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canuckistan
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Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Location: Training future GS competitors.....
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 Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:18 am Post subject: I made this |
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....because I am genetically compelled by Dutch ancestry to plant flowers everywhere I go, and the soil is heavy clay around here.
Before:
After:
The tedious part was filling it with soil.
I'm curious as to how much do you think a landscaper would charge to build this? I did it for $300 worth of materials and a nice suntan....and badly scraped knuckles on the second-to-last load of soil.
Disclaimer: no illegal workers were involved in the building of this raised garden  |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| That's pretty cool. Now I guess you can work on the flowers and the grass. Good projects you got going on there. |
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Porter_Goss
Joined: 26 Mar 2006
Location: The Wrong Side of Right
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:30 am Post subject: Re: I made this |
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| canuckistan wrote: |
| ....because I am genetically compelled by Dutch ancestry to plant flowers everywhere I go |
Have you ever been to Mt. Vernon, Washington? Damn Dutch planted these everywhere;
Where do you live now? Nice yard. |
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itaewonguy
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:34 am Post subject: |
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well done..
how long did it take you? |
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Maserial
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
Location: The Web
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:35 am Post subject: |
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So you did this by yourself?
My first question is: Why are all the good women married!?!?! 
'Seriously' though, I first wish to stress that I am not an expert in the field by any means (so feel free to criticize me at your leisure), but in my experience (from the Land of Corn, that is) most landscapers would have charged you a fee for the design, a fee for labor, and then a fee for materials (unless you supplied your own). The total for this probably would have been around eight-hundred to a thousand dollars (US). That's just my opinion, and I'm certainly willing to entertain the notion that I am incorrect in my estimation. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:37 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| genetically compelled by Dutch ancestry to plant flowers everywhere I go, |
I know the feeling. Ever met a Dutchman with a brown thumb? |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:29 am Post subject: |
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| Lookin' real good, Stan! |
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canuckistan
Mod Team
Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Location: Training future GS competitors.....
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:51 am Post subject: |
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jacl wrote:
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| That's pretty cool. Now I guess you can work on the flowers and the grass. Good projects you got going on there. |
Thanks! The summer bulbs etc have been sitting in the garage for a while now needing a home.
The grass, ha! Hub is building a shed on the other side of the yard so between the two of us with these construction projects, we've pretty much killed it. The neighbours tell us to get the lawn aerated (because it's clay) and then overseed it.
Porter_Goss
| Quote: |
Have you ever been to Mt. Vernon, Washington? Damn Dutch planted these everywhere;
Where do you live now? Nice yard. |
Those Dutch and their *&@%!! flowers!!!
We live in Colorado Springs now. Once the construction stuff is cleaned up and the grass is fixed, it'll be much nicer.
I-Guy wrote:
| Quote: |
| well done....how long did it take you? |
Thanks again! Took about a month with waiting out snow days (yeah this is Colorado) and other obligations. The longest part was getting the base level and straight as the ground in our yard is anything but. I also decided at the last moment to extend it another 8ft, which I thought would look better but that decision=more digging/leveling. It's 32 ft long.
Maserial wrote:
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So you did this by yourself?
My first question is: Why are all the good women married!?!?!
'Seriously' though, I first wish to stress that I am not an expert in the field by any means (so feel free to criticize me at your leisure), but in my experience (from the Land of Corn, that is) most landscapers would have charged you a fee for the design, a fee for labor, and then a fee for materials (unless you supplied your own). The total for this probably would have been around eight-hundred to a thousand dollars (US). That's just my opinion, and I'm certainly willing to entertain the notion that I am incorrect in my estimation. |
Yes I built this myself. I enjoy doing this stuff; it's a good mental exercise in planning building (which is not rocket science) and gets me outside.n You also get to have a bit of pride in what you've pulled off. Of course the other thing about being Dutch is the frugality gene--I dislike paying people to build things that I can easily do myself. I like staying in strong physical condition--that way I don't break anything when embarking on a Wide World Of Sports-type wipe out while skiing/snowboarding
The hub is sure suprised at what wifee can do with a few different levels, a hammer, and some wood I didn't get to show off my building talents to him while we were in Korea I think moving 3 cubic yards of soil in 2 days surprised him too--but then we need the truck to help someone move this weekend so I had to hurry it up.
I think $800 to $1000 sounds reasonable with 2 people working at it--probably 3 days. But I suspect a landscaper would've dinged me more on the materials because they can.
A few years ago I also built this 12 x 24 ft deck at my cabana in Canuckistan:
Before: notice the dinky little deck on the front (to the right). A friend almost fell through a rotted board...it was time to build a bigger, better version:
After:
La belle Danielle P. entraine de s'amuser sur mon deck avec du rum:
Bonus pic of my recuperating Canadian canoeing companion:
Ya-ta-Boy wrote:
| Quote: |
I know the feeling. Ever met a Dutchman with a brown thumb?
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No, but I've heard of one with his finger plugging a leak in a dyke
Last edited by canuckistan on Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:39 am; edited 4 times in total |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:55 am Post subject: |
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Speaking of things Dutch, our world famous tulip festival is just around the corner...
boatloads of Asian (Kok/JP/CH) tourbuses last year.
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Where's visitor q to complain about this post? |
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vox
Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Location: Jeollabukdo
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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Bonus pic of my recuperating Canadian canoeing companion:
Is this in northern BC, Lake Tchesinkut area? |
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canuckistan
Mod Team
Joined: 17 Jun 2003
Location: Training future GS competitors.....
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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I wish!
It's in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal near the Mt Tremblant Park area. |
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Angelus
Joined: 10 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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| "If you ain't Dutch, you ain't much." |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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| canuckistan wrote: |
I wish!
It's in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal near the Mt Tremblant Park area. |
I thought it looked familiar. My sister and her family have a camp near the Ottawa area on the Quebec side. |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Guess what. Pretty soon.... FISHING! |
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