and have
to move those up and down to remove the 2 storm windows to wash everything.
Then put everything back in order...Quite a process in itself....
I have 12 windows on levels #1 and #2. The living levels.
Just have to think how much more light my plants will get next winter.....:o)
Level #3 is the club room level....There are 6 more windows down here.
2 of them regular size--and 4 of them half-sized. I don't see the 4 smaller
ones as ever needing replacing. They are "sliders"....
This level is a complete apartment on it's own. VERY nice! Roomy!
Used to be where all the ruckus parties took place...way back when....
hence the bar area....the fridge, etc...My Ex built it all!
I have helped 5 different people out by taking them in as "Home Sharers"
that have lived down there. "Rent" has been between $250 and $400 a month.
ALL utilities and amenities included.
This level is totally finished with a wood parquet floor. It also has a furnished
bedroom, full bath, TV, Microwave, fridge, bar, running water, door to back yard,
Access to laundry facilities 4 steps down to level #4.
I think the next couple of cool days--the shed will be the next project....
Windows can wait for a rainy day.
We're all busy--one way or another---aren't we?
Gita
Gita, Yes, the center is brick over stone to provide drainage in the greenhouse, year round. The entire floor, from the walls slopes in 1" in 3'. There should be very little standing water:-}. I used brick for a couple of reasons: since most of our patios, walks and gazebo are brick, aesthetically tying it in since most are vintage, and slightly irregular; It may also prove to be practical if I ever have to service the water hydrant or service lines, I can lift the brick and dig rather than break concrete :-}. Ric
Of course! The floor has to slope! You have quite an angle there....
The whole HD outside garden concrete floor has a gentle slope towards the 3 drains.
Sometimes they get clogged up with dirt and foliage--then I have to wade through a small
"pond" that has formed to find the drain. Many times, someone has put a potted shrub
over it--and it is hard to find, but I kind of know where they are.
These drains are large--about 12" in diameter with heavy steel lids with holes
covering them.
One problem with thew sloping is that carts can start rolling on their own.....
Good thinking ahead--Ric!
