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Little bit of everything project thread lol


teddytn

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6 minutes ago, teddytn said:

Where has prairie moon been all my life?!?! Crazy selection, really good prices and how damn cool is the range map! Just became reintroduced to asters, forgot there were so many, flower here and get overlooked like too many natives do. People think that if they didn’t plant it then it’s a weed and should get pulled out. It’s unreal all the places in the yard I’ve stopped mowing and watched different species of plants slowly start starting to get a foot hold again. Eye opening looking at that broken out by county. May stumble through a forested/ natural meadow area and never come upon an amazing plant that is plentiful one county away. Wow thanks for that recommendation! :greenthumb:

It's a pretty cool nursery..  and they always have tough to find things, even if i can't grow 97% of them, lol.. 

What's interesting about Asters, as a whole anyway,  is we have numerous sp. that are essentially the " Western " versions of eastern species, with many flowering at roughly the same time of year.. Only difference is many are in different Genus than the eastern sp.

As far as " weeds " go, Yep, many people will often lump native " forbs " ( typically annual or herbaceous, non- woody type perennial things ) in with weeds, which are, more often than not, just aggressive native " forbs " from other continents..  Those are the only " weeds i'll pull since many, here at least, can completely out compete natives and alter habitats since they don't have any insects / fungi they evolved with to keep them in check here.. . Native stuff,  even weedy- ish things that are considered " pioneering species " ( something that is the first / among the first plants to colonize bare, or recently disturbed soil ) are left to do their own thing..  Though i might reduce their numbers when necessary just to keep things balanced since a yard only has so much space..

 

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Had some family in town so had a little slower weekend. Still got my hands dirty though :36_14_15[1]:

Drive down to our favorite nursery. It’s so much trouble being there for me. Temptations in every direction. Always reminds me of plants I have on the to get list at some point. What they have in abundance is conifers of all shapes, sizes and species. They had at least 5 different varieties of dwarf pinus parviflora. Gonna have to bite the bullet and get some smaller ones and grow them up. Still expensive. 1 gallon pots were $50….the massive landscape specimens are clearly for the folks that live down there in Franklin TN lol, deep pockets. 
Japanese white pine sp. $1900751E5713-635C-4FD7-BA18-D6E292E4AB4A.thumb.jpeg.bfc2e88fda0ceab29922e736f3dfb0c5.jpegJapanese black pine sp. $3000 lol, cool though regardless. Would never spend that much even if I was rich and had it to blow. Crazy. 9AF34777-9233-4ED8-A36D-69081FA72546.thumb.jpeg.76f2c0066961594930fc58cf44a2b3e0.jpegGinkgo Biloba $2000349EC4CD-F5A1-464F-A0F0-BE9A66912D8A.thumb.jpeg.7be4ed22d835addd358cde9f2eec5b82.jpegAnother black pine sp. $3000….CDDEE01C-61D5-498D-8419-A1F674CF4E7E.thumb.jpeg.a7f6ff44e6cc3affe04870aadf6b01f7.jpegThey had quite a few new plants in the cactus/ agave greenhouse almost bit on this mammilaria and a few others. Was good and only got some flowers :DCBEE3127-21A6-4C8C-BC07-D1F157026C45.thumb.jpeg.4c34bad150df31928a7b12f0ba7e70a7.jpegDug up 2 asters and a few bulbs that were around this cherry blossom. This area is tying into the berm, scalped all the Bermuda/ grass/ weeds. Going to plant opuntia linguiformis here close to the bottom of the pic, filling with gravel and making a little stepping stone patio under the tree. I have enough areas to plant things now. Want to be able to walk up to the berm to check it out. 435F72AC-E14E-4BE8-8069-A78A100BDF20.thumb.jpeg.ff20855c8ed0cf35cf979a8fc7b19467.jpegThe further I dig down excavating the future greenhouse I keep finding cool stuff. Fossilized rock full of tiny quartz crystals. The soil definitely changed from rocky red clay to loamy clay! Much better for gardening. 63DAA928-8CF0-473D-8ACD-A56A3371E67F.thumb.jpeg.bd01c011e4634357f909303e6b763a11.jpegGot these 3 spots ready finally. Hibiscus right, Mexican oregano center, Baptisia left. Maybe this coming weekend I’ll plant them. 362FA8D6-CE25-4315-A740-D78E7A5BA477.thumb.jpeg.6511c73c4497cd2022fdb7970c99bc1d.jpegTrying to get flowers planted. 3 African daisies the margarita trio lol, planted 3 salvia nemorosa spring king. 2 more up in the palm beds. 1 salvia nemorosa blauhugel, 2 white cone flowers vanilla puff, I’ll post pics when there’s flowers. 3 more of this African daisy coral magic51123A7B-8814-4985-A5AC-BD39F420218B.thumb.jpeg.792bf68ad8552596a4766ab9cdf6e3bd.jpegDug 2 of these asters and planted them down in the curved bed I was filling. 85332801-0214-4277-96BD-CBA71ED355A5.thumb.jpeg.358aa0cb8352060e429f53d9f6ec443f.jpegCool winter interest on these, bees went nuts on these two last year. Definitely worth a replant. C132EAC4-5EB5-4F18-BC2E-4E35E102EA13.thumb.jpeg.6255a5bc4ba7156f103ad0b33062cba7.jpegGot a dianthus in the ground.3F9F7FBA-2498-4B57-AE30-86020B6EF8F2.thumb.jpeg.8e050a154c0150b3ff652937ca378521.jpegSpread 2 of these bags near the side fence with the neighbors, going to keep 2 pretty long strips “wild” and let them do their thing. May plant a few milk weeds in there as well. CC04C1C9-C5BD-4008-997B-009F63F47AC4.thumb.jpeg.fdc47db4de4b7fc9f1e58fe0a5892e47.jpeg

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  • 3 weeks later...

Using a break in the usual April heat to play a little catch up and getting the rest of the back area done.. Area where the Junipers are is the last area to border w/ brick.. but basically ready to order the gravel.  Still have to clear out the path out front ..but that should be an easy job tomorrow..

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Pulling apart my tortured Yucca pallida and putting the offsets out front, along with the Rock Sage, Salvia pinguinifolia..

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What the Yucca should look like once they fill out..

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Rock Sage..  ** Green things in the top right corner of the picture are Hybrid Gladiolus planted by the former owner ..And yes, they're staying, lol..  Some  * Bleepin' *  Nut Sedge starting to pop up in places in this bed / bed that separates us from the neighbors already as well, ..:rage:, lol.

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Other stuff to be added later to this bed includes:  Another Plumeria ( 2 total for the front yard  ..for now, lol ), 3 Blue Emu Bush, Ox Blood ..and a select Rain Lily species or two, ..Select native Perennials / Grass sp. or two, and seasonal annual color.  May also plant a Yellow Morning Glory  / Yucca Vine, Distmake **Formally Merrimea ** aurea  against one of the cement columns, on a trellis made out of old PVC pipe that is set off the column by a few inches. ( so it is easy to clean up when it goes dormant, w/ out damaging the column itself.. )

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11 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Using a break in the usual April heat to play a little catch up and getting the rest of the back area done.. Area where the Junipers are is the last area to border w/ brick.. but basically ready to order the gravel.  Still have to clear out the path out front ..but that should be an easy job tomorrow..

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Pulling apart my tortured Yucca pallida and putting the offsets out front, along with the Rock Sage, Salvia pinguinifolia..

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What the Yucca should look like once they fill out..

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Rock Sage..  ** Green things in the top right corner of the picture are Hybrid Gladiolus planted by the former owner ..And yes, they're staying, lol..  Some  * Bleepin' *  Nut Sedge starting to pop up in places in this bed / bed that separates us from the neighbors already as well, ..:rage:, lol.

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Other stuff to be added later to this bed includes:  Another Plumeria ( 2 total for the front yard  ..for now, lol ), 3 Blue Emu Bush, Ox Blood ..and a select Rain Lily species or two, ..Select native Perennials / Grass sp. or two, and seasonal annual color.  May also plant a Yellow Morning Glory  / Yucca Vine, Distmake **Formally Merrimea ** aurea  against one of the cement columns, on a trellis made out of old PVC pipe that is set off the column by a few inches. ( so it is easy to clean up when it goes dormant, w/ out damaging the column itself.. )

Looking good sir! :greenthumb: Glad to see the yuccas!!! Good call on the gladiolus. I put a bunch in the ground late winter. I feel like so many more “common” plants get overused maybe because they’re easy and people like planting what their neighbors have lol. With those for good reason though gladiolus have stunning flowers. I’m partial to most any plant that flowers vertically on a panicle type. Another one is azalea, super overused in the southeast, I’ll show why in another week or so. The biggest one in the yard the previous owners planted is breathtaking when it’s at climax!!!! 
I definitely like the clean look of a big area mulched with gravel. Let’s even small plants standout where they could get lost if it’s too busy…(like uh someone we know does desert landscapes) lol. Already reworked the bed from last year a little bit. Need to post an update myself…

Was meaning to ask you. You’re like a damn encyclopedia of plants lol. Get it totally, I learn about new plants, even whole groups of new plants I had no idea existed all the time, just keep researching it happens on its own. With your extensive plant awareness, how in the hell do you narrow it down to certain plants to choose for the landscape?! Like I guess if you had 10 acres, unlimited gardening funds and free time I could only imagine what would be happening. :36_14_15[1]:
What’s the plan for the grass area in the back, staying grass? 

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Weather finally been on the up and up, got a few more plants in the ground.

Hibiscus midnight marvelB7E84DFD-6691-4502-B75B-81DF46BE3A03.thumb.jpeg.7c0054ceb538cf7d34fe365392952105.jpegBaptisia cherry jubilee…storms and wind have not been kind as of late.F95C7D4C-A273-4CA3-8684-5E4CA7702401.thumb.jpeg.3e53ebef4fe1900597e9adb33ba8be00.jpeg3 Purple kaleB64C0B7E-AB94-4EDE-957E-3C9D3D758D0A.thumb.jpeg.968caadf11426f4a669832e69c0d41cc.jpegFirst peek at the berm all planted out!!2623A29F-86A6-41EA-BCF1-93B8970CBE3A.thumb.jpeg.8c2f42dded073aadd8a4045f88b5eb52.jpeg640B9854-8216-4991-B917-A249D8BA946F.thumb.jpeg.58d0a595192225f9f98e9956b141e9fb.jpeg91BB0566-2DA7-4237-84BC-4081109F166A.thumb.jpeg.53bf722e355dc65ed2db1339ccc5b819.jpeg53BD3EEA-1B8A-438B-AEDF-35D440696EE7.thumb.jpeg.00ec30e6a6d8ab4e6114dd7a620ad3ec.jpegC73E0AD0-5039-4D0B-A52C-91C137456FCF.thumb.jpeg.e56fcfa55eb68edc707ccf808d0cc713.jpeg28E3C1E5-13F5-464D-92CC-E5B70A7DFFCD.thumb.jpeg.9be16d8376c982c36a47f9ab3adebdfe.jpegSome progress made on this area. Liking how the stones are, been living with it a few weeks. Didn’t want to go all in until I was sure lol35889CFB-A957-4688-84B0-E579A3F81616.thumb.jpeg.e732cf04ad665fb9e685d759920a313f.jpegDug the pair of opuntias out of this bed a few weeks ago. Realized they were just place holders. 4166E28F-264C-4475-965D-CD6B6162A75C.thumb.jpeg.acab16e8be997740cd133cfd788cdce8.jpegReplaced them with opuntia dark night.628D2CA0-D988-41C9-A3A3-ED92B53FCE13.thumb.jpeg.06d40a895186737a1d1d9cb317a78845.jpegYucca harrimaniae, took a beating in the storm also.3B701893-1331-43C1-80F8-D9578E776F53.thumb.jpeg.51c3f2c6318289813d2847c74ec2c75a.jpegUp on top of that bed I’ve had spots ready since last summer. Yucca recurvafolia 6665EBB9-1C91-484A-976A-537445A73957.thumb.jpeg.e18b3400a9eca77321eaedf2228df82f.jpegGreen yucca gloriosa to compliment my varigated one.CEDA9A18-7259-4D7C-93F3-49F87A413549.thumb.jpeg.c8ce61e519de8ec12318c148b335dfb5.jpegYucca thompsoniana 03CF7C0F-3BF1-4E30-8C5D-599A269A4EE0.thumb.jpeg.8cb31989772e39f144c9c71bcbc3cc9d.jpegSnuck a lavender in on yucca hill868437D3-30FB-4399-A9A1-F3BFCDF959AC.thumb.jpeg.04e4f5624e61c017faac8eed93c3d53b.jpegGot the front hedges under control. Limbed them up and exposed some ferns I planted years back that have been mostly out of view.E8FDAF2D-D65B-483C-AB32-499545308078.thumb.jpeg.27d14dc48d70243762ec675a9915d79a.jpegD1ED1104-3A14-41B9-BB18-A5D907A09CFF.thumb.jpeg.13b839453a1dc05c00a68dcd105f0f37.jpeg29CD9F36-1E52-4F63-A5B2-B12DD3BBBDAF.thumb.jpeg.7c9f466a8a412dd802887eaa0c6bfe25.jpegC4D8B421-2E47-47FB-88A3-727210CE6C7A.thumb.jpeg.73a1dfc6e6eecc1c039f861989589bb9.jpegFinished this bed a while ago 9EB9E345-71E0-4A3D-A06F-A6CD02C891E7.thumb.jpeg.b7f836c1afd6b93f838790e1c3fd8743.jpegJust need to finish mulching in the bottom right91978AC4-E407-413D-BFC8-7F5E08D07421.thumb.jpeg.1db0b5f5ddbf316c7e10faebbf82e144.jpegGot two mirrored plantings going on either side. Peony I dug up and split376A4BEC-063A-4CC7-A39B-98C56926FC80.thumb.jpeg.288a668e6ebe3fdff3618cdb818c88c8.jpegRose of Sharon 32728ECA-0816-4D26-B0E5-B1AC4CB0E707.thumb.jpeg.77ab3a5c54bf3382ed2e42cbb99314e3.jpeg Dwarf buddleia, gladiolus peeking up37586DAB-7C6A-4457-959A-A4225E562263.thumb.jpeg.84005915e5b7dd8d68718867d2dde6c0.jpegThis combo works so well in my herb garden I repeated it here. CatnipA269FF89-C445-41AD-8D2E-26E6CAC7836F.thumb.jpeg.d300900594299ec21fb2cef9cffd9310.jpegBee balmA7C3368C-C90A-4626-81C5-F0086A0A68F7.thumb.jpeg.97863eec717a57ab241f9be67be6bfa4.jpegGot some black eyed Susan’s in 60B4F8BD-D0FD-44BC-BB15-FB7CC7D00386.thumb.jpeg.f6a7de8d205d040324cba326a8bd5a09.jpegAnd some coneflowers 49992CE0-277A-4C07-A15A-C4A5B708E582.thumb.jpeg.f7c8288b7798dc6310be3ff903fcc7d4.jpegFlowering like this the first year in the ground…can’t wait to see next year. Adams flowering crab appleE754DF4D-9BE1-4294-B607-A30B3846797D.thumb.jpeg.3db2423f5fe9f66e06eb176214c0b7b7.jpegSame with this kwanzan cherry blossom9AAC9F32-1F75-46B3-A695-A05C4763C103.thumb.jpeg.3ee96c9ca9b4e452290e2d59b6eb3fc4.jpegBeen working on this wooded area slowly but surely since we moved in. Finally digging out the pit I’ve got enough dirt to finish filling this thing. Natural drain area. This has been a massive compost pile. Deer get hit on the street they’ve been buried here, 2 chickens, 1 dog. 9 years worth of leaves and tree branches off an acre with 12 full grown maples, tulip poplar, pine. All the other brush and weeds I pull up. Finally putting the cap on it. Want to talk about how to nurture plants with no chemicals, plant them in a bed like this!! Have big things in store for this area, stay tuned for updates….41DC5F88-F5A6-4D5B-ADBE-F8F01E4393DD.thumb.jpeg.2304f0b1f6f797fc272c7d883498cfc8.jpegShould get this finished off tomorrow 2B067129-70E8-4641-84B4-BFD36300012A.thumb.jpeg.773317db30493710ef1d2f32dfbd38cd.jpeg8BCF2C11-D2C3-496A-843F-66C06746E119.thumb.jpeg.acf4d6eabc852d947a9e3bde3d043f32.jpegThe strips in between these beds along the fence is where I spread those pollinator seed bags, same place for the past few years. Going to plant some Joe pye weed here and some more milk weeds. Need to get some puddling stations set up as well. And trim the beds down to size yes yes lolE74DD255-4919-426C-BCEE-DC9C66FD7444.thumb.jpeg.b267cd5ca092305c59378dbc57e54216.jpeg

 

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  • 1 month later...

After having to change the gravel option i'd made ( What i'd chosen, was no longer available. 2 other options i liked were sold out as well :blink: ) 4 X's - while at the rock yard-, then a 2 week delivery delay ( Even though i'm literally 2 miles - at most - from the place )  Finally starting on the last leg of getting the rest of the open areas filled in, starting w/ the path out front..

Gravel color isn't exactly what i'd picked ..but, after laying and washing out the dust, actually like it better.. Chocolate and Cinnamon brown tones complement the lighter stone in the planting bed and the colors of the exterior of the house.. 

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Now comes the fun part ..the backyard.. Though i measured / re-measured everything enough to go blind, hoping the 7 tons brought in is enough.. 


On a side note, While out retrieving some broken branches, not sure what the heck the landscape guys that take care of the medical offices across the street are thinking, but they decided to take down one of the nicer Palo Verde over there..  Not sure why..  Tree isn't blocking the view into or out of the parking lot there.. Tree isn't sick either.. Was providing at least some shade to the entrance to the office in the afternoon as well..  Regardless, pretty dumb, imo.. 

..Thought we were supposed to be planting more  trees, ..not chopping down perfectly healthy ones. :hmm::rolleyes:

Before.. Perfectly healthy..

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While i was spreading gravel.. Oof!

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Early to rise = getting the rest of the back filled in.. 

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Now what to do w/ the rest of the gravel, lol..  Have one spot to fill between the two sheds, ..then?.. We'll see. May use a bunch of curved concrete border pieces left by the previous home owner to build slightly raised half circles along the back wall, and build a 3 or 4ft deep x 2 or 3ft tall raised bed in front of the wall that separates the back yard from the front on the north side of the house. Figure that will be an obvious barrier once the front driveway is extended to keep anyone parking there from smashing thru the wall.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Tons of non plant projects going on lately…here’s a good plant related to get back on track. Have 4000 sabal minor seeds in the mail, should be here any day. Sowed some seeds last spring and the seedlings overwintered in ground with no protection last winter. Plan is to direct sow as many seeds as will reasonably fit in ground. Had to get the bed ready. I’m bad at before, during, after pics. Here’s pretty close to the start. 0B7F7359-3CE8-4C7D-963B-C4FEE5CB7A75.thumb.jpeg.6e02ef8e1d6b8d6f53633ebb49a3438d.jpegPile of wood I’ve had waiting33813BF7-02EF-452D-BCC1-C5117CB3DA28.thumb.jpeg.fd7cd45fedbd1324fbf626bfccdec005.jpegFinished product, just need to fill it81FC06CE-0797-4333-9ED0-056562CAA81C.thumb.jpeg.f62664f5eb0e796f1e6bf4200052480d.jpegThis slope was empty so sowed some seed packs. Cantaloupe left set of stakes, zucchini center, yellow straight neck squash right.

94F7CABF-4442-4104-B7AC-2EC0AF085105.jpegFinally planted my tomatoes and peppers a few weeks ago as well. Slacking this year lol.

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Edited by teddytn
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23 hours ago, teddytn said:

Tons of non plant projects going on lately…here’s a good plant related to get back on track. Have 4000 sabal minor seeds in the mail, should be here any day. Sowed some seeds last spring and the seedlings overwintered in ground with no protection last winter. Plan is to direct sow as many seeds as will reasonably fit in ground. 

Are you quitting your job and starting a palm nursery? LOL

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YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@tntropics - 60+ In-ground 7A palms - (Sabal) minor(7 large + 27 seedling size, 3 dwarf),  brazoria(1) , birmingham(4), etonia (1) louisiana(5), palmetto (1), riverside (1),  (Trachycarpus) fortunei(7), wagnerianus(1),  Rhapidophyllum hystrix(7),  15' Mule-Butia x Syagrus(1),  Blue Butia capitata(1) +Tons of tropical plants.  Recent Yearly Lows -1F, 12F, 11F, 18F, 16F, 3F, 3F, 6F, 3F, 1F, 16F, 17F, 6F, 8F

 

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3 hours ago, Allen said:

Are you quitting your job and starting a palm nursery? LOL

Haha, so not quitting my job no. Definitely tired of there not being any palms available locally…I don’t like that there’s more than a couple palms that will grow here in TN and even north of us and most people are completely ignorant to it. I want to see palms in Clarksville where I live. I keep mail ordering palms and others obviously do as well. In 5 years from now when the greenhouse is done and full of plants I wouldn’t mind selling them. First steps first, got to grow them, get this greenhouse built and then take it from there. 

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Still have that dang space between the sheds to fill in, but decided to take a detour and get these half circles done before the heat arrives.. Have 2 more to put in. 

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Hard to see now, but vines that will be growing on the DIY Trellis  are Yellow Morning Glory / Yucca Vine, Distmake aurea ( Cen. / S. Baja ) and  Blue Butterfly Pea, Clitoria ternata.  Have some Alamo Vine, Distmake dissectus sprouting that may go on the other two trellis.

Was going to put a Purple Orchid Vine against the bigger of the two Trellis ( Picture #2 ) but quickly learned these have brittle roots when trying to get it out of the squat 5gal pot i've had it in for the last few years.. No worries, know where to find more..

While not the biggest fan of " traditional " summer bedding plants, do like Madagascar Periwinkle  ..What many call " Vinca "  Is a Perennial that can live through our winters so may be worth it for something different.

Will be planting stuff in the open areas between the half circles later to further soften the look of the block wall / add height to block more late afternoon sun. .. Another native Coral Tree, Erythrina flabelliformis specimen for sure, possibly Gossypium thurberi ( Desert Cotton ) ..and / or a pair of Plumeria

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2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Still have that dang space between the sheds to fill in, but decided to take a detour and get these half circles done before the heat arrives.. Have 2 more to put in. 

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Hard to see now, but vines that will be growing on the DIY Trellis  are Yellow Morning Glory / Yucca Vine, Distmake aurea ( Cen. / S. Baja ) and  Blue Butterfly Pea, Clitoria ternata.  Have some Alamo Vine, Distmake dissectus sprouting that may go on the other two trellis.

Was going to put a Purple Orchid Vine against the bigger of the two Trellis ( Picture #2 ) but quickly learned these have brittle roots when trying to get it out of the squat 5gal pot i've had it in for the last few years.. No worries, know where to find more..

While not the biggest fan of " traditional " summer bedding plants, do like Madagascar Periwinkle  ..What many call " Vinca "  Is a Perennial that can live through our winters so may be worth it for something different.

Will be planting stuff in the open areas between the half circles later to further soften the look of the block wall / add height to block more late afternoon sun. .. Another native Coral Tree, Erythrina flabelliformis specimen for sure, possibly Gossypium thurberi ( Desert Cotton ) ..and / or a pair of Plumeria

That’s an awesome idea to get some plants vertical. Can’t tell from the pic, did you just hammer some nails in the mortar joints? Still have more gravel left over? 

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2 minutes ago, teddytn said:

That’s an awesome idea to get some plants vertical. Can’t tell from the pic, did you just hammer some nails in the mortar joints? Still have more gravel left over? 

Yep.. Using 1 1/2" cut masonry nails and hammering them into the joints, then running coated copper wire ( ..and 18 gauge Aluminum, smaller trellis esp. ) from the nails to a plastic stake ( though i used a rock as an anchor in the small bed ) in the ground.. Makes it easy for someone else to take down if they wanted to,  and less likely the wire will rot, unlike a wood / plastic trellis. Far less expensive then buying metal ones for sure.  When the vines are covering them, no one will care what they're climbing on.

Still have more than enough gravel.. Guess 7 tons was plenty, lol.

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17 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Yep.. Using 1 1/2" cut masonry nails and hammering them into the joints, then running coated copper wire ( ..and 18 gauge Aluminum, smaller trellis esp. ) from the nails to a plastic stake ( though i used a rock as an anchor in the small bed ) in the ground.. Makes it easy for someone else to take down if they wanted to,  and less likely the wire will rot, unlike a wood / plastic trellis. Far less expensive then buying metal ones for sure.  When the vines are covering them, no one will care what they're climbing on.

Still have more than enough gravel.. Guess 7 tons was plenty, lol.

Perfect thinking! :greenthumb: I’m still struggling on what vining plant to use to try and cover the pergola when it’s done, wisteria is out. Not that I don’t like it, but the flowering length is crap. Honeysuckle was on the list but that honestly doesn’t flower for much longer than wisteria. Crossvine is at the top of the list for now, I’m open to suggestions though.

 
Have you considered doing an even higher bed with the remaining gravel you have? May be cool just as different height plants are good in the landscape, sometimes different height beds or structures do the trick too, just a thought.

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5 minutes ago, teddytn said:

Perfect thinking! :greenthumb: I’m still struggling on what vining plant to use to try and cover the pergola when it’s done, wisteria is out. Not that I don’t like it, but the flowering length is crap. Honeysuckle was on the list but that honestly doesn’t flower for much longer than wisteria. Crossvine is at the top of the list for now, I’m open to suggestions though.

 
Have you considered doing an even higher bed with the remaining gravel you have? May be cool just as different height plants are good in the landscape, sometimes different height beds or structures do the trick too, just a thought.

Actually considered raised planters along the back wal but trying to keep it simple since i don't want to over extend what i'm allowed to do..  Would definitely add some depth though. Wall is short so i'd have to put up  trellis to compensate for the height difference as well.

Crossvine would be my pick for the Pergola since it will produce lots of flowers and lush foliage through a long season.. Passion vines are great, but maybe not Pergola- worthy..

If you can find either, might try either Yellow or Lavender / Purple Orchid Vine on a fence or trellis.. Both are supposedly hardy to 8a, maybe 7b if the roots are well protected / as a " Gets cut down in winter/ returns in spring "  type of plant. Will flower all summer - until frozen down.

Coral Vine ( Antigonon ) is spectacular in summer, but can be VERY aggressive. ( Lack of sopping wet summers keeps it in check here )  White- flowered form is supposedly tamer.  Definitely tough.. Have almost killed my white one several times, lol.  Another one that supposedly can die back in the winter/ return in spring in zone 8.

While i'm not the biggest fan of Roses, Lady Banks ( Both the white and yellow versions ) are used here on Pergolas and look nice when they flower.. Definitely fragrant/ not really thorny.  Not a long flowering season though.

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37 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Actually considered raised planters along the back wal but trying to keep it simple since i don't want to over extend what i'm allowed to do..  Would definitely add some depth though. Wall is short so i'd have to put up  trellis to compensate for the height difference as well.

Crossvine would be my pick for the Pergola since it will produce lots of flowers and lush foliage through a long season.. Passion vines are great, but maybe not Pergola- worthy..

If you can find either, might try either Yellow or Lavender / Purple Orchid Vine on a fence or trellis.. Both are supposedly hardy to 8a, maybe 7b if the roots are well protected / as a " Gets cut down in winter/ returns in spring "  type of plant. Will flower all summer - until frozen down.

Coral Vine ( Antigonon ) is spectacular in summer, but can be VERY aggressive. ( Lack of sopping wet summers keeps it in check here )  White- flowered form is supposedly tamer.  Definitely tough.. Have almost killed my white one several times, lol.  Another one that supposedly can die back in the winter/ return in spring in zone 8.

While i'm not the biggest fan of Roses, Lady Banks ( Both the white and yellow versions ) are used here on Pergolas and look nice when they flower.. Definitely fragrant/ not really thorny.  Not a long flowering season though.

Ok excellent, thank you! Have some research to do now. Totally forgot there’s climbing roses. Glad I’m not crazy about the crossvine. Even Wisteria is worth growing, just as a backstage specimen plant somewhere in the yard. May try an grow it as a small tree, use a really heavy steel pole to keep the trunk vertical and keep pruning it fairly heavily each year. I don’t have any lighting down in the yard, may set some poles like that with some bent/ formed steel bar for ornamental purpose that could be used to tie plants to vertically as well, and top with solar powered lamp. Ground lighting is cool, but I have always loved lamp posts, may be cool if I can pull it off. The materials are no problem, want it to look good when it’s done and tie the yard together, but not look congested or overdone. May make one of these soon as another side project lol

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  • 1 month later...

W/ the heat on nuclear, not much going on project wise around the yard atm  ..although..

No Chain Saw ..No problem.  Thinking on it, and at the expense of frying everything i had placed beneath it,  decided the big, zombie  Mulberry was too much of a wind throw risk to leave up until after Monsoon season  and began the process of chopping it down ..Top half first, thicker limbs and finally the main part of the Trunk last..

Upper Trunk portion might look skinny in the picture, but guarantee it is a big boy.  While most of the wood is dried / decaying, still VERY heavy.  I'll have the guys who maintain my landlord's palms / Trees at his wife's dance studio come and saw it up to remove later.


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As you can see, still the lower half of the trunk left to hack up.. Already working on that.   Can also see just how damaged the trunk itself was.. Dry rot almost completely encircles the entire trunk, top to bottom ..leaving only a more solid core that was starting to crack lengthwise ( part of the reason i decided to bite the bullet and take it down now rather than wait )

Believe it or not but the big root on the lower left is hollow inside. Big root on the upper left of the trunk, ..what is ..well, was the tree's main support,   is also hollowed out, though not quite as much as the other root.  Can also see how the Carpenter Bees were working on drilling deeper into the heart wood and into more areas of the dry rotted portions of the outer - inner part of the tree's trunk..  They aren't what caused the tree's demise, they were just taking advantage of the perfect piece of property - totally expected.  Not thrilled about taking habitat away from them, but, the danger of the tree coming down outweighs the bees having a home.  If the yard were big enough, i would move the trunk to some obscure corner, prop it up, and let the bees continue their work.


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 Took down the top of the other dying Mulberry that was also at risk of coming down..  I'll start on getting the trunk down later. Only one larger root ( smaller than this one ) keeping it from falling over really.. Shouldn't be too much work to hack at that root enough to bring that tree down.

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  • 2 weeks later...

One Hawks Bill saw ..Utilizing the handle of a different Hawks bill saw that died sometime ago..  And one savage  ...... Haha :mrlooney::D

Flooded it last night to get an idea of how much heart wood i might have to cut through below ground...  Turned out, everything below ground had long since decayed, making it easy to excavate beneath it and evaluate what was left to cut.  May be tough to tell in the picture but... Yellow line represents how deeply i flooded, as i excavated out the base..  Dark Orange represents a piece of the heartwood  ..where it was completely rotted below  ...and, while the hole below looks shallow, the line going from the tip of that piece of wood to the ground below is about 15"   Other Orange line on the far left represents smaller live roots around part of the edge of the hole..  Can see all the Cockroaches scuttling about on the stump too :blink:


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One Guy and his Hawks bill of terror = Victory!   Will trim down the larger, remaining roots later.

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Can see just how rotted out the base / interior of the lower part of the trunk / stump was..

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Cockroach Hotel, turned Lizard Buffet :D ..now that they can easily access the cracks and crevices of the stump..  Might head out into the desert and try to wrangle a pair of fat Desert Spinys for the job, hahaha.  There's a Female Ornate Tree Lizard that hopped off the stump as i took it down, then returned to it after i moved it.. Imagine, the interior of the stump is a perfect spot for hibernating / incubating eggs.  May cut the upper part down a little more, then move what is left of the base of the stump to a corner of the yard just for that purpose.

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Skinnier tree, and how rotted out it was.  That " root " ...or, what " live " tissue was left on it,  was the only thing holding it up. Once i got about 3/4ths of the way through it w/ the saw, it came down pretty easily,

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  • 6 months later...

A perfect afternoon for fixing and rearranging the pavers i'd added last year for the patio step off..  and the table that sits there.  Still need to add a few more pavers to the bottom row to finish it.

Add on...


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Center 4 pavers were caving in on one side, so they got pulled up and re-leveled..

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Forq sp. ( Ocotillo relatives ) on the table include: F diguetii, center.. F. burragei, far left.. and F. macdougalii, right end... Cacti in the clay pot are a colony of Mamm a' grahams.  Probably put the others i have in a similar sized pot / colony planting in the open spot on the other side of F.  burragei  ( Decided to put it in the center since it is shorter than the other two sp. atm, )

Some other " Mother plant " ( Plants used for seed production / Bulbs, in the case of the Zephyranthes ) stuff surrounding the table will be moved later. One of my Bursera, or a Bursera relative i have from Baja ( Cyrtocarpa edulis ) will likely be placed on the far left end when i move the other plants elsewhere.



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  • 8 months later...

After noting areas out back where the sprinklers i put in last year were not hitting ..thus, what grass was there dying off ( ..Surprised since it is Bermuda, and pops up in other areas that don't get much / any  water,  lol ) this summer, decided to add some new heads to cover those areas, ....and finally get the rest of the drip installed to the beds up against the back wall of the house..  Obviously, if this were my house, i'd yank out the grass, even though it does help keep the yard a little cooler in summer than if the back were all gravel.

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Only problem i ran into was there was not enough pressure to properly run all the heads ( 10 total ) using just one valve..

Noting this, i decided to transfer the " north " half the sprinklers to the second valve, which will also run the drip. Easier fix than i'd thought it might be.. Also re-positioned and sank the head for the 1/2" Drip " main " line.  Now sits right below the gravel instead of 5" above it, lol.. Will likely find some larger rocks to put on top of it to hide it, plus plant some type of short grass / ground cover.  Have another drip head to re-adjust out front later.

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Testing it before gluing the final pieces, both areas of sprinklers actually run better than before i started the project.



Half way done w/ laying the drip line..  Rest should be laid down tomorrow..

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Since i have a bunch, instead of going and buying wire to shape pins out of,  just cut up the stakes for the marker flags i have..

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'Skeddy lines / about half the emitters in..  " Plants to plant " thoughts laid out..

Because this is a rental ..and space in this bed is limited, keepin' what goes in simple.. Can't pant cacti because future tenants could have dogs or younger kids. Plants selected will get big enough over time to shade -at least- a portion of the wall and will take the brutality of the sun that hits that wall during the summer.

Tecoma will hopefully get large enough to provide a screen to a part of the patio where the sun blasts anyone sitting out there in the afternoon, particularly this time of year.. Figure some ferny green foliage / pollinator attracting, large flowers would be nicer than putting up some sort of sun blocking screen.

Yellow / "T" = Tecoma stans.. local variety, or the bigger- flowered form.

Purple / "R" = Baja Ruellia ~ R. californica / peninsularis

Red / "C" = Calliandra californica

Orange / "A" = Anisacanthus thurberi

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" Short Slice "  side bed that faces south.. R  = Another Baja Ruellia, since these can be kept just below / won't gobble up the view from the window.  As mentioned prior, will add some grasses ( green dots ) / larger rocks collected out in the desert in the corner pocket where the head for the 1/2" drip line is to help conceal it / make it look niicce..

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" Tortured " Torch Glow in the other corner will finally get some extra water too ( Magenta dots )..

Another Calliandra will go in the open section of plant bed to the right of El' Tortured Torch Glow.. Squiggly blue lines = addition of easy, low growing native perennial stuff ..IE: Penstemon(s), Desert Marigold.. Cove's Senna perhaps ..Stuff that won't care about being blasted by the sun, esp. in summer.



Undecided on what will replace the dead and torn out Juniper.. Want something that will get tall enough to provide shade to that wall / bedroom.. ..but not so tall that it overpowers the space.. ...which also gets tall enough to have some space beneath it for smaller things.. Current thought includes one of the shorter Desert Willow forms, Mex Bird ( Standard yellow one ) Another Guayacan perhaps, maybe Rhus virens.. TX. Mtn Laurel crossed my mind, but again, have to keep in mind the potential a future tenant may have kids or dogs.   Since i'll likely tear out the remaining Juniper -since it looks dumb w/ out it's buddy now, i may have just enough space for a Plumeria:D.  Yellow squiggly line = more low growing " tough stuff ".

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Next thing on the list.. Resetting this drip line head out front, and, after it getting dug up while chasing / eliminating stubborn clumps of Bermuda that would pop up in this bed since i put everything in,  resetting some of the lines a bit deeper..

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I haven’t posted here in a little bit. This is the project I’ve been working on for man…2 years I guess 😅. Finally something worth taking pics of. This is my greenhouse I’ve been talking about. My backyard around the house is on a directly south facing hill. I dug down and hand excavated with mainly just a shovel what you could think of as a basement. Now I’m building the “basement”/ greenhouse walls that will be buried, or in a sense retaining walls also. Then the greenhouse framework will be put up directly inside the stone walls and then covered with film ( more to it than that, frame in windows and door, attach wiggle wire channel to greenhouse frame to hold film in place, I’ll update as I make progress ). So I had no training as a stone mason, just trial and error like most of my projects. I’m happy with the walls and you could hit these with a truck. IMG_8477.thumb.jpeg.5d3406bf9e887a159d8ec2378cb16e04.jpegIMG_8480.thumb.jpeg.8c19e078a66de4714c5ccb00aac9e505.jpegAt my job there’s literally a rock quarry out back, my normal week is everyday at lunch I peruse rock piles looking for flat faced rocks, good to use as the front face of the wall. And load those and always need filler trash rocks to fill in the gaps in the middle of the wall. Always shoot to have way more rocks than I plan on setting in a given week, need to have a variety of different shapes to fill awkward spaces when using rubble as building blocks. It’s really fun and enjoyable though, playing Tetris literally! 🤣
 

Adding to the base and adding to existing wall is a little different process, I’ll detail both here. Had this big sandstone block I wanted to set for a few weeks, I needed to dig out some more of the base. IMG_8481.thumb.jpeg.de59e53c979e2732db83225bd55ba536.jpegI knew where I wanted to put itIMG_8478.thumb.jpeg.33922567d9a13aa8ec3f3af3e3a58620.jpegDig out below grade and get semi flat. Doesn’t need to be perfect, thick base layer of mortar fills gaps and helps to make leveling stones easy. IMG_8479.thumb.jpeg.35d13b4035a019cdabc5797b044d29cf.jpegMe and my sons weekly mortar purchase IMG_8474.thumb.jpeg.830be1d0ada0129f4f8ec1c7b07eed85.jpegDry fit stone first always. Important when making base layer and when adding layers to existing walls. As I bring flat faced rocks home I’m finding homes in the wall for them, before mixing mortar on the weekend and setting them permanently. If I had perfect square stones this wouldn’t be as important, rubble rock needs this added step, no rocks are “good” in every plane. IMG_8482.thumb.jpeg.216d9a4698b1617ecdade63adb3a9e8c.jpegAs long as you have good sting lines to work off of it’s really easy honestly. IMG_8483.thumb.jpeg.770bad673b7bdf07a59fb2519849a756.jpegNext mix mortar IMG_8484.thumb.jpeg.5712946d94651eccdb03d7c0348173ef.jpegIMG_8485.thumb.jpeg.d09d8dad48f80e3c3baa73c64df37777.jpegLay a thick base layerIMG_8486.thumb.jpeg.3fa582b352075174c02a3c6d1ccba3b6.jpegHeres the stone set and then added some filler rocks behind. Main goal is to make a solid rock wall will mortar to fill the gaps. IMG_8487.thumb.jpeg.80ae2147b605f7540547bda17af24729.jpegSaw a good one to put next to this one as wellIMG_8489.thumb.jpeg.500e33c0a5d6acad38af456aad9b3957.jpegAnd then one to fill that hole in the back cornerIMG_8490.thumb.jpeg.798710cc93254c4349232571a6e79f1b.jpegAdded more mortar and smaller filler rocks then more mortarIMG_8488.thumb.jpeg.b3fb10976eb4f1950c6b34df6b477498.jpeg

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Here’s adding to the existing walls. Spot to add rocksIMG_8495.thumb.jpeg.75c913fe845327e792b89d7509cd8328.jpegDry fit rocksIMG_8497.thumb.jpeg.180bb35485b3e353fe52c8a2705ff740.jpegSemi level surface to add to, forgot to get a mortar shot. This is with some filler rocks added in the middle IMG_8500.thumb.jpeg.7f5fff1a837d3763b55563b084999950.jpegAfter adding mortar and setting the two rocksIMG_8501.thumb.jpeg.ce3201a6a429b09f25effd673afcb5eb.jpegIMG_8502.thumb.jpeg.37140749c93e96e0db2f3959851d62dd.jpegHeres another spot same deal.IMG_8498.thumb.jpeg.5297cd1a8a5859918e1b9a2b653aa503.jpegDry fit rocksIMG_8499.thumb.jpeg.e510772aad6599ac53e9a2d4a585b05f.jpegMortared and done IMG_8504.thumb.jpeg.801f10f5be097e0ed218c18becdb266b.jpegThis is how we build the walls, build the walls 🎶🤣

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58 minutes ago, teddytn said:

Here’s adding to the existing walls. Spot to add rocksIMG_8495.thumb.jpeg.75c913fe845327e792b89d7509cd8328.jpegDry fit rocksIMG_8497.thumb.jpeg.180bb35485b3e353fe52c8a2705ff740.jpegSemi level surface to add to, forgot to get a mortar shot. This is with some filler rocks added in the middle IMG_8500.thumb.jpeg.7f5fff1a837d3763b55563b084999950.jpegAfter adding mortar and setting the two rocksIMG_8501.thumb.jpeg.ce3201a6a429b09f25effd673afcb5eb.jpegIMG_8502.thumb.jpeg.37140749c93e96e0db2f3959851d62dd.jpegHeres another spot same deal.IMG_8498.thumb.jpeg.5297cd1a8a5859918e1b9a2b653aa503.jpegDry fit rocksIMG_8499.thumb.jpeg.e510772aad6599ac53e9a2d4a585b05f.jpegMortared and done IMG_8504.thumb.jpeg.801f10f5be097e0ed218c18becdb266b.jpegThis is how we build the walls, build the walls 🎶🤣

I was just about to nudge ya to see when you were going to share more progress updates..  Looks Great!

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58 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

I was just about to nudge ya to see when you were going to share more progress updates..  Looks Great!

Thank you sir. Was hoping to be done with the walls and onto the greenhouse frame by this time of year, be settled and moved in with plants before actual winter…maybe by January 🤞🏻.

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1 hour ago, teddytn said:

Thank you sir. Was hoping to be done with the walls and onto the greenhouse frame by this time of year, be settled and moved in with plants before actual winter…maybe by January 🤞🏻.

As long as you're steadily chipping away at it, it'll get done..  Assuming you'll be laying something like 1/4" gravel for the floor?

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32 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

As long as you're steadily chipping away at it, it'll get done..  Assuming you'll be laying something like 1/4" gravel for the floor?

Absolutely yes gravel is the plan for the floor. After it’s dried in and doesn’t get rained on anymore I imagine the floor will dry out, but then watering with a hose will add back moisture, don’t want to be sloshing around on wet clay…the first day of setting stones it had rained the day before, and I didn’t have my techniques honed yet, or my stonemason muscles lol, I slipped and fell a few times was covered in mud, my hands were banged up, I was fumbling around like an idiot. I was second guessing the whole ordeal. I’ve been pretty fit my whole life, was definitely not prepared for that. So yeah gravel floor please. You have a lot of greenhouse experience, I feel like I may be underestimating the amount of windows I need. Was planning on 4 initially. 2 closer to the ground on the south side and 2 up higher closer to the roof on the north side, back wall that will be higher. The thought being to create a draft or pulling effect. Really thinking I may need to double the window numbers, what do you think? 

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1 hour ago, teddytn said:

Absolutely yes gravel is the plan for the floor. After it’s dried in and doesn’t get rained on anymore I imagine the floor will dry out, but then watering with a hose will add back moisture, don’t want to be sloshing around on wet clay…the first day of setting stones it had rained the day before, and I didn’t have my techniques honed yet, or my stonemason muscles lol, I slipped and fell a few times was covered in mud, my hands were banged up, I was fumbling around like an idiot. I was second guessing the whole ordeal. I’ve been pretty fit my whole life, was definitely not prepared for that. So yeah gravel floor please. You have a lot of greenhouse experience, I feel like I may be underestimating the amount of windows I need. Was planning on 4 initially. 2 closer to the ground on the south side and 2 up higher closer to the roof on the north side, back wall that will be higher. The thought being to create a draft or pulling effect. Really thinking I may need to double the window numbers, what do you think? 

Isn't working in soaked clay-ey " Mud " fun? Can't count how many experiences similar to yours i've had in the past back in CA and Ohio..  I'll say this, for not doing stonework like this for a living, what you've done looks pretty legit to my eye..

Agree that once the rest of the structure is built, the floor should stay drier ..though i'm sure some moisture that runs off the slope above the wall might still get in. Gravel floor is definitely the best option, though you could lay concrete if inclined too, though i'm sure that would get expensive. You could also install something like a French Drain on the inside of the side walls so that any runoff from watering empties outside the greenhouse, down slope of it ( assuming the slope continues a bit past where the entrance of the greenhouse will be located ), instead of potentially pooling under the gravel..

Hard to gauge at this point but think i see what you're saying about windows / ..those that will aid in venting any accumulated heat.  Imagine, once the basic frame of the greenhouse is up, you'll likely decide to add some sort of windows to the side walls ( assuming the side walls are east and west facing, whereas the back wall is facing south )

Adding any windows, besides the ones you've thought of, if you eventually decide to, will only help with venting out accumulated heat since you'll be drawing in more air / forcing more trapped air out the vents.

 

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On 11/10/2023 at 1:07 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Undecided on what will replace the dead and torn out Juniper.. Want something that will get tall enough to provide shade to that wall / bedroom.. ..but not so tall that it overpowers the space.. ...which also gets tall enough to have some space beneath it for smaller things.. Current thought includes one of the shorter Desert Willow forms, Mex Bird ( Standard yellow one ) Another Guayacan perhaps, maybe Rhus virens.. TX. Mtn Laurel crossed my mind, but again, have to keep in mind the potential a future tenant may have kids or dogs.   Since i'll likely tear out the remaining Juniper -since it looks dumb w/ out it's buddy now, i may have just enough space for a Plumeria:D.  Yellow squiggly line = more low growing " tough stuff ".

Both Texas mountain laurel and Rhus virens would look great. The mountain laurels are ubiquitous in Texas and I rarely hear of children or dogs being poisoned.

Do you know if Rhus virens can be propagated by cuttings or airlayering?

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On 11/12/2023 at 12:54 PM, teddytn said:

Here’s adding to the existing walls. Spot to add rocksIMG_8495.thumb.jpeg.75c913fe845327e792b89d7509cd8328.jpegDry fit rocksIMG_8497.thumb.jpeg.180bb35485b3e353fe52c8a2705ff740.jpegSemi level surface to add to, forgot to get a mortar shot. This is with some filler rocks added in the middle IMG_8500.thumb.jpeg.7f5fff1a837d3763b55563b084999950.jpegAfter adding mortar and setting the two rocksIMG_8501.thumb.jpeg.ce3201a6a429b09f25effd673afcb5eb.jpegIMG_8502.thumb.jpeg.37140749c93e96e0db2f3959851d62dd.jpegHeres another spot same deal.IMG_8498.thumb.jpeg.5297cd1a8a5859918e1b9a2b653aa503.jpegDry fit rocksIMG_8499.thumb.jpeg.e510772aad6599ac53e9a2d4a585b05f.jpegMortared and done IMG_8504.thumb.jpeg.801f10f5be097e0ed218c18becdb266b.jpegThis is how we build the walls, build the walls 🎶🤣

The project is really looking great.

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20 minutes ago, amh said:

Both Texas mountain laurel and Rhus virens would look great. The mountain laurels are ubiquitous in Texas and I rarely hear of children or dogs being poisoned.

Do you know if Rhus virens can be propagated by cuttings or airlayering?

Air layering or mounding may be possible. Not sure about cuttings though..

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11 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Air layering or mounding may be possible. Not sure about cuttings though..

Just curious, I have a large evergreen sumac that was broken in half during this years ice storm. It survived and is flourishing, but it is in a bad location. I can never get reliable propagation information on this species.

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33 minutes ago, amh said:

Just curious, I have a large evergreen sumac that was broken in half during this years ice storm. It survived and is flourishing, but it is in a bad location. I can never get reliable propagation information on this species.

I hear ya..  Seen the same conflicting info.  You might contact some of the native plant growers out there just to get their thoughts on how they propagate their stock..

I know seed can be a slight challenge ( some need a period of cold before they'll germinate, or is what i'd read many times ) but, isn't difficult. Have germinated R. microphylla a couple times.

As mentioned, you might try ground layering a few branches in pots ..and some cuttings.. just to see which method works.

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