A Silk Purse

This project presented some interesting dilemmas. This is the third property we have worked on for our customer who is a second generation customer, they called for help on their new lake home. The most important part of the project was to first decide how much money to spend on the space. The retaining walls represent nearly 8' in combined height and over 160 feet in length with staircase and side returns. The staircase is 4' wide while the steps themselves are less than three feet with crumbling and separation evident. Large cracks and pushing out of the retaining walls make an excellent case for replacing and redesigning the space but would be extremely expensive no matter what hardscape you chose.


There is no way to say how long all this concrete will endure, could be five months or just as easily twenty years. This couple expects they will eventually demo the house and build a new one, again this could be five years from now or twenty. So we decided to try and make the proverbial silk purse from a sows ear. Hide the imperfections and create new focal points.


Knocking down the pump house to minimal size, power washing and painting the walls a neutral color are the first steps. Demo included loads of over anchored railroad ties and a disease ridden euyonomus hedge all jerked out from above or manhandled with a root axe. To hide the cracks I had one of the guys build a lattice panel, here we are testing out the prototype and deciding where to place additional trellis's .



We are taking things a bit out of order here because the slope is treacherous and we are concerned with maintaining footing while planting. Also all the materials must be dropped over the wall. But as you can see we are making progress and I expect to be planting on Monday and maybe finished by the end of next week.