Landscaping E-Book

John Kelsey

• Herausgeber: Fox Chapel Publishing
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 295

Beschreibung

From growing lawns and planting trees, to putting in stone walkways or water elements, readers will discover the right way to do it in straight-forward steps that anyone can follow to realize their dreams.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Chapter One:

Plans and Preliminaries

• Caring for Landscaping Tools

• How to Be Your Own Landscape Designer

• Moving Earth to Change the Lay of the Land

• Correcting Faulty Drainage

• A Timber Retaining Wall

• Preparing Soil for Planting

Chapter Two:

Growing a Blanket of Green

• Maintaining a Healthy Lawn

• Growing a New Lawn

• A Carpet of Ground Cover

Chapter Three:

Shrubs and Trees

• Shrubs: Beautiful and Versatile

• Putting Shrubs in New Places

• Keeping Trees in Good Health

• How to Move a Tree

• The Right Way to Plant a Tree

Chapter Four:

Patios of Brick and Concrete

• Patterns to Set in Sand or Mortar

• Bricks without Mortar

• Groundwork for a Concrete Slab

• Pouring and Finishing Concrete

• A Curved Bench beside a Free-Form Patio

• Brick or Flagstone Set in Mortar

• The Many Possibilities of Tile

Chapter Five:

Fences and Walls

• Basic Surveying Techniques

• Creating Terraced Landings

• Fence and Wall Repairs

• Setting Fence Posts

• Wooden Fences

• Tall Fences for Privacy

• Adapting to Uneven Ground

• Building Gates

• Blocks and Bricks for a Strong High Wall

• Designing a Wall for Strength and Beauty

• A Brick Wall on a Block Foundation

Chapter Six:

The Finishing Touches

• Settings for Flowers or Shrubs

• Decorative Wooden Containers for Plants

• Support for Climbing Plants

• Walls of Greenery from Vines

• Rock Gardens: Unusual Settings for Unusual Plants

• Creating Walkways for a Yard

• A Pool and Water Garden

Appendix

Index

What You Can Learn

CHAPTER 1

Plans and Preliminaries,

Plan a landscape that is both pleasing to the eye and easy to maintain.

CHAPTER 2

Growing a Blanket of Green,

Stretches of green lawn are often a centerpiece for the best landscapes.

CHAPTER 3

Shrubs and Trees,

Choosing and growing the right trees will add shade and beauty to a yard.

CHAPTER 4

Patios of Brick and Concrete,

Adding a patio or even tile stepping stones will make your landscape more useable by the whole family.

CHAPTER 5

Fences and Walls,

Fences and walls can add privacy and structure to any outdoor location.

CHAPTER 6

The Finishing Touches,

With everything else in place, adding brightly colored flowers or a beautiful trellis can finish off a landscape.

CHAPTER 1

Plans and Preliminaries

Whether you are considering planting a single shrub or remaking your entire yard, successful landscaping begins with a well-thought-out plan. Besides forecasting results, it can show where improvements need to be made. Then, armed with the proper tools, you can level uneven ground, grade or terrace slopes, correct faulty drainage, and enrich soil in preparation for making your landscaping plan a reality.

Caring for Landscaping Tools

▪ Sharpening Pruning Shears and Mower Blades

▪ Mending a Hose

▪ Flushing Out a Garden-Hose Sprayer

▪ Keeping a Canister Sprayer Clean

▪ A New Handle for a Large Tool

How to Be Your Own Landscape Designer

▪ Visual Building Blocks

▪ A Range of Effects

▪ Drafting a New Plan

Moving Earth to Change the Lay of the Land

▪ Managing Heavy Loads without Strain

▪ Leveling and Grading a Plot of Land

Correcting Faulty Drainage

▪ Diverting Water from the Foundation

▪ Controlling Runoff on a Gentle Slope

A Timber Retaining Wall

▪ Preparing the Site

▪ Building the Wall

Preparing Soil for Planting

▪ Analyzing Texture and Chemistry

▪ Modifying Soil to Improve It

▪ The Compost Pile: Free Fertilizer from Throwaways

Planning and working the soil are both important parts of proper preparation.

Caring for Landscaping Tools

A collection of gardening equipment represents a big investment and should be treated accordingly. Proper storage and maintenance will prolong the life of your tools. Moreover, simple repairs can often restore broken or aging equipment to full usefulness.

BASIC CARE

Tools should be kept indoors in a place free of rust-producing moisture; before putting them away, clean them and wipe them dry. Protect cutting tools against corrosion with a light application of household oil. Sharpen blades when they become dull. Carefully clean chemical sprayers after each use.

EASY REPAIRS

Typical troubles with a garden hose are treatable through surgery. If the hose develops a leak, remove the damaged section and make a splice with a mending kit; if a coupling is corroded or loose, cut it off and clamp a new one in place (page 12). A tool with a broken handle can also be salvaged in almost all cases; replacement handles are generally available.

On shovels, rakes, hoes, and other lightweight garden tools, the new handle slides into a metal sleeve and is fastened with screws. The heads of heavy tools such as axes, sledgehammers, and mattocks have a collar that accommodates a thicker handle, and the repair also involves some extra steps (page 14).

CAUTION

DISCONNECT IGNITION WIRE FIRST

Before removing a lawnmower blade to sharpen it, be sure to disconnect the motor’s ignition wire from the spark plug to prevent inadvertent starting.

HANDLING CHEMICALS SAFELY

When cleaning sprayers, dump all rinse water into a separate container. Wrap paper around any wire and swabs used in the cleaning. Take the waste materials to your area’s toxic waste pickup or disposal facility. Do not pour chemical wastes down the drain.

TOOLS

▪ Electric drill

▪ Flat file

▪ Grinding stone drill attachment

▪ Hammer

▪ Knife

▪ Screwdriver

▪ Small sledgehammer

▪ Whetstone

SAFETY TIP

Wear gloves when cleaning any part of a sprayer, and wear goggles when sharpening metal blades and when hammering tool heads onto new handles.

SHARPENING PRUNING SHEARS AND MOWER BLADES

Honing a pair of shears

Disassemble the shears by removing the hinge bolt. Put a few drops of light household oil or water on a whetstone’s coarse side. Hold the beveled edge of the blade flush against the stone (right) and, starting at the tip, grind in small circles until the blade’s edge is keen. Smooth the beveled edge by honing it on the whetstone’s fine side with the same grinding motion. Reassemble the shears. You can also use a flat file (photograph) to sharpen shears: File the blade as described below for a lawnmower blade.

A keen edge for a lawnmower blade

Secure the blade in a vise. Lay a flat file flush with the beveled cutting edge (left), and file in the direction indicated by the arrow; do not pull back. File evenly along the whole edge. When the edge looks shiny, file the burr off the underside. Sharpen the blade’s other end the same way. Check for balance by hanging the blade on a nail sticking horizontally out of your workbench. If one end is heavier, sharpen it until the blade balances. To use a grinding stone drill attachment, place the nylon guide against the blade’s underside (inset). Turn on the drill and, holding the stone against the beveled edge, move it back and forth until the blade is sharp.

MENDING A HOSE

A splice to fix a leak

Cut out the leaking section of the hose. Soak the cut ends in hot water to soften the vinyl. Slip a lock nut from the mending kit over one cut end, with the nut’s threads facing out toward the cut. Put a ring over the same end, then push the connector into the hose as far as it can go (above). Slide the lock nut over the ring, and tighten the nut securely to the connector by hand. Repeat on the other end of the hose.

A new coupling for a hose end

Cut off the defective coupling. Push the new coupling into the cut end of the hose as far as it will go. Place the clamp halves around the hose at the base of the coupling, and screw the halves together to tighten the clamp (right).

FLUSHING OUT A GARDEN-HOSE SPRAYER

Back-flushing the sprayer head

Remove the container from the sprayer head, leaving the head attached to the garden hose. Turn the control valve of the sprayer to ON, and cover the outlet hole with a finger (left). Run water through the hose; the water will flush back through the sprayer and out of the suction tube, washing away chemical residues. Catch the water and residues in a separate container. Remove your finger from the outlet hole, and run water through the sprayer in the normal direction; if the hole is clogged, clear it with stiff wire.

KEEPING A CANISTER SPRAYER CLEAN

Clearing the outlet holes

Unscrew the spray-directing tube from the pistol grip, and remove the nozzle from the end of the tube. With a stiff wire, clear any residue from the outlet holes at the end of the tube (above).

Completing the cleaning

Wipe the inside of the nozzle and the threads at the ends of the spray-directing tube with moistened cotton-tipped swabs until the cotton comes away clean. Lubricate the nozzle and threads with a swab dipped in household oil. With the swab, oil the O-rings at each end of the tube (above) to prevent sticking and maintain sealing power. Reassemble the sprayer and fill the canister with water. Spray the water to flush the hose and pistol grip.

A NEW HANDLE FOR A LARGE TOOL

Removing a damaged handle

Secure the head of a large tool, such as the mattock shown at right, in a heavy vise. With a ¼-inch bit, drill four deep holes into the wood at the top of the handle as close as possible to the collar. Remove the tool from the vise, and tap the head with a small sledgehammer, driving it down toward the narrow part of the handle. If the head remains stuck, drill additional holes and tap harder.

Setting the new handle in place

Slip the mattock head onto the new handle. Drive the head into position with a small sledgehammer, forcing it over the wide section at the top of the handle (above); alternate the hammer blows from one side of the collar to the other to keep the head level. Set the mattock head in warm water overnight to swell the wood.

Making a tight fit

Let the wood dry. With a hammer, drive a ½-inch metal wedge—available at hardware stores—into the top of the handle across the grain of the wood (above). This should press the wood firmly against the collar. If the head of the tool is even slightly loose on the handle, drive additional wedges perpendicular to the first until the head is absolutely secure.

How to Be Your Own Landscape Designer

Like any major home-improvement project, landscaping calls for advance planning. Even a small lot is surprisingly flexible and warrants a systematic weighing of the design options that are available.

MAKING A MAP

Begin by creating a map of your property—the more detailed the better (page 21). Include such factors as pleasing views and existing plantings. Note the locations of underground obstacles such as electric, water, and sewer lines, or dry wells, septic tanks, and cesspools; they will prevent or limit digging in certain areas.

PLANNING THE NEW YARD

Look at your lot as a whole and list all the important intended uses of your outdoor space—relaxation, storage, gardening, and so on. To some extent, the orientation of the house on the lot will define these areas: Traditionally, the house divides the lot into an approach area in the front yard; a private living area in the back; and an out-of-the-way service area, perhaps at the side of the house, for a set of trash cans or a toolshed. You may want to distinguish other areas—for games or work, say—and perhaps set them off with their own design elements.

ADDING DESIGN TOUCHES

Once you have outlined these areas, experiment on paper with the look of each one, keeping in mind the design principles explained at right and on the following two pages. At this stage, think of plantings in terms of their general visual attributes (next page) and such basic characteristics as whether they are evergreen or deciduous, flowering or nonflowering. Consider physical comfort in your planning. Hedges and fences can screen an area from the street or neighboring houses. A strategically placed tree will filter light or create shade and can lower the temperature on a patio by 15° to 20° F. A row of evergreen shrubs will shelter a walkway from winter winds. Choosing the specific plants that meet your criteria is the last step in the design process (see appendix, pages 268-280).

VISUAL BUILDING BLOCKS

Each tree and shrub in a landscape has a number of visual attributes—shape, color, texture, scale (or size), proportions (the relationship between vertical and horizontal dimensions), and intensity of color. As you plan your design, picture how the visual qualities of the individual plantings will blend or contrast and how each tree or shrub might contribute to an overall feeling.

Design elements need to be considered not just individually but also in combinations. Terms such as symmetry or balance refer to their joint effects on the eye and mind.

A RANGE OF EFFECTS

Unity

Arrange the elements of your yard to create a unified picture—one in which the viewer’s eye travels easily over the various elements, seeing them as parts of a whole. Above, two different borders of trees and shrubs both have a harmonious effect: In the top arrangement, the various sizes and shapes blend together casually; at bottom, the pattern of small and large plantings has a more formal unity.

Focal point

An element that attracts the eye is a focal point; it may be a door, bench, garden pool, arbor, specimen plant, or sculpture. Focal points are often at one end of a central axis, as at above left. The symmetrically planted flowers and shrubs accentuate the walk and draw the viewer’s attention to the focal point—the front door. Another way to highlight an element is to place it in an area where it stands out; this can be off-center, as with the bench at above right. The shape of the garden leads the eye to the bench—the focal point for this view.

Balance

All landscape elements have a visual “weight.” Good designs often balance their elements—large and small, light and dark, coarse and fine, dense and open—around a central point. In the asymmetrically balanced view at right, each side is different but the weights are similar: the group of shrubs balance the tall tree. A simpler route to balance would be through symmetry, designing a yard so that its two sides almost mirror each other.

Rhythm

The repeated use of similar patterns or shapes creates a visual rhythm by drawing the eye from one area to the next. Here, the outlined elements—the rectangular paving blocks, the planting beds, and the two trees along one side of the yard—provide a pleasant sense of movement.

Contrast

Alterations in materials, plants, textures, or lines can enliven a design. In this example, the stone path adds a new texture, and its curving shape breaks up the yard’s straight lines. The vine-covered screen provides some variety because it contrasts with the rest of the fencing, and the different shapes of the trees also add interest.

Designing with geometry

Geometrical arrangements of plantings and paving can play a major role in a landscape design. In the top example above, rectangles and squares (highlighted) reflect and extend the straight architectural lines of the house. Curves (top, right) do the opposite, posing a strong and intriguing contrast to the house lines. Triangles (right) direct the eye to a focal point—here, the expanse of lawn in the center.

DRAFTING A NEW PLAN

Mapping the site

On a sheet of graph paper, draw a map of your lot to scale. Then add a floor plan of the house’s ground floor. Indicate good and bad views both from the windows of the house and from points within the yard; also note views into neighboring yards. Draw in existing trees, shrubs, flower beds, downspouts, and underground utilities; label steep banks, level areas, and spots with good drainage. Show the sun’s morning, midday, and afternoon positions, as well as the direction of summer and winter winds.

Outlining use areas

Tape tracing paper over the lot map and outline some use areas for the major sections of your yard. In the plan at right, the lawn near the driveway is designated as the main approach area; a path has already been worn there. The plan calls for decorative plantings that will screen the street view from inside the house. The space behind the living room is defined as an outdoor living area. A well-drained, sunny corner of the yard is envisioned as a vegetable garden, with an adjacent utility area for tool storage.

Experimenting with designs

Put a fresh sheet of tracing paper over your map, and experiment with designs for each of your circles on the previous map. Try to think of two or three different options for each area, remembering that you can remove things as well as add them. In the example at left, the old front steps are gone; instead, a paved walkway runs from the driveway to the front door. Decorative ground cover replaces hard-to-mow grass on the bank facing the street. In the back yard, the outdoor living area becomes a paved patio, and new shade trees and a high hedge block the afternoon sun and the neighbor’s yard.

Moving Earth to Change the Lay of the Land

Many landscaping projects require that the contours of uneven ground be smoothed. Gardens, pools, patios, and playgrounds, for example, all need a level tract. Lawns, too, are more attractive and easier to maintain if they are relatively flat. Although some earth-moving jobs are extensive enough to warrant the hiring of an excavating company, a surprising amount of earth can be moved by hand, in short sessions of digging and hauling.

CLEARING AWAY OBSTACLES

Stones, stumps, logs, and other large debris must be removed before a site can be leveled. If a rock is too massive to be moved by the technique that is shown on page 25, either call in professional excavators or modify your landscape design to incorporate it—as the centerpiece of a rock garden, for example.

Don’t try digging out a large tree stump by hand. Rather, rent a stump grinder; burn the stump with a special chemical solution sold in garden-supply centers; or cut the stump off just below ground level, cover it with dirt, and let it decompose naturally.

TOOLS

▪ Spade

▪ Garden rake

▪ Metal rod or digging bar

▪ Sod cutter

▪ Line level

▪ Wooden stakes and string

GRADING THE LAND

If a plot of land is perfectly flat, water will pool there during a rain. To ensure that water drains properly, grade the site so that it drops at least 1 inch vertically for every 4 horizontal feet. Make sure that the grade slopes away from the house.

If different parts of your yard slope in different directions, wait for a steady, heavy rain and observe the natural drainage patterns for an hour or so. Then establish the right grade for each part of the yard by the string-and-grid method described on pages 26-27.

FILLING IN LOW SPOTS

If you purchase earth to top off a grade, buy topsoil—a mix of earth and fertilizers from which stones, wood chips, and other debris have been removed—rather than fill, which often contains dense chunks of clay as well as rocks. A cubic yard of soil will cover 300 square feet of ground to a depth of 1 inch.

PROTECTING YOUR BACK

To avoid back injuries, lift heavy loads as much as possible with the muscles of your arms and legs. As a further precaution, wear a lower-back support—either a weightlifter’s belt or a back-saver brace of the kind used by furniture movers.

MANAGING HEAVY LOADS WITHOUT STRAIN

The right way to wield a spade

Standing upright, set your foot atop the blade of the spade and force it deep into the earth. Place your hands in the positions that are shown in the second picture above, and push the top of the handle down, using the tool as a lever to dislodge the soil. Flex your knees and slide your lower hand down the handle for better leverage. Keeping your back as straight as possible, use your arms and legs to lift and pitch the soil (third and fourth pictures).

A two-hand lift

Holding your torso erect, squat as close as possible to the load to be lifted (far left). Keep the load close to your body and stand up slowly, using your legs—not your back—for lifting force (middle left). To lessen strain on your back, hold the load close to your waist (near left). When you turn, move your entire body, without twisting your torso.

A one-hand lift

Bending your knees slightly and keeping your back straight, lean forward from the waist to reach the load. Using your legs for lifting power and keeping your shoulders level, raise your body upright to lift the load. Extend your free arm for balance.

Clearing logs from a site

With a sturdy, rigid rod or digging bar, maneuver the log onto a roller—a smooth, cylindrical piece of wood or a section of iron pipe. Tie a rope around the forward end of the log. Pull the log slowly over the roller, slipping additional rollers under the forward end to keep the log supported. As each roller comes free at the back, move it to the front.

Moving a rock

With a rod or digging bar, lever a heavy stone—up to 100 pounds—onto a sheet of heavy canvas or burlap. Grasp the cloth firmly at both corners of one end, and use your arm and leg muscles to drag the rock from the site.

LEVELING AND GRADING A PLOT OF LAND

Skimming sod from the surface

With a sod cutter, remove the sod in strips from the area that will be leveled. If you intend to relay the sod on the plot after grading, gently roll up the strips, move them off the site, and unroll them again. Keep the sod well watered until you are ready for replanting.

Leveling ridges and depressions

Working when the soil is neither wet nor dry but slightly moist, transfer the dirt from obvious high spots in the plot to low spots. After you drop each spadeful, use the blade’s end to break up compacted soil into chunks 1 inch across or less.

Setting a slope with stakes and strings

Drive stakes at the four corners of the plot. The stakes at the lowest corners (generally farthest from the house) should be tall enough to roughly match the level of the highest corners’ stakes. Tie a string to one of the higher-corner stakes and stretch it along the side of the plot to the lower-corner stake opposite. As a helper checks a line level (photograph) hung from the string, raise or lower the string as necessary to level it. Mark the lower stake at the level of the string. Move the string down the stake to set the desired slope (page 29). Tie the string in place there. Repeat the procedure on the other side of the plot, then complete the boundary by tying leveled strings between the stakes at the top and the bottom of the plot.

Laying out a grid

Drive stakes at 6-foot intervals just outside the strings that mark the boundaries of the plot. Create a grid over the area by tying a string between each opposite pair of stakes, setting the string at the level of the boundary strings. Make sure that the grid strings are taut.

Grading the surface

Working in one 6-foot square at a time, use a heavy rake to break up the soil to the consistency of coarse sand and spread it parallel to the plane of the string grid. Smooth the plot with the flat top side of the rake. Remove the stakes and strings.

Correcting Faulty Drainage

Professional landscapers define drainage as a two-stage process—the flow of water across the ground according to grade and the subsequent seepage of the water into the soil. In the first stage, rainwater can create problems in several ways: It can erode steep ground; it may flow to low areas and leave them soggy long after the rain has stopped; or it may pool around a house and perhaps find its way through the foundation.

A LOW-COST FIX FOR A WET BASEMENT

If a high water table or some other unseen problem is causing a wet basement, drainage professionals will have to be called in—but first check to see if the situation is simply a result of faulty surface drainage. In a 10-foot-wide zone around the house, the grade should drop at least 1 vertical inch for every horizontal foot.

Correct any insufficiency in the grade, and at the same time, use flexible plastic pipe to extend your gutter downspouts so that rainwater is channeled away from the house. Depending on the slope of your yard, the extension can end either in an underground dry well that traps and slowly disperses the water (opposite) or in a simple culvert that drains it away.

MANAGING HILL RUNOFF

To keep rainwater from collecting at the base of a gentle slope, divert the flow by constructing berms and swales—low earthen dams and shallow trenches (page 30). For steeper slopes, the solution may be to terrace the land and build a retaining wall (pages 31-35).

TOOLS

▪ Line level

▪ Sod cutter

▪ Spade

▪ Tamper

▪ Tape measure

MATERIALS

▪ Wooden stakes and string

▪ Flexible nonperforated drainpipe

▪ Downspout adapter

▪ Splash block

▪ Topsoil

▪ Gravel

DIVERTING WATER FROM THE FOUNDATION

Checking the grade

Drive a stake next to the house and another one 10 feet away from the foundation. Tie a string between them and level it with a line level. Measure from the string to the ground at 1-foot intervals to calculate the grade. Move the stakes and repeat at other points along one side of the house. In any area where the grade drops less than 1 vertical inch for each horizonal foot, strip the sod (page 26) and remove any shrubs (page 88). Dig a trench for the downspout extension; the trench should be 8 inches wide, a minimum of 10 feet long, and at least 6 inches deep at the downspout. It should also slope 1 inch per foot (dashed lines, above).

Extending the downspout

Attach an adapter to the end of the downspout. Lay flexible nonperforated drainpipe in the trench and connect it to the adapter. The pipe must lie flat along the bottom of the trench without any dips or humps. Remove or add dirt under the pipe as necessary.

Making a dry well

At the end of the drainpipe trench, skim the sod from a 2½-foot-square area and set it aside. Then dig a hole about 3 feet deep. Pull the flexible drainpipe so that the lip protrudes a few inches over the hole. Fill in the trench with topsoil and tamp it down. Fill the hole with gravel to a point about 1 inch above the top of the pipe. Add topsoil and replace the sod (above). If the trench ends on a slope, lead the pipe out of the hill and onto a splash block (inset). The block will prevent erosion at the outlet point.

Correcting the grade

When the drainpipe extension is complete, correct any improper grade around the house. If you are piling dirt higher against the foundation, first treat the masonry with a waterproofing sealant. The soil level must remain at least 6 inches below wooden siding in order to keep termites out. Use a tamper to pack the soil firmly.

CONTROLLING RUNOFF ON A GENTLE SLOPE

Creating berms and swales

Dig a trench, or swale, about 3 inches deep and at least twice that wide across the slope above the area you wish to protect. Create a berm by piling the leftover soil into a gently rounded mound below the swale, then tamp it down. Lay sod (page 68) on the berm and the swale or plant a ground cover (page 69).

A Timber Retaining Wall

Terracing slopes with timber retaining walls not only solves erosion problems but can also add to the visual appeal of yards and gardens. Because earth and water create tremendous pressures behind a retaining wall, you must make the structure strong and provide for adequate drainage.

The design described on the following pages meets these requirements; moreover, it is easy to build, presents a trim face unmarked by nails or fasteners, and in most localities requires no building permit. This design, however, is not suitable for walls that are more than 3 feet high; they call for both a permit and the services of a structural engineer. If you have a long, steep slope, consider terracing it at intervals with two or more 3-foot walls.

CHOOSING THE MATERIAL

Wooden retaining walls can be made of any timbers that have been treated to resist rot and termites. Railroad ties were once the material of choice, but they have fallen out of favor because the wood is treated with the preservative creosote, which is poisonous to many plants.

Pressure-treated 6-by 6-inch timbers of poplar or pine, either rough-or smooth-sawed, are excellent alternatives. They are treated with environmentally safe preservatives and come in convenient 8-foot lengths, which can be cut as needed with a chain saw (box, next page).

WHERE TO PLACE THE WALL

If you build the wall near the bottom of the slope, you will need to add fill dirt behind it. Alternatively, you can excavate higher up, erect the wall against the slope’s face, and cart away the leftover dirt. The first option increases your level yard space above the wall; the second, below it.

TOOLS

▪ Line level

▪ Shovel

▪ Hand-or gas-powered tamper

▪ Carpenter’s level

▪ Chain saw

▪ Heavy-duty drill with a ⅜-inch bit 18 inches long

▪ Long-handled sledgehammer

MATERIALS

▪ Wooden stakes and string

▪ Gravel

▪ 6-by-6 pressure-treated timbers of poplar or pine

▪ Galvanized screen and nails

▪ ⅜-inch reinforcing steel bars 42 inches long

▪ ⅜-inch galvanized spikes 12 inches long

▪ 4-inch perforated drain tile

CAUTION

Before excavating, establish the locations of possible underground obstacles such as dry wells, septic tanks, and cesspools, and electric, water, and sewer lines.

USING A CHAIN SAW SAFELY

Be sure the cutting teeth are sharp and the chain is at the proper tension: You should never be able to pull it more than ⅜ inch away from the bar. Steady the timbers on solid supports for sawing, and chalk cutting lines on the timbers as guides. Wear goggles to protect your eyes from flying woodchips. Brace the saw firmly on the ground before starting it, and hold the saw with both hands when cutting. Because pressure-treated lumber contains pesticides, wear a dust mask when sawing it and wash your hands thoroughly afterward.

Anatomy of a retaining wall

The bottom course in this 3-foot retaining wall is set in a trench and anchored by 42-inch-long bars of ⅜-inch reinforcing steel, or rebar. Successive courses are secured with 12-inch galvanized spikes. Several features help the wall withstand the pressure of earth and water behind it. Each course is staggered ½ inch toward the slope. Reinforcing timbers—deadmen run 8 feet back into the hillside and rest on 1-foot-long timber crossplates anchored with 42-inch spikes. Sidewalls are built up on the corner deadmen and connected to the wall by interlocked corners. Four-inch perforated drain tile buried in gravel and 1-inch gaps between adjacent timbers in the second course provide escape routes for the water behind the wall.

PREPARING THE SITE

Marking the wall trench

Drive 5-foot stakes at the points you have chosen for the corners of the wall. Tie a line between the stakes, and level it with a line level. Measure to find the point where the line is farthest from ground level (left). This is the lowest grade point; mark it with a stake. Drop a plumb line every 4 feet along the line, and drive stakes at these points to mark the outer edge of the wall. Transfer the line from the 5-foot stakes to the lower stakes.

Digging the trench

Starting at the lowest grade point and working out to the corner stakes, dig a level-bottomed trench that is 1 foot deep at the lowest grade point and 1 foot wide along its full length. Spread a 6-inch layer of gravel in the trench and tamp it down. Check the base of the trench with a carpenter’s level. Remove the stakes. Lay the timbers for the first course in the trench. Their tops should be even with ground level at the lowest grade point. To lay out deadman trenches, start at one corner and stretch an 8-foot line at right angles to the wall; drive a stake at the end of the line. Repeat at the other corner and at 6-foot intervals in between.

BUILDING THE WALL

Securing the first two courses

At the center of each timber and 6 inches from each end, drill vertical holes completely through, using the ⅜-inch bit. Then drive 42-inch spikes through the holes and into the ground with a sledgehammer (right). Lay the second course so that the joints between timbers do not coincide with those of the first. Set the second course ½ inch closer to the hillside, and leave 1-inch gaps between timbers to serve as drainage holes. Drill three holes through each timber, and drive 12-inch spikes through the holes to pin the first two courses together.

Bracing the wall

For the deadmen, dig trenches—their bottoms level with the top of the second course—back to the stakes. Across the ends of the deadman trenches, dig crossplate trenches 3 feet long and 6 inches deeper than the deadman trenches at that point. Lay the crossplates in place, then set the deadmen on top of them so their other ends rest on the second course, ½ inch back from the front face. Drill pilot holes and drive 42-inch spikes through the deadmen and the cross-plates and into the ground. Drive 12-inch spikes through the deadmen into the second course. For the third course of the wall, cut timbers to fit between the deadmen—making sure that the joints don’t align with those of the second course—and secure them with spikes.

Laying a drainage run

On the back of the wall, nail pieces of galvanized screen over the drainage gaps in the second course of timbers. Shovel a bed of gravel behind the wall, leaving enough space to run a length of 4-inch perforated drain tile along the top of the bed and under the deadmen (above). Then add another 6 inches of gravel.

Interlocking the corners

After completing the fourth course of timbers, lay a sidewall timber at each end of the wall and secure it to the corner deadman with 12-inch spikes. Lay another sidewall timber atop the first so that its end is set back ½ inch from the face of the fourth course. Secure it with spikes. Fit the timbers for the fifth course between the sidewall timbers, fastening them with spikes. Continue laying the front and sidewall courses in this manner, making sure to offset the timber joints between courses and stagger each course ½ inch closer to the hillside. Then drill horizontal holes through the corner deadmen and those sidewall courses that extend to the front of the wall, and drive 12-inch spikes to secure the corners (left). Spread a 4-inch layer of soil behind the wall and tamp it with a hand-or gas-powered tamper. Spread and tamp additional 4-inch layers until the fill is level with the top of the wall.

Preparing Soil for Planting

All soils are composed primarily of mineral particles, ranging in size from fine, dense clay to medium-size silt to coarse, loose sand. The proportions of these ingredients—along with decayed vegetable and animal matter, known as humus—determine the texture and quality of the soil. Soil that has too much clay in it retains water almost indefinitely, causing problems with drainage. Sandy soil dries too quickly and allows nutrients to leach out.