We can't make it easy, so while Harris was working on the kitchen I was working on the kitchen garden. I've been making landscape maps, watching the sun, and dreaming about gardens since we bought the house. It never made sense because we were still in the 'disturbing outside paint' phase of projects. yeah, I think we're done there.
So!!!
We tore off the stairs to the second floor that were about to fall off (that door is bolted shut now) and I started raking and digging and moving earth.
We looked and priced all kinds of materials for that patio. Then I remembered that the area gets full sun for at least 8 hours a day in summer. The concrete is not hot to the touch, but bluestone or sandstone would radiate heat. We didn't have money/time/patience for a concrete truck to come pour new cement, tear up half of everything else while they were here and the colors to not match what's been there... so....we used urbanite.
Urbanite is recycled sidewalk you find in broken chunks. fill up your truck and you usally have manageable pieces (because someone had to break it up) that you can use like really large pavers. It's 4 inches thick, so it settles nicely too. And it's free.
The area had at least 3 inches of pea gravel that was covered in dirt and trash. First I dug a drainage channel then experimented with different ways of washing the pea gravel. Move a shovelful, hose it down, move another shovelful. Create a mud pit after washing rocks for 20 minutes, etc.
This used water as the main force to remove the fine dirt from the rocks. Our water bill was about $40 more that month because of the amount of water I used...it also created mudpits that the girls would stomp their feet in and throw mud balls at each other from. We live in the city and pretend a lot.
After Harris put out the call for urbanite, we started getting leads. Every couple of days we'd go look for sidewalk projects or orange markings. We even called the city to ask if there was sidewalk work happening anywhere.
While we were working on the patio, I washed rocks for several weeks here and there in between Duke work or in the evenings. Once we had enough urbanite, I'd level a space then Harris would tetris the pieces into place - he's much better at this than me. was working with the pieces we found fitting them in between two poured sections of concrete. Then I would come and force the washed pea gravel into the crevices and add sand for more stabilization. We did this work in the early morning (think moving concrete at 7:30 and be glad you're not married to me) to beat the sun hitting the area starting at 10am. We got at most 3 feet a day.
Once we got to the edge, I also built a wild flower garden area to catch any runoff and use the great dark black soil I'd washed out of the under-layer.
Harris used some of that scrap wood to make garden boxes for me. They are THRIVING in the sun right now, laden down with purple hull peas, cucumbers, and other great things.
From above you can see the filled garden boxes the peach trees, and the little pea gravel inlet (not the patio).
But also I wanted an herb spiral.
A neighbor built one years ago and I seriously stared at it every time we walked past in wonder. It's round, made out of bricks, and grows herbs. All good things.
We're also in the middle of a pandemic and saving pennies to do big things (finish the zinc roof at $4k) so I needed to find some materials. Our yard is actually a separate lot where a house stood for 50 years before being demolished. We have bricks all of the place, just beneath the surface. I found an area where I knew there was O N E brick and started digging. I unearthed many many bricks. I found the old chimney.
The brick pit when it was still just a respectable excavation.
Garden boxes planted, herb spiral growing taller.
The herb spiral at current height, not planted yet.
Everything complete. The patio is finished, the sunflowers growing in the runoff bed, the herb spiral growing sage, fennel, dill, tarragon, chives, oregano, mint, rosemary, parsley,and thyme. The garden boxes making salads for every evening, and the kids toys scattered about, complete with a silly $8 kiddie pool from Kroger. You can even catch a glimpse of the hot pink chairs sitting under the peach tree. The start of a lovely little oasis in the middle of the city. Perfect for little girls to run wild, explore, play, and be safe.
So!!!
We tore off the stairs to the second floor that were about to fall off (that door is bolted shut now) and I started raking and digging and moving earth.
We looked and priced all kinds of materials for that patio. Then I remembered that the area gets full sun for at least 8 hours a day in summer. The concrete is not hot to the touch, but bluestone or sandstone would radiate heat. We didn't have money/time/patience for a concrete truck to come pour new cement, tear up half of everything else while they were here and the colors to not match what's been there... so....we used urbanite.
Urbanite is recycled sidewalk you find in broken chunks. fill up your truck and you usally have manageable pieces (because someone had to break it up) that you can use like really large pavers. It's 4 inches thick, so it settles nicely too. And it's free.
The area had at least 3 inches of pea gravel that was covered in dirt and trash. First I dug a drainage channel then experimented with different ways of washing the pea gravel. Move a shovelful, hose it down, move another shovelful. Create a mud pit after washing rocks for 20 minutes, etc.
This used water as the main force to remove the fine dirt from the rocks. Our water bill was about $40 more that month because of the amount of water I used...it also created mudpits that the girls would stomp their feet in and throw mud balls at each other from. We live in the city and pretend a lot.
After Harris put out the call for urbanite, we started getting leads. Every couple of days we'd go look for sidewalk projects or orange markings. We even called the city to ask if there was sidewalk work happening anywhere.
Harris used some of that scrap wood to make garden boxes for me. They are THRIVING in the sun right now, laden down with purple hull peas, cucumbers, and other great things. From above you can see the filled garden boxes the peach trees, and the little pea gravel inlet (not the patio). But also I wanted an herb spiral.
A neighbor built one years ago and I seriously stared at it every time we walked past in wonder. It's round, made out of bricks, and grows herbs. All good things.
We're also in the middle of a pandemic and saving pennies to do big things (finish the zinc roof at $4k) so I needed to find some materials. Our yard is actually a separate lot where a house stood for 50 years before being demolished. We have bricks all of the place, just beneath the surface. I found an area where I knew there was O N E brick and started digging. I unearthed many many bricks. I found the old chimney.
The brick pit when it was still just a respectable excavation.
Copper pipe coming up from the brick pit.
Herb spirals create micoclimates for the herbs, making it possible to grow many different types of herbs in a single location. You use the sun heating the bricks and the shadows providing shade for other plants. they are so cool. Here is the base design I used for the herb spiral. As you can see, I also used the bricks to make fancy flower garden sections at the end of my garden boxes too. 
Garden boxes planted, herb spiral growing taller.
The herb spiral at current height, not planted yet. Everything complete. The patio is finished, the sunflowers growing in the runoff bed, the herb spiral growing sage, fennel, dill, tarragon, chives, oregano, mint, rosemary, parsley,and thyme. The garden boxes making salads for every evening, and the kids toys scattered about, complete with a silly $8 kiddie pool from Kroger. You can even catch a glimpse of the hot pink chairs sitting under the peach tree. The start of a lovely little oasis in the middle of the city. Perfect for little girls to run wild, explore, play, and be safe.
This project cost us about $250 in compost and mulch (we used it all over the yard but whatever) $150 in seeds/plants (again, but whatever), and $20 worth of playsand from Barnes Supply.
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