Chelle, I just can imagine how gorgeous that is going to be.

Rocks add so much character to planting areas. I remember last year telling a friend I was "lusting" after her rocks. She really gave me a strange look.
When I started to "lust" after the ones in the medians and city plantings I had to visit the stone yard and buy a few to full fill my strange hankerings.

I understand that completely, Marilyn! I'm already itching to get back there for some really pretty round river stones now...black and rose colored.

My weak back keeps me from filling my whole small area with nice big colorful ones. As does my weak/ flat pocketbook.

Right on Chelle!!
lookin' good

kylaluaz said:It's hard to have too much rock. I never seem to have enough.

I do. No doubt about that.

If I ever run short, I can go to dredging piles and get more. I already have a trip planned to get some cobbles to fill in some areas between the big rocks.

Smiles,
Lyn

RoseBlush1 said:

I do. No doubt about that.

If I ever run short, I can go to dredging piles and get more. I already have a trip planned to get some cobbles to fill in some areas between the big rocks.

Smiles,
Lyn

It's really too bad we can't have a Piggy Rock Swap.

Now those would be pricy to ship!


Today is the workhorse day for me. I have to finish unloading the truck. Boring, but necessary.

Rick,

My lewisia seedlings are lively and appear to be doing well. I'm wondering if I should try planting them out now, or if I should leave them where they are. They've been entirely happy in styrofoam cups that are nestled in sand, but I'm not sure if those cups will stay put in our winter winds. Advice?

Chelle, I think those were Lewisia rediviva? Not Lewisia cotyledon?

Sorry Rick. Yes, Lewisia rediviva.

kylaluaz said:


It's really too bad we can't have a Piggy Rock Swap.

Kyla ... if you live in Trinity County, you are gardening either in rock or mud ! The only shipping here is that I have to go out and get the smaller rocks. I have more than enough big rocks.

I am building what I call a dry creek down in one of the street beds. It's really the drainage channel to the storm drain.

The previous owner of the house designed the gutter system so that they all drain into one drain under the house and then the collected water enters a pipe which runs from under the house, under a small lawn area, under the planting tiers that hold the lawn and house stable on the slope it was cut out of and is piped into that street bed. I pushed, shoved and moved all of the big rocks down there so that it finally drains into the storm drain.

I need the cobbles to kind of fill in some area, then I'll worry about planting it. It's tricky because during the winter in a wet year, we can get up to 50 inches of rain. The summers are totally dry and hot. Finding the plants that can handle a lot of moisture and then no moisture is problematic. For now, I've just got to make it interesting.

This is an old gold mining area and the dredging piles are HUGE areas of rock the dredges dumped out of the river when they were mining for gold. The only ones I don't touch is where the old miners used Chinese labor to use the rocks to build rock walls. Those are historic.

These are the rocks I have in the street bed so far:


Rocks I've hauled from the dredging pile this year for bed borders. They are smaller this year because I am getting older and tired of hauling.



Some of the rocks I've either dug up or hauled for rock borders.



Of course, I have lots and lots of rock already here, so it's a matter of placing them and working with them.

Smiles,
Lyn

PS ... wrong time of day for photos, but this is when I was taking a break from stacking wood ...

*want!*

Seriously, I know it's a huge amount of work, dealing with that much rock. But just try sometime living somewhere that has had all the rock "cleaned" away, or someplace that doesn't have much naturally. You'll be missing rocks in about two weeks, I bet! Well, you would if you're anything like me, a rock addict.

Kyla, I can understand your wanting the rocks ... I guess it's good news that I don't have to buy rock ... just find a way to haul them and move them around.

I keep thinking I am not going to be hauling any more *BIG* rocks up to the house pad level, but when I go to the dredging piles, I keep finding these really interesting rocks. I knew I was a rose addict, but never thought I'd become a rock addict.

I have a real appreciation for the work Chelle is doing.

Seriously, I'd rather garden in rock than mud.

Smiles,
Lyn

I'm done for a few days at least. The aches and pains in legs and hands are fierce enough right now. I can handle those though, at least my back seems to be fine. Truck is empty and clean again, and that entire bed is mulched in stone ...seems like a good resting point.

Lyn,

Your rock endeavors are amazing!

chelle!

Chelle ... I am with Debra cheering you on ... Good for you !

I know that when you get started moving those dang rocks around, you forget about how hard you are working until you stop. It's then that your body says, "You want me to do more ???"

It's worth it.

Smiles,
Lyn

Resting is wise. I have a hard time with that part sometimes.

Kyla ...

You are right that resting is good, but sometimes you just can't stop working. Especially, when you realize you are working in an older body.

Yesterday, I stacked a cord of wood and just when I thought I couldn't move one more stick of wood, the guys showed up with the next cord. I've found that now that I am living in an older body that doing stretching exercises before I start working keeps me keeping on. After I stack this next cord today, I won't get the next cord until next Friday. I am going out to a friend's place to do her wood since she is recovering from a concussion and can't do the the work to get her wood ready for winter. More stretching exercises required to keep on going.

I generally do my heavy work with the rocks in fall and early winter. I have to keep my body moving or else spring pain will be a nightmare. When it's too cold to be outside, it's stretching, DVD workouts, yoga and walking. My mantra is don't stop.

After the wood, I am going to haul more rock and glean more mulch and haul it back, then I'll be digging rose holes for next spring.

With all of the exercise and heavy work, I am not buff, but I can keep on working.

Chelle .... take the time to stretch every day before you hit it again. Your body won't hurt as much and the work will go faster and you can work longer without serious pain.

Smiles,
Lyn

Thanks Lyn,

I'm not stopping, just switching to other things for a few days. Like you, I can't stop; winter's on the way!

I'll settle in the fill a few more times in the meantime, but adding more to my rock garden is temporarily on hold. I also want the chance to study it and make sure it's what I want before I continue.

Couldn't make it without doing stretches...they keep me going, too!

chelle said:My lewisia seedlings are lively and appear to be doing well. I'm wondering if I should try planting them out now, or if I should leave them where they are. They've been entirely happy in styrofoam cups that are nestled in sand, but I'm not sure if those cups will stay put in our winter winds. Advice?

As a precursor, first read the first few entries here:
http://www.srgc.net/forum/inde...

But that is assuming they grow naturally throughout the winter months like they do in their native environment? My guess is that it would be best to leave them as is until early spring. You'll need to sink the pots in sand or soil outside to mediate temperatures. Then they can't blow away, too. If you leave them in cups above ground, temps will fluctuate too widely and too quickly, and that will likely kill them. Sometimes winter growing species grow differently in climates like yours and mine. I think @growitall grows them. What is a typical rediviva life cycle in your climate, Lori?

All of my seedlings went (hopefully) dormant this summer, except one (in the same pot). That one didn't hardly grow the rest of the warm part of summer, but has certainly perked up now.

My Lewisia cotyledon seeds germinated very early in spring at 40F, and I transplanted them that early summer. I guess I should have waited until late summer/early fall, but it worked out fine.