Horseshoe Pit (95% done)

I finally got around to starting to make the horseshoe pit. It is still a work in progress.


I had to put it in a spot that does get a little in the way of me getting to my trailers, but I think I have that figured out. I am going to try and make the one stake able to be pulled out. Maybe add a pvc pipe in the ground so I can slide the pin in and out when I need to drive over the area. I could have moved it closer to the gate to for function of the yard, but then it wouldn't be even to the carport and would look odd from the backyard. So I went with lining it up to the middle of the carport. I also could have moved it out away from the carport more, and still might, but I lined it up in the middle of the gate and big planter on the right side. If I move it out then it wouldn't be in the middle, and if you have ever played horseshoes they sometimes like to roll. I didn't want the rolling horseshoe to run into the big planter and crack a piece of wood or run over a plant.


I went over the ground with my tiller to get all the grass and weeds out of the area. Also to dig a little bit so I can add plenty of sand.


I marked out the areas with flags to see judge the areas first


Cleaned out


I added some trash bag liners to the dirt and then put the sand on top. That way it should help keep weeds from growing in it.



I still have to design the wooden box around it. I might get 1x4s and just lay them flat on the ground and make a box that is just 1inch tall and 4inches wide. That way you can see the box look, but not have to come off the ground much. Also having the wood on the ground should help when a truck drives over it that it would break. It easy to replace when needed.


I didn't like where the horseshoe pits were. I thought they seemed a little to close to the carport hangover. So I moved them out a little more. Then on one cold day that I had off work I went out and dug up all the dirt for the new area.

Dug out dirt


I used some 4x4s I had and made a wooden frame. I used 4x4s because I think they can hold up better to a vehicle driving over them then a 1x4 that might break pretty easily or move. The inside measurements is what the official horseshoe pit should be. I used 4 8inch lag screws to help keep the frame from moving. Mainly the pit closest to the street where I will have to drive across it to get to the trailers. That is another reason I put the frames in the ground and not above the ground.


I filled in the sides with dirt. I pout enough in at first to keep them from moving easily and I ran string all the way across from each pit to make sure they are square to each other.





From this pic you can see the left pit very well but the right side you can see how it is flush with the ground. They dont stand out as much. Ideally above ground would be better looking but I would lose function of getting to the trailers. You have to design with what you have.


I just need to hammer the post in the ground now.

Last couple of days cleaning up back yard 3

Another thing I did which I have really been thinking about an the easiest is adding a flower bed next to the carport on the yard side.

Before


Took down the small fence. I'm going to put t back up at the end before adding plants.


I got my weedeater out and trimmed the area out to get a idea of the area.


Then I tilled up all the area that is going to be a new flower bed. I seems to be great soil in that area. Also I made sure to go out enough so when rain comes off the carport it will go into the flower bed, which means less watering I have to do






New flower bed




Filled even with dirt




I'm not 100% sure what I am going to plant but I am mainly thinking about tulips, then planting other plants there so each season a new plant will come up and keep having color all years. I also might add pumpkin seed their to grow my own pumpkins.

Updated finishing planter. I have added dirt, mulch, 3 rows of bulbs, 1 row should come up then the next and then the next to give a spring to fall color each and every year.


Took down the small rails and add 3 long planters. I will most likely just put annuls in but I think it looks better.




Added mulch and the you can see the Iris are come up quickly.


I added some broken solar lights that I put dirt in and I will put some small plants that will give a little extra color during the spring-fall time. It is basically done. Then during the summer I am going to try and grow pumpkins in the planter.


This is the summertime look. Making the planter a little wider so the water above drips into it really helped the flowers grow.

Bench Planter

One of my first projects was adding gravel to the breeze way so it would look better, I wouldn't have to cut the grass there, and to make my little home that much bigger. When you have a small area you make all of it work for you.

I got a old bench for free from Craigslist. I had to go to Brentwood and get it, but it was free. It is a little used and run down but it still holds people. So I kept the old wood on it so it had a rustic look.

Bench


Added some 4x4 post to give the bench a little height. I put the bench right where the living room window was. Adding the 4x4 gave it enough height that you can watch tv outside over the couch. That will be good during football season.


I moved all the gravel out of the way and dug down a couple of inches. I then added some dirt from the load of dirt I got a little while ago. Then I added 3 lily hostas since the bench wont allow a lot of sunlight. I then added some potting soil so they should do pretty good.

Bushes added to side of house

The side of the house just looked a little boring. I had thought about adding some bushes, but I wasn't sure. Then while I was at Lowes I saw they had some bushes on sale, real cheap. Only $1 each so I figured if they died, it was only $7 and I would get to see how that area looked with bushes.


Plain and simple before


I started this project at about 9pm, so my neighbors might not have liked I was tilling up the yard when it was dark. I used my trucks lights to give me light.


I added 7 of these plants. They get about 4ft x 4ft and I spaced them about 2.5ft away from each other. They should fill into each other as they grow and should look good once they hit their full size. They also turn green, to yellow in fall, and red during the winter so it should give it a 3 color show. They also weren't doing well, that's why they were $1.


As you can see they are already getting greener and doing better after I got them.


I added some cedar mulch, redish color mulch, to see how the red mulch would look, and it was on sale. All the other areas have black natural mulch.


After. I think once they fill into each other they will look good

4 Smaller Wooden Boxes

I still had numerous wood left from the out decking I got, thanks again Christian. I made 4 smaller wooden planters that I put some small bushes in, Azaleas to be in fact. They are small bushes that bloom in the spring time and have some nice red flowers. They were added to be in front of the trailers, again draw your eye to the plants and not the trailers. Think or urban camo, haha. These came out ok, not my best work. That's what happens when you need to finish a project and tired.

Wood before, just normal.


I made 4 small wooden planters, only 3 shown


Small planter inside



The past planters I made I put a trash bag liner in them to try and keep water and the wet soil from getting to the wood. Just something to help them last longer. This one I got a new idea. I had just put in a couple of bushes, post about it in a moment, and the plastic pots they came in were just about the right size.


So with my handy creative mind I decided to use them. I guess that is from watching Junk Raiders on ION tv. Since it was round and the planters were square, I did the impossible. I made the round peg go into the square spot, and that kids toy said you couldn't. With a hammer it can be done easily.


With their new plants and in place.

Green

What I have done with Freecyling and Going Green with my house. Some of it is because it helps the environment and some is because I am cheap and you have to do what you have to do to get by.


Once was a deck in East Nashville. It was going to be thrown away but I was able to get the wood and reuse it for other things around the house.


1st was the compost bin


2nd was a square planter and 3rd the bigger longer planter


4th another identical big planter.


5th 4 little wooden planters for smaller bushes

Butterfly House

My newest work, but might be my worse. It didn't turn out how I wanted and I might do back and remake it with another type of wood or screws. This one was just being a pain for some reason. The wood wanted to split, and one did that I had to remake one piece, and it just wanted to be a pain even though it wasn't that big. I make the butterfly house to attract butterflies. I would have done things for birds and bees, but I have a nephew and other friends with kids and butterflies aren't scary. I have already started some small plants in the back (coneflowers) of the big planter to attract butterflies and I will have a couple of other plants in the work and I might buy (butterfly weed) to help bring them in.

2nd Big Planter For Trailers

A planter box may not sound great to a lot of people, but just think that these wood use to be a old deck. So think of freecyling (IONLife channel term) or going green.

As the plants grow they will start to hide the trailers some, not 100% but just look better. The plant I have in it right now I started as seeds indoors and they can grow up to 15 ft tall.


Also with all the planters might keep people from trying to steal them. Trailers are valuable, but I have a trailer lock on 2 of the 3 and a thick chain attaching 2 of them. As soon as the plants start to grow it will really take shape.



It's looking better, slowly.