Are you excited to get outside and start a weekend project? How about building a stone planter to boost your curb appeal. Get the project done in time to add your favorite spring plants. Tools you will need: A wheel barrow, shovel, stakes, level, hand tamp, stone rake, caulk gun, and rubber mallet. Don't forget your safety gear like gloves, and safety glasses. Next you will need to estimate the materials needed. Some landscape supply stores offer kits to choose from, others may have plans online that you can follow, or you can just choose your block and create your own lay out. For this project we used three different size stones. Materials that you may need could include Landscape blocks, drainage stone, landscape block adhesive, paver base, leveling sand, landscape fabric, and topsoil. Begin the project by outlining the planter. Arrange the various sized stones in the pattern that you choose. Once you have laid out the planter design dig out the base. Excavate at least 7 inches deep depending on location. Once the area is roughly excavated drive stakes in the ground by each corner and set up level lines so that you can check your depth. Dig as needed or add fill until the entire base is level. Then install 3" paver base and use a hand tamp to compact it. Add base and compact until your depth is half of one block, plus one inch for leveling sand at the ground level. Add one inch leveling sand to make easy work of final adjustments of your base row. Start building your walls by laying your base course. Use the rubber mallet to set blocks in the sand. Check for level and ensure blocks are flush with each other as you place them. For added strength stagger the joints as you start the next row. Use a caulk gun to lay beads adhesive as you stack the courses. Keep building up each tier until you reach the desired height. We don't want the planter to fill up and hold water that could later freeze and cause problems down the road. To keep this from happening as we build the courses we fill each one almost to the top with stone. This also adds support to the structure. Then as you near the top add landscape fabric to keep create a separation before adding the soil. Sandwich the edges of the fabric in between the layers of stone before applying the adhesive. Once all this is done you can add your soil. We use an organic mix topsoil that works great. Once complete you can top it all off with potting soil and add your plants. Get creative and plant whatever you like: vegetables, herbs, annuals, and perennials. Plant your favorites.
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AuthorAdam is the Operating Manager at Cents- Able Solutions, LLC. Archives
January 2017
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