Working on a patio

byJoezout

1.2K followers

4 years ago

DESIGN AND HARD WORK

Once I had completed the three-car garage with attached shed and built the retaining wall, filled in behind it as well as planting the grass. I sensed our yard was still incomplete, then it dawned on me, the 5-foot circular picnic table that I had built several years ago was sitting on the grass, I needed a patio for it to set upon. Just like in WA, every so often you realize you need to tweak things.

I did not want to lay the usual rectangular or square patio stones but rather do something unique. I decided on purchasing a predominantly square plastic form from Menard’s, there were plastic braces running through the center of the square leaving a mosaic of large cobblestone forms in the center. I knew that the gentle curving of the cobblestone would be much more soothing to the eye in natures setting as opposed to the abrupt corners of square or rectangular blocks.

Purchasing only one form made it easier for 2 people to work on mixing the cement and laying the forms together. First, we hand dug an area 16-foot by 20- foot out to a depth of 4-inches, this allowed for 31/2-inches of fine stone packing to be placed into the patio first, this was packed down about 1-inch with a tamper. Then the plastic form 2-inches thick was placed on top of the fine stone and we began in earnest to lay our first patio stones. This was done by mixing a bag of cement and shoveling 1/2 of it into the form, myself or my son would then spread out the cement and pack it down in the form with a trowel. With a second trowel the individual responsible for the form would begin scraping off the excess leaving behind just enough so that the remaining cement in the form would be smooth and slightly puffy.

The form would then be shaken gently as it was lifted and removed leaving about 12 of the diversely formed cobblestones behind. The cement form would then be placed alongside the previous cobblestones and the process would begin anew. I will assure you the process was tedious, you had to be sure to pack the cement down in the form and clean off the top just properly prior to removing the form and moving on. Mixing the cement in the wheelbarrow was backbreaking work, you had to lift the 80-pound bags of Quikrete into the wheelbarrow, then add water slowly so you did not get a watery mix. Once the cement was mixed, you had to take shovel loads and dump them into the forms.

I do not remember how many bags of Quikrete we went through, nor how many concrete forms we poured, but it seemed like a million. But like in WA, when you set to your tasks, no matter how difficult they maybe you are committed or success will elude you.

Once we completed the patio and it was dry, we swept in between all the open cracks, spaces between the blocks, more fine stone, and sand. Then we went and dug up an area that ran along the eastern side of the patio where we ran that heavy black plastic garden stripping, that’s stripping followed along a line that ran along the eastern edge of the patio and curved toward the house and then ran 4-foot out the northern end of the house Westward until it reached 4-foot from the screen house then turned north for 6- feet where it ended at the short sidewalk as you stepped out of my screen porch door and before it touched the patio. This area from the screen porch to the eastern edge of our home was planted with Hosta’s.

Since we had finished the patio and laid that first black plastic strip, I decided to lay another black plastic strip 2-feet just west of it and have it curve along the same line Westerly toward the house, giving me a 12-foot long planting area. I thought about it for a couple of days and decided upon Colonnade Apple trees, I figured five of them would fit that section nicely. They do not grow taller than 7-feet and any wider than 2-feet, I considered that to be a perfect fruit tree for that section. It would border the west side of the lawn and on the east side the patio, and best of all we would potentially get apples from these trees, I ordered five different variety of that Appletree and like a child before Christmas I could not wait for them to arrive.

I began preparing the soil immediately, I got rid of the old soil that was there and shoveled in the best garden soil I had on hand. I read up on what Apple trees thrive on as far as soil content and stop at Menard’s garden center and bought those soil additives plus a soil testing kit. Like some wild them assure scientists I drove the 15 miles home and before I even changed clothes, I was on the patio testing that soil where the apple trees were going to go. If the soil needed a touch of this are a touch of that I added it. My clean clothes from that very morning fully able now to stand on their own I was finally done.

Those 5 Apple trees finally arrived, and I was as excited as getting indexed on WA, I eagerly opened them with great care so as not to damage the roots, I then planted them approximately 5-foot apart. I watered them in after I covered them with soil and patted it down. I then proceeded to wait for them several years to bear fruit, well let me tell you, my fine readers of my exposé, it has been 20 years, YES, I said 20 years, and not 1 stinking Apple, for all that work I did that is my thanks. Oh well.

As usual and it will be as always until we hear news please, oh please pray for Florentino’s daughter and Florentino, may God be right now reaching down and blessing them. I want to thank you for all the support and prayers you have been giving me, I truly hope I hear of some solution to my plight this week.

Joe