Spent the weekend ripping out boxwoods, replanting them in the back (praying they live) and prepping the front landscape beds for a wall. Ripping roots out of the front yard so I can actually till up the yard and hopefully have a decent base to actually grow grass.
Then digging a trench to bury the downspouts and unloading the wall blocks for tomorrow.

I go from the boxwoods new location

And the landscape area prepped for tomorrow's wall build


To my current situation watching my boys enjoy our backyard in this awesome weather



I much prefer the latter but need to get this place in order and looking good!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Black92LX,

That's all fine and well...but what's up with those ugly ass wheels on that minivan?

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
That's all fine and well...but what's up with those ugly ass wheels on that minivan?

LOL

quote:

Originally posted by BigWhup:

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
That's all fine and well...but what's up with those ugly ass wheels on that minivan?

LOL

Shots fired

OMG, that reminds me how much I hated suburbia!

Good luck, we're all counting on you to uphold the title of best house on the street, happiest wife ever, best lawn 4 years running per the HOA, and all that.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
That's all fine and well...but what's up with those ugly ass wheels on that minivan?

I know it is pretty embarrassing!!!
But the yard needs love and it is taking the money. Plus the tires are brand new so I figure why waste them. Wear them out then toss some winter tires on and get some better looking wheels down the road.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
OMG, that reminds me how much I hated suburbia!

Good luck, we're all counting on you to uphold the title of best house on the street, happiest wife ever, best lawn 4 years running per the HOA, and all that.

We are without a doubt the worst yard on the street if not most of the neighborhood. We bought the house 2 years ago was empty for a year prior to purchasing and 3 years prior to that the owners did nothing and would let the weeds grow and grow. The neighbors have a picture of the grass growing taller than their 6 year old daughter. I took a tree down last summer that would smack the neighbors house and the roots were headed towards the foundation.
The inside needed some love too and those projects took priority and now it is time to knock out the front yard. The backyard is decent and will just need some treatments and a powerseeding.

As for living in suburbia if I had my way we would be on some acreage. But with many things the wife being happy is a bit more important. We have a great house I have a great shop have a big backyard and we are on a very quiet street with good neighbors.
And as far as HOAs go we have a very good one that is still run and managed by home owners with common sense.
I have a Tarter cattle gate on the other side of the house and no one has said a word.

Have you considered running 90 degree piece of 4" PVC from the downspout into the ground. That 4" corrugated will break away over the years. I know from experience. Also if you ever want to run Christmas lights there, now it the time for an outlet.

What are you using for a base?

quote:

Originally posted by Censored:
Have you considered running 90 degree piece of 4" PVC from the downspout into the ground. That 4" corrugated will break away over the years. I know from experience. Also if you ever want to run Christmas lights there, now it the time for an outlet.

Sure had not. A little too late now though.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
What are you using for a base?

I tamper and leveling stone.
Caps go on tomorrow if I can figure out how to cut this last block as my saw is too small. The other side I was able to split with the air chisel but this needs to be a bit more precise and I keep splitting the block.

Soooooo, how did you get all them blocks home?

looks good!!

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
Soooooo, how did you get all them blocks home?

in that ugly ass van....

You guys are keeping right on him about his van.. . I would never load those big bastards in a van that nice.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
You guys are keeping right on him about his van.. . I would never load those big bastards in a van that nice.

I wouldn't either. Father in law has a truck.
I will put the caps in the rear tomorrow. They don't take up as much space and I won't need nearly as many.
I think the weathertech mats will protect the cargo are just well enough.

This may not be a popular opinion, judging by the previous posts, but I think the wall looks good. Looking forward to seeing the finished pictures.

quote:

Originally posted by jayhalsey:
This may not be a popular opinion, judging by the previous posts, but I think the wall looks good. Looking forward to seeing the finished pictures.

The wall looks good because the van is hard to ignore.

well done. that is pretty cool and is really looking good.

Looks like you did a really great job.

quote:

Originally posted by Flashlightboy:
The wall looks good because the van is hard to ignore.

LOL... Yep, nice job.
Just curious.... why did you decide to start down and around the corner (and around the downspout)?

I built a similar wall and started at the bottom of the front corner and it was a simple curve toward the front porch/step. That way the downspout would have been just behind the wall rather than going through the planter box.

Can you use some sort of stone handsaw to cut down that brick?