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ronda_in_carolina

Stack Stone Wall Finished... ...

ronda_in_carolina
16 years ago

Before I purchased my home. Note the junipers in the back--this is all hillside.

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In the beginning there was a hill that blended with the yard. Keeping the Bermuda Grass from running up the hill was becoming a major feat.

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No small job digging back this hill side. It is hard red clay, soap rock and stone.

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I used a garden hose to develop and visualize my curve

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The first course takes the longest...level level level

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Onward...oh my back!!!

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DONE!!!

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Now I need to add a few random steps up the hill and fill in all the narrow gaps with slate and shale to complete the job.

This was a tough project but worth it. I absolutely LOVE the finished look. By the way, I never did anything like this before. I went to the library and checked out 12 books on stone and walls and read up before I started. I opted to do a dry stack since I didn't want to deal with mortar. The wall is solid and sturdy as a dry stack because of its short height. It took 2 pallets of stone to complete this run. I did have some left over but only about 1/6 of a pallet. Total poundage of rocks moved from pallet to wall=4033 lbs. If you want to see more images of the stages of the wall you can click the link below.

Ronda

Comments (11)

  • tibs
    16 years ago

    Very Nice and quite a task. Are you bitten with the stone bug and want to start another project or has this burnt you out? What is the material around the water feature to the left in the pictures? Looks a little different from the dry stack.

  • ronda_in_carolina
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I am a bit burnt out on dry stack but I am using the remaining stones from the pallet to veneer a cinder block wall. It is only one brick high so its not a big task. I mix my mortar in small amounts so I can take my time.

    For the pond I used the landscaping blocks you find at Home Depot or Lowes. I selected the ones that looked the most like dry stack so the wall would flow. The water weight requires a firm wall of support so dry stack wouldn't work for the pond wall.
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    Here is a blue tailed skink sunbathing on the block wall fo the pond. You can see a bit more detail in the blocks. These blocks are 3.00+ each so there is no way I could have afforded to use them for the entire hillside. Also, blocks must be stricktly leveled as you go. My terrain was very unforgiving and with the dry stack you can accommodate for irregualrities in the earth and keep right on moving. I love the natural look of the wall as it is and agree with others when they compare it to working a puzzle.

  • gottagarden
    16 years ago

    Nice job! It's quite an improvement on the bare hillside. You must have gotten a few sore muscles from all that work :-0 Nice to show people what is possible for beginners.

  • mary52zn8tx
    16 years ago

    I love the look of your wall! It was just what your hillside needed. What a pretty view you have now. All that work really paid off.

  • debndal
    16 years ago

    ronda - I love your finished slope. I'm having a landscaper look at mine to see if I should do some kind of dry stack wall, or just try to remove the grass and make beds on the slope (I'm scared to death of the first big rain if I do that). They've recommended some rock and boulders and a few junipers for erosion control and I like the type you have (left). Do you know what cultivar they are?

  • ronda_in_carolina
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    I am not sure but I suspect they are the typical (Cheap) type used by builders. You definitely should use roses. Purchase a Julia child, Country Dancer, and a Belinda's Dream for starters. You won't be disappointed. Roses are not hard to grow....if you know which ones to avoid!

    ronda

  • yusuf06
    16 years ago

    Nice job Ronda! I plan to do a similar project soon and it's good to see what's possible for a beginner.

    In my case, I don't need the stone to look good since it's a hill that descends away from the house. However, I have been struggling to figure out just how to level the ground to make it sure it's stable. I'm curious, which books did you find most helpful in figuring out the basics? Also, I'd be interested to see the additional pics so please do add the link you mentioned to them.

    Again, great job. You should be proud.

  • carolinagarden_bellsouth_net
    16 years ago

    Here ya go.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My album of progress pictures

  • carolinagarden_bellsouth_net
    16 years ago

    1. Simple stonescaping : gardens, walls, paths & waterfalls / Phillip Raines. MUST HAVE!!

    2. Landscaping with stone / by Jeanne Huber and the editors of Sunset Books.

    3. The art and craft of stonescaping : setting and stacking stone / David Reed.

  • abcsite_gmail_com
    15 years ago

    Choosing a design for your stoned or planted backyard is completely versatile, and you can design it according to your own personal taste. Whatever backyard you choose, it will bring wonders and excitement and also, will set your backyard apart from the ordinary. Great pictures.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Stone Worker

  • kendal
    15 years ago

    Very nice! Click on this to see what was a ugly, messy back yard; I did all but the deck by myself. My brother and I built the deck, our first. Last month we moved from that lot to another, so now I have to start over again, but this one is not bad, it's got some full grown Rhodies, some blue spruce, and a few other things to work with. I also don't need as high or as long a retaining wall. The one in the pictures is about 50 feet long, my new one will be about 25-30.
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