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krensgarden

Stone Collecting Pt 2: The Quarry Garden

krensgarden
19 years ago

Stone collecting is our favorite hobby next to gardening and we've never seen a stone we didn't like. As all rockaholics know, there's always room for one more rock! Here's a pic of how the quarry garden looked in June. We still have another 120 tons of rock out back yet waiting for the snow to melt so we can get going again. This garden was a big job, but we have really enjoyed it so far. {{gwi:285992}}

Here is a photo album of the construction if you're interested:

Here is a link that might be useful: Webshots

Comments (17)

  • matteow
    19 years ago

    Do you swim in there too?! How deep is it? What a wonderful and beautiful place to be on a warm summer eve.

  • krensgarden
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Hi Matteow, Well, the boys go in and wade quite a bit, but it's only 4' deep tapering to 2'. We hit a small natural spring when we dug the hole, and the water level varies alot. Last summer we had a drought and it was half the size, but came back up with the fall rains. Around here, alot of people have cabins and 'go up north to the lake' for the weekend. We don't leave Bedrock very often, (the neighbors call us the Flintstones) but we do have fun. We figure that the quarry is north of the house; and, OK, our pond isn't exactly a lake--but it's as close as we're gonna get. ;-) We often have a campfire and a cookout on Sunday nights in the summer & fall.

    It's been almost three years of work, and we aren't done yet. We moved the poor little red barn for the 3rd time--it just looked silly right next to the waterfall. Before the ground froze solid we were starting to build a rock escarpment in it's place, at least we think we are...time will tell how that turns out. Right now, we're anxious for spring. Gotta keep on rockin'!

  • deedlesmom
    19 years ago

    OMG, can I come live with you??? We just moved and our lot is almost 2 acres with barely anything on it. That would be awesome at my house. DH would never want to work that hard though. LOL
    Sheree

  • HotHouseHen
    19 years ago

    That is one heck of a water feature! The rock is wonderful! I think that your place should be in a photo shoot for BHG or something.........wow! You have every right to be proud of that lovely setting and thanks so much for posting pics for us to see.

  • JillP
    19 years ago

    Wow. Awesome. I am imagining the work, knowing how much I put in my small amount of rocks. I swear I saw a mountain goat on the top of the falls!

  • krensgarden
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Thank you for the kind words! Deedlesmom, I can't wait to see your yard once you get going on the gardens-a blank slate and two acres...the possibilities are endless, did you bring your rocks from your old house with you? (I think I know the answer to that question already, lol!)

    HotHouseHen, I so enjoyed your post and photos of your cottage garden and 'biscuit rock'-- My DH, Carl, and I have never seen one like it. We can't wait to see what you do with that stone in your landscaping.

    Take alot of pictures to share with us so we can keep up with the progress of your yards; it's so nice to know we aren't alone here in our 'obsession' with stones!

  • krensgarden
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Jill, you had us laughing....one of the pics is of Carl standing on the hill. He calls himself an 'old goat' sometimes, especially after a hard day's work out there. Thank you, we needed some merriment--- as it's snowing here again. ;-)

  • knix
    19 years ago

    That is really nice. I didnt see you putting in a liner or filter system. I did read where you said there was natural spring under there. How do you control misquitos. Thankyou for sharing your pictures, its inspiring to us.

  • krensgarden
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    There is no liner in the pond or a filter system, yet! I run around with a pond skimmer and clean off the surface of the pond when it needs it. We started out with 8 goldfish and one lonely koi; then we had a population explosion of fish and frogs. Mosquitoes haven't been a problem as the water is quite cold being springfed. The foodchain is working, lol, the fish, frogs, dragonflies and bats keep any mosquitoes under control perfectly; herons & raccoons hunt the fish and frogs, it all balances out. We have a lot of kinks to work on yet; water levels, maybe a skimmer, the waterfall needs work, we need more rocks at the low water level, more plantings, etc. It's an ongoing experiment. ;-)

  • maddigger
    19 years ago

    Hey Girl, Just noticed that angel sitting on the rock. Either he/she is contemplating jumping in, or wondering what fish taste like? Love that shot, Jim

  • krensgarden
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Hi Jim, LOL, you spotted our pouting angel, eh? He fits perfectly on the rock, and can go swimming whenever he likes BUT the fish must be left alone. ;-)

  • HotHouseHen
    19 years ago

    Uhm......girlfriend.......I just visited your page and let me tell you....... I am green with envy because of your gazebo....OMG! You guys have done so much awesome work! My hat is off to you and you're family! Don't you love having teenagers? MY kids (4 of em) love to go rocking.... until we start finding snakes....YIKES! I'll take pics of our rocking area for you and if your family thinks of anything special with "Buscuit" (LOL) let me know. My dad is a carpenter and I've played with the thought of having a small arbor/pergola built over/around it and just using it as a Sitting Stone, but I am just too undecisive right now.....
    But I love your pics!
    Delana

  • krensgarden
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    So, rock collecting is a family affair for you, too! How old are your children? Snakes, yikes...the first one would send Carl running for his life, lol, the man just hates snakes and I'd be right behind him! Biscuit Rock is going to be famous someday and written up in magazine articles, for it will be the centerpiece of your show gardens and 'the rock that started it all'! I'm looking forward to your pictures. ;-)
    Thanks about the gazebo; Carl's niece was getting married and we wanted to add a special touch to the formal garden for wedding photos. We worked like mad to get that thing done. The copper was scrap recycling sheets, and the legs are merely 4" pipe taken out of a department store's fire protection system which laid rusting in a junk pile. (the same one the wrecker came from) We wish we could have afforded something nicer for the legs, but we made do with what we had-like usual! I'm sending some pics: the first one is of the formal garden in 1991, those are our farm rocks and the neighbor's lol...we didn't know what we were doing back then, it was my first attempt at gardening on a what I thought then was a 'grand scale' ha, my plants look really sad..lol. There are two 50 gallon drums in the background: that is where the quarry is now.
    {{gwi:285993}}
    Then we decided to build the gazebo to put in the formal garden 20+ years later; the trees grew a bit!
    {{gwi:55403}}

    {{gwi:285994}}

  • HotHouseHen
    19 years ago

    Karen, You and I must have the same kind of "garden mind" because I look at your pics and I see the same kind of thing in my yard only minus the green and pretty colored things called flowers.... lol
    My kids are Spencer 16, Ethan 13, Ayla 9, and Madyson 6. Usually we can tell if someone found a snake by the loud... "OH MY ......" and then you hear the sound of running feet...... it's hillarious but scary too! The weekend is not looking good for rocking because of lots of rain this week already and predicted thunderstorms through Sunday..... We have to use our four wheeler and a trailer and with that much rain, it's probably not gonna happen until it dries up some. Oh well. I will just have to be content with more "planning" and driving hubby crazy with questions like, "What do you think about....?" and "You know what would look good there....?" Happy Easter!

  • krensgarden
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Happy Easter to you too Delana! and I hope the ground dries up so the rock expeditions can go on. With all of your enthusiastic help, you will have lots of rocks to work with. We are still under 2' of snow, it's melting but very slowly............... Thinking Spring, Karen p.s. don't forget to take pictures ;-)

  • krensgarden
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Well, back to work on the stone piles, the snow finally melted and we spent all weekend playing w/the rocks (and the mud!) Fired up the tractors and our backs, and loaded pallets up. There's a lot of rubble in the piles this time; I'm sorting it out by hand, we can use the really small stuff in our lane for fill and the medium-sized stone for the house project...it's the inbetween sizes that are hard to think of a use for. We'll just pile them up, something will come up in the future. Here's some pictures.
    Me on the rock pile... ;-)
    {{gwi:285995}}

    Rocks!!
    {{gwi:285996}}
    Joel moving bigger stone w/tractor. Nice mud!
    {{gwi:285997}}

  • HotHouseHen
    19 years ago

    You know.......it's killing me! I need to go loot a friend's barn for junk this weekend and then YOU have to show me all your rock and it makes me want to go rocking!!
    Have Mercy! Why can't weekends be 4 days long? LOL Nice stash of rock you have yourself there Karen! I don't envy the sorting though. I bet you will be in a BHG catalog soon if you keep up the great creations...... wait.....your place should already be in one....LOL Happy Rocking!

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