Out Doors

One thing that I was unhappy about since I moved in was the downward slope in the front of my house. The front lawn was kind of small and the daisies didn't bloom much and were speratic in growth. I decided early on to build a retaining wall to get a larger front lawn and make the planting better. I had more important things to do first but one day I would get to this. I also had to decide weather one wall or multiple smaller walls with layers would be best. Also the poor Sycamore tree was about ten years old and looked like it was just planted.

October 2004, I have been here for three years and it's time to start the great wall. I decided to use keystone bricks since they don't require cementing and lock in like giant legos. I have plenty of dirt from the Koi pond a I started but never finished to fill in the large void. Since the weather was supposed to be mild, I took a couple weeks off work and started my new project. It was slow at first since each brick ways over 60 pounds and it is no small task pulling out the plants - roots and all. I also found out why the Sycamore tree wasn't growing. The dumb-asses that planted the tree never removed it from the plastic bucket it came in. It had no chance to grow roots. I plan on planting another Liquid Amber tree like the one on the other side of the driveway, just out of view. 

Here is a strait on view of the hillside. Sorry the blurry picture was taken with my old camera. 

Here is the view as of today. Where you see dirt above the wall will be new sod that will increase the size of my lawn. I plan on removing all of the old plantings with newer updated and more colorful ones and a new liquid amber tree. I recently added the Plum tree in the middle of the lawn.

My dad came over today and we installed the sod. 180 square feet of instant grass.

Here it is a few months later. The grass has blended in nicely. I planted a Liquid Amber tree and 8 Honeysuckle plants on the bottom. The Plum tree is growing nicely.

I recently spent some time sprucing up the front of my house. I removed a few feet of sod and expanded the flowerbed.