The great thing about boulders on hillsides is how natural they look in the landscape. But layout of the boulders is the most important step in creating a natural-looking environment. Here, because of the steepness of the hillside, they need to be set into the ground in a hole deep enough to house at least half of the rock (figure A). And they need to be placed in firm ground (figure B). Boulders of this size require a forklift to position them into the hole, before being leveraged into place with pry bars (figure C). When the boulders are in place, soil is backfilled around them, giving them the appearance of having always been in the landscape.
With the large boulders in place, smaller rocks are used to accent and create a natural look along the slope (figure D). Here three different types of rock, all native to the region, are used in the landscape. And, as can happen when working outdoors, the weather puts the work to a test. A sudden rain shower comes and goes with no major water run-off or soil erosion (figure E).
While the rock work is taking shape, Sybille, who lived in Germany for many years, works on a personal touch for the yard. To welcome German friends and family who will be arriving for an upcoming wedding, she paints cedar posts with phrases welcoming them to the Fleming home.Letters are printed out to scale on a computer and laid out on 10'6"x6" posts (figure F). Next, using the tip of a compass, the letters are traced onto the soft wood. The posts are then cut down to approximately 5'6" and a circular saw is used to cut a decorative bevel (an edge with a slanted cut) at the top edge of each post (figure G). The letters are then painted with exterior latex paint and highlighted with gold accents at the corners (figure H). For depth, watered-down acrylic paint adds a three-dimensional look. The finished look resembles iron letters nailed to a post.
RESOURCES :
Black and Decker tools
Website: www.blackanddecker.com
Black & Decker, Inc. (Corporate)
Website: www.bdk.com/main_bd.htm
Porter-Cable Tools
Porter-Cable Corporation
Website: www.deltaportercable.com
Irwin Industrial Tool Company
Website: www.irwin.com
Ames True Temper Tools
Ames-True Temper
Website: www.ames-truetemper.com
American Society of Landscape Architects
Delta Tools
Deltak Power Tools
Website: www.deltamachinery.com
Plants provided by Hancock Horticultural Services
Hancock Horticultural Services Inc.
Phone: 865-933-3200
Garden gnomes
Kimmel Gnomes
Website: www.kimmelgnomes.com
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