Another weekend project

[GreenMonster]

Well, actually lasted a few weekends, a few hours at night on the weekdays.

This is a new walkway and entry landing at my "crib". All told, probably 4-5 days total by myself.

Used Techo-Block for the entry and Bolduc pavers.

Pic quality is a little poor. Darkness was setting in.

Need to finish up with sod and some perennials along the walk.

[GreenMonster]

I split a 9' 5" circle kit with a half circle at the landing, half circle at bottom of rock wall, and full circle in the middle.

[GreenMonster]

That's my NEW!!! 375 Husky cut-off saw in the pic. I think the Stihl's have a little more power, but dealer has a life-time warranty on the motor. Cuts great as long as you keep the RPM's up. $850

[Ken Kesey]

Looks great!

Love that rock work, too.

[D Felix]

I like that rock work too. I'm not sure about the walk itself, seems like the curves are too pronounced. Though I'm sure it will look dramatically different with grass and plants.

Looks good!


Dan

[fga]

that's the one thing i don't (can't:o ) offer is paver work. not enough experience if i run into a problem. That looks awesome though. Do you wind up doing more landscape jobs then grass?

[Up North]

Nice work GreenMonster! Very impressive.

Buck

[GreenMonster]

Thanks Ken. The walkway was fun for a few days, then it's just a relief to finally get it done.

I wish I had some before pics of what was there before. The crap I did in my youth before I knew ANYTHING about landscaping.
:o The house is on the market, so I've been trying to dress up the entry

The rock work was also fun -- for a while. If you look to the right in the second pic, you'll see that it's really not finished. We built the wall with a cherry picker on a log truck.

ah!! I went browsing in the middle of this reply and found some pics. Here's a b4 of the same area I did the walkway, during construction of the wall. YUCK!

[GreenMonster]

This is my father-in-law in action with the cherry picker. He is incredible with that thing.

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by D Felix
I like that rock work too. I'm not sure about the walk itself, seems like the curves are too pronounced. Though I'm sure it will look dramatically different with grass and plants.

Looks good!


Dan

I hope the grass and plantings will soften things up too. Problem was, it is a real straight shot from the house to the wall, so I wanted to break it up with some curves. You actually end up walking a pretty straight line, but the curves break any hard lines. Although the pics don't really show it, the rock stairs also slightly curve in sync with the walkway.

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by fga
that's the one thing i don't (can't:o ) offer is paver work. not enough experience if i run into a problem. That looks awesome though. Do you wind up doing more landscape jobs then grass?

Much more landscape work. That is the direction I'm pushing the hardest. I do mowing because I know (I thought) that to be full time I would need the regular maintenance, read regular $$$$. Now, I'm finding my maintenance accounts are getting in the way of my landscape work.:confused:

Good growing pains, I guess.

Adam, forget the stump grinder, pavers would be a great add-on for you!

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by Up North
Nice work GreenMonster! Very impressive.

Buck

thanks. Momma likes it too!

[Ken Kesey]

The walk is a little curvy, sure. I think with the right plants it's not a problem at all.

How many tons of rock did you use?

You do great work. Put that puppy in a portfolio and show the before and after to potential clients.

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by Ken Kesey
The walk is a little curvy, sure. I think with the right plants it's not a problem at all.

How many tons of rock did you use?

You do great work. Put that puppy in a portfolio and show the before and after to potential clients.

Thanks Ken

Tons? Hmm. Good question. I have NO idea. Rocks were from a home construction up the street. We just loaded them on the log truck, brought em home, and set em. I wouldn't even dare venture a guess.

Here's one more pic of the wall as it wraps around up top to the driveway. Plants have matured and filled in nicely. I also added several perennials on each side of the walk where it meets the driveway. HUGE daisies and rubekia's.

Yeah, I'm still working on those stairs too:o

[fga]

Originally posted by GreenMonster
Much more landscape work. That is the direction I'm pushing the hardest. I do mowing because I know (I thought) that to be full time I would need the regular maintenance, read regular $$$$. Now, I'm finding my maintenance accounts are getting in the way of my landscape work.:confused:

Good growing pains, I guess.

Adam, forget the stump grinder, pavers would be a great add-on for you!
me and one of best friends debate this all the time. He's a cop(NYPD) full time and every other spare minute goes into his landscape business. The last year or 2 he's done so many paver jobs, and it blows away the money he makes cutting grass. BUT, he gets 90% of the paver work through existing lawn accounts.. so what do you do? I'v eheard of alot people stopping the grass work, pushing for all landscape work, then eventually go back to grass cuz the money was a constant.
I would love to have pavers as an add on. On paper i could tell you how to do it, but i don't have the experience you need for a challenhgnig job, or if you runinto a problem. If you hit a glitch, you probably say "we can just do this then....". me i'd have to call someone for advice, my buddy, or this site.....
i guess you have to start somewhere.
Funny, i just remebered last week or so at Home Depot, this young kid 18?? working there was grabbing some pavers and putting them on a cart. he then asked me, do you know how to do a paver job, cuz i have to teach a class on it in an hour, and i have no idea??:D I gave him the basics i knew, but i feel sorry for the home owners who are going to attempt this guys projects at there own homes....:D :(

[GreenMonster]

yeah, it's kind of a catch 22. It's not the regular, steady income, but it's much better money.

I ended up getting into the landscape side of the business first, because my f/t traveling job did not allow me to commit to weekly maintenance. I'm slowly adding maintenance as I grow, but it's still tricky until I finally make the f/t jump. then, I still worry that landscape jobs will be effected if I have too much maintenance:confused: :confused: :confused:

I ended up learning a lot by working at my own place, and reading lots of books. I know you said you rent, but maybe some small patio or walkway installs for friends would be a good place to start?

[chevyman1]

terrific work, that looks great. You are lucky you have such awesome equipment at your fingertips

[Ken Kesey]

At least 10- 15 tons.

[drsogr]

GreenMonster I am thoroughly impressed! You do some great work, I love looking at the Commercial Landscaping forum and seeing your name pop up, you always have something cool going on. Thank you for showing it off, it gives some us dreamers some more to dream about, I can't see how you don't do this full time. You do such nice work.

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by chevyman1
terrific work, that looks great. You are lucky you have such awesome equipment at your fingertips

Yes. I'm lucky to have a great, I mean GREAT father-in-law that is always there to help me. Much more of a father to me than my real old man ever was.

Now, all my other equipment, no luck involved. I working my ass off -- damn near killing myself -- to make this work. I can't wait for snow to get a break:sleeping:

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by Ken Kesey
At least 10- 15 tons.

wouldn't surprise me. If I think of a tri-axle of 3/4" crushed is 24 ton, this wall is probably all that if not more.

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by drsogr
GreenMonster I am thoroughly impressed! You do some great work, I love looking at the Commercial Landscaping forum and seeing your name pop up, you always have something cool going on. Thank you for showing it off, it gives some us dreamers some more to dream about, I can't see how you don't do this full time. You do such nice work.

Thanks Jaybird. Nice compliment:o

I actually wish more guys would post pics. I love seeing what other guys got going on. Chuck Landscapingpoolguy. o-so-n-so, and BostonGuy are names that come to mind when I think of nice work I've seen here. Others too I just can't think of now.

Bro, I'm planning to be f/t in 2006. Nothing would make me happier to be there next year.