After a week of hauling sandstone slabs and ‘field’ boulders the new front walk and steps are taking shape at my latest project. It’s not even close to what I first visualized but then I never know what I’m going to end up with. The rock I find dictates what I do. My job is to listen to them when they suggest where they want to go. The big ones have a habit of pulling my chain though. I swear I can hear them laughing after working to place them in one spot and then finding out it doesn’t fit.

My eyes are bigger than my truck.

Custom cut to fit – in the truck.

It’s just the beginning but so far my little Ford Ranger has hauled more than 10 tons of material to the site.  The heaviest load weighed in at 1480 pounds. Thats a ton and a quarter on a half ton pick up. No wonder both our backs are feeling bent out of shape.

It wasn’t so long ago that the gardens looked bare and the pond stood in stark contrast to the landscape.

A few weeks later and things are looking much better.

 What caught my attention today was some Sweet Woodruff growing out of the pond wall. Sweet Woodruff earns it’s reputation as an aggressive spreader. Not even a stone wallseems to stop it.

 Below the woodruff are Jewelweed seedlings and above is a creeping hydrangea which is proving to be no match against the invading groundcover.

 On the other side of the pond the Hostas and Ligularia are filling out nicely.

 Now to zoom in a bit closer to see the ‘bubble rock’

 Calling this stone special is an understatement. No one had ever seen anything like this before at the quarry and I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere else either. Ripples – yes. Bubbles – no. The stone has lost it’s colors as it’s darkened with age. I suppose a good powerwash would bring back the purple and orange.

 This was one set of slabs I wasn’t going to let go of. Unless of course you make me an offer I can’t refuse.

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A small pond designed to take advantage of a good spot, the irrigation system and a slight slope.

 Where better to place a water feature than where everyone will get a chance to see it?

The pond is only a few inches deep and not much more than a glorified birdbath that gets plenty of use. Only a few inches deep it became a favorite spot of the kids and for the feeder goldfish they saved from becoming a meal.

 The irrigation system is used to overflow and flush the pond helping to keep it clean and the water fresh. The overflow runs down the slate stream bed to an area kept wet for Ligularia, Japanese Iris and varigated Loosestrife.

 Simple – no pumps, filters or any real maintance except for pulling out the leaves that seem to migrate in mass to the pond in the fall.