More Dinosaur National Monument Petroglyphs

 This lizard petroglyph is about 8 feet long.  It is high up on this cliff (pictured below).

 Quite a number of well done petroglyphs are found up on this cliff - which involved a short hike up the hillside.

This is the view of the valley below from up at the petroglyph level on the cliff.

Preparing for the Pond and Waterfall

 We left this area without the landscape brick because I plan on adding a pond and waterfall here.  This area previously had a stairway and a very tiny pond and waterfall.  This time, I plan to expand the size, depth and location of the pond.  The racoons were getting my fish before, so I quit keeping them.  This time, I will create a safe place for the fish to hide so maybe they won't be eaten by the racoons.

 The picture above shows the area before excavating and below - the pond excavating in progress.

Quartz Flagstone

 We've made three trips to the brickyard to hand select the flagstone for the next phase of this project.  I like this quartz flagstone.  It is very sturdy and also (relatively) thin.  This is the same flagstone that I used on the patio I built in the front last year.  We are able to load half a ton per trip into the back of Joe's Grand Caravan (his "work truck").

My apologies to those who follow my blog for my art process.  This is not fiber art, but I do feel creative when doing this, and there is no time for my studio these days!   Above the top wall, I have transplanted some of the iris rhizomes that were dug up during the excavation.

Terrace Building Finished

 We have finished building the three levels of terracing behind our house.   We still have a bit of leveling to do with the dirt, and then we will add a natural flagstone cap.

A few iris and daffodils survived the process.  They are kind of buried right now, but I will deal with them in the next phase.

Fingerprints and Hippie SDB Blooming

 Two more iris are in bloom!  Above, is "Fingerprints".  Below is "Hippie".

First Iris of the Year!

 

I have been anxiously awaiting this first iris blossom of the year!  I have most of my iris labeled with the registered names, but this one does not have a tag.  I am pretty sure it came from the Big Sky Iris Club sale at the local Farmer's Market.  

At this point, I have about 250 different iris planted in the terraces out front.  I have tags on most of them (with the registered names) and they are recorded in a spread sheet (something I started last year).  This year, I hope to get a photo of each one that blooms, and I hope to record the date it blooms on the spreadsheet.  I will keep track of the ones that die and I will not plant those again.  Instead, I hope to have large patches of healthy iris.  I am keeping the good growers and good bloomers and the rest can go.  I am not really out to amass a "collection".  Rather, I am hoping to do some artful landscaping.... I want color blocks around the yard!

Iris work well in this location with minimal care and little water.  I also love them - so I joined the local Iris club as well as the American Iris Society! 

Landscaping the Front

 Our steeply sloped front yard was formerly a fire hazard, with several large junipers and a lot of dry native grasses.  After two wildfires swept through our neighborhood, destroying homes within 1/4 mile of our place, we had the fire marshall come walk through and give us suggestions.  That spring, 16 junipers were removed along with a lot of pines.  He told us the dry native grasses should go too. 

( we have also finally disposed of the wooden retaining wall in the back that he told us was a fire hazard)

I have found that iris grow well at our place and they don't require much water (always a concern since we have to haul our water from the water station - we don't have city water or a well).  Iris are a good plant for fire safety - they really do not ever burn well.   I have gradually been adding a stone patio and terraces to the front to create more living space and a place for my growing iris collection.  Above, I  have dug this new flower bed terrace this spring to create a place for replanting all the perennials that had to be removed during our reconstruction of the terraces in the back. 

This flagstone patio was installed last summer.  I have found this cast iron water fountain and I have rigged it up with a solar powered pump.  I need to do something about the line that is dangling, but I am very happy with the way this thing works!  Solar power is totally the way to go on this!

Rugged Scenery at Dinosaur National Monument

Final Stretch with the Natural Impressions Landscape Brick

 These pictures show the last two tiers being finished up.  We should finish up today and then will start building the pond and waterfall.

Moving Boulders

 Joe used a combination of chains, rope and come-along (a pulley mechanism) to move this very large rock that was in the way. 

More Retaining Wall Installation

 We've worked at this project now for 10 days.  Usually we work from 4 to 7 hours.  We are getting in better shape and while we are still sore at the end of each day, we seem to recover more quickly.

These pictures show our work as we proceed along the slope heading from south to north  across the hillside behind our house.

 We have done quite a bit of excavating by hand - removing a lot of dirt and rocks.  We created a new path out to the compost bin.

Installing Terraced Retaining Walls with Natural Impressions Landscape Bricks

 We have now built three terraces on the south easterly side of the hillside.  We had quite a discussion about what to do next, but in the end - decided to just proceed around the top level - moving towards the north.  Then, we will work forward on the other terraces and wrap them around, as well.  Already I am realizing the 8 pallets of brick I ordered will not be enough.  I took every brick they had in stock at Home Depot when I ordered.  I hope I will be able to get more!

Here is another day's progress on the top level.  We are now removing timbers as we go so it doesn't all erode while we walk on it carrying bricks and gravel up the hillside.

Natural Impressions Retaining Wall Construction

 For each wall, a trench must be dug and filled with a base of fine gravel.  It is leveled and the first row of bricks must be carefully leveled.  That first row is critical to the success of the wall.

The maximum recommended height for these retaining walls is just 24".  We will remove some of the bricks from our first wall - realizing it has been built too high to hold well.  We realized it also looks kind of strange....  We are so sore these days - from head to toe.

Natural Impressions Retaining Wall - First Wall Installed

We began with a first section at the top and this is how it looks after a full day's work.  We are happy with the result.  This landscape brick is called Natural Impressions and it came from Home Depot.

Petroglyphs at Dinosaur National Monument

 More petroglyph sightings at Dinosaur National Monument - a trip we took in June 2012.

Rotten Timber Retaining Wall Removal

 And so we begin the ominous task of removing the rotten landscape timbers.  They are held together by rebar and huge spikes - impossible to remove.  The timbers are heavy and messy and must all be hauled away.  Sore musceles and back in no time!

Moving Plants

 The daffodils are blooming just as we begin tearing out the old retaining walls.  I can't really save them (except to cut the flowers), but I can move the iris and perennials.  I really don't have a place to put them, though - so I will spend a couple of days cutting a new flower bed into the sod on the front of our place.