Pear Street is a well designed community of homes in Rome, Georgia. The street runs along the top of a hill overlooking one of the rivers flowing through the wonderful North Georgia town.

Pear Street Community, Rome, Ga.

And, all was well on Pear Street until they removed a sitting deck at the end of a walkway and noticed that there was an erosion problem that needed to be solved. I was called in to study and fix the problem. I noticed that the erosion problem started with a walkway that was slanted toward the hillside. It seemed to me that this walkway was acting like a riverbed and funneling all of the water down to the problem area.

The sidewalk acts as a riverbed

I went to the end of the walkway and looked at the eroded area. I really couldn’t get a good picture because nothing I did showed the bank as steep and nasty as it was. An engineer had suggested a retaining wall, but I couldn’t see how we would be able to put in a serious footing, and if we did do a wall the cost would have been outrageous. There was absolutely no way to get machinery to the project, either.  It called for all hand work.

Nasty erosion area needs fixing

I thought about it for a few weeks. I came up with “Johntheplantman’s three principles of erosion control”

1.Capture and redirect the water

2.Fill and re shape the eroded surface

3.Provide sustainabilty for the surface to prevent further erosion.

The first step was to catch and redirect the water coming from the walkway. We used a concrete base and installed a drain strip which is similar to a catch basin. The strip hinges in the middle and it is installed with a slight drop toward the outer edges. Four inch black drain pipe was fastened to the outer edges of the catch basin and the pipe was buried to the sides of the wash. This would take the water from the walkway out to the sides and down to the ditch at the bottom of the hill.

Re direct the water with a catch basin and drain pipe

A ten yard truckload of compost was wheel barrowed in and spread over the washed out area. We packed it as well as possible. Footing on the hillside was precarious.

wash out is filled with compost

One of the best coverings for erosion prevention is Curlex which consists of wood shavings enclosed in a plastic netting. I refer to it as an erosion blanket. The material is available in hundred foot rolls and is made to be laid out on a hillside. I’m sure that you have seen it used on highway construction projects. Grass seed is normally used along with this material, but I had other plans.

Randy with a 100 foot roll of Curlex

The Curlex is fastened to the ground with sod staples

erosion mat is attached to the ground with sod staples

And the covered site looked like this:

Curlex matting installed on hillside

The Curlex in place will last a year or two before rotting which will give a ground cover time to become established over the erosion site. Since the site was in a shady location and also because maintenance would be difficult, I decided to use one of my favorite ground covers—vinca minor. We planted clumps of the vinca on 16 inch centers by poking a hole through the Curlex and planting into the compost below. The vinca will rapidly spread and hold the soil in place.

Vinca minor planted through erosion blanket to add sustainability.

Adding a rock border and a bit of pine straw at the top of the hill gave the finished project a nice look and there should be no more problems

Add a little pine straw for looks, and another problem is solved

 The John the plant man articles are brought to you by John P. Schulz, author of Requiem for a Redneck and the new sequel, Redemption for a Redneck. Click Here to find out more.

It will not last the night

But ah, my foes and oh, my friends

It makes a lovely light

–Edna St. Vincent Millay

 I have loved that poem since the first time I ever read it. Dekie told me (rightfully) that I need to write an article for my site this morning and get back on track. The Millay poem was the first thing that came to mind.

 Today is January 8, and the first Sunday after the wrap up of holiday festivities. It is a mild and drizzly day and most suitable for reflecting on the many events of the past year. It was a busy one. WordPress has told me that I now have 93 articles posted on this site and if you like, you may look over to the calendar on the right hand side bar and look at the articles I wrote in 2011.I entered 2011 with a big radiation burn on my neck from cancer treatment. My throat was swollen and the only real voice I had was right here on Johntheplantman. Things got much better rapidly though, and if my voice is not quite all back, I am encouraged by its progress.

 We had tornadoes in our neighborhood in April and again right before Christmas. Dekie and I were married May 14 and we took a delightful trip out west to see God’s magnificent landscape. On our return I was able to help Ken and Mary Nance in the repairing of the tornado damage in their yard.

I enjoyed being a bonsai artist on a grand scale at the Hubbard’s home on the mountain and the new father-in-law got a sprinkler for his garden for father’s day. We later took my collection of whisky barrel rings to Buckhead to do a little renovation on a side yard.

 And all the time we were doing these neat landscaping jobs, I was working from 5a.m until 8 a.m. trying to finish the second book in my redneck series titled REDEMPTION FOR A REDNECK Which turned into a whirlwind of activity for Dekie the publisher and my son, J.R. Schulz, the illustrator. Books arrived during the first week of November and we started a whirlwind of activity with book signings and the like. I was honored to be included by the Ga. Writer’s Association. as a participant in a panel discussion with fellow humorists Man Martin and Ray Atkins on writing humor. That was a good time.

Now I’m just about ready to commence the new year. My voice is coming back nicely and I have managed to stay married for more than 6 months. I’ll have a nice landscaping article up next week. I promise.

john

Redemption for a Redneck, A new novel by John P. Schulz

In following my articles you may or may not know that John the Plant Man, the narrator in the Redneck Books is really a fictional character. Some people read what I write and think that I, John P. Schulz am John the plant man, but I’m not. I’m the guy who created the character and I’m the guy who controls whatever John the plant man does or thinks. John the plant man is much more adventuresome than I could ever hope to be and he tells of his adventures in a sensitive and funny manner. John the plant man could possibly be one of the foremost authorities on the redneck culture in the world. Wow!

The Redneck books are great gift items. We even have a special price if you buy the two book set. CLICK HERE To take care of your holiday gift shopping. Shipping is free through the month of December.

 Here’s a synopsis of the new book, REDEMPTION FOR A REDNECK

Redemption for a Redneck builds on the culture and some of the characters introduced in Requiem for a Redneck. A familiar character is Kickstand, who enlists John the plant man to help him win the love of Ted, a young woman who can rebuild a carburetor on the side of a dusty road with a pair of pliers and a butter knife. Ted, the widow of Kickstand’s tormentor while he was in jail, has no time for a former inmate. Kickstand’s pursuit of Ted involves the entanglement of her beloved dog Speck in a coon hunt and detention in the county dog pound (referred to as “doggie jail).

Speck the coon dog saves the day and brings two lovers together.

          John Schulz brings his background as a landscape artist into the narrative as he weaves creating compost, growing tomatoes, and developing gardens into the fabric of the stories. He describes the artistry and creativity of his redneck characters as they build and operate Cornbred’s grocery store and Brickyard’s Bar and Community Center.

          Unique participants in the story are Rabbit, a young man who has Down syndrome and Cain, the community bully. Their particular relationship evolves as Rabbit teaches Cain to be a friend. Rabbit’s wonderful personna helps the community to come together.

          The climax of Redemption for a Redneck occurs during The Durwin Festival, where the entire community comes together in a vivid portrayal of community life in the redneck environment.

DO YOU WANT MORE?

You may read a sample chapter by CLICKING HERE

Again, you may click here to purchase a copy—Autographed!

 John P. Schulz will make an appearance on the afternoon of November 26 to introduce and sign the redneck books inColumbus,Georgiaat

Front Porch Gallery

1309 Wildwood Ave

Columbus,Ga

706-596-0096

http://www.thefrontporchcolumbus.com

 Keep in touch—I’ll announce upcoming appearances right here on Johntheplantman.

I write a lot of articles about pruning and actually the articles on pruning Knockout Roses are the most popular ones on my blog site. One of my rules on landscape design is to plant so that the project will look finished in five years. Today, I visited a site that I had planted about that long ago and I thought I would share.

I love the way the rose grew in. I parked my white Dodge minivan behind it to give an idea of scale. This rose has never been pruned

privacy screen with Knockout rose and Arizona Cypress

I had been asked to design a small privacy screen that would not be just a row of plants. I studied on the problem and decided that I would use a juxtaposition of textures, colors, and sizes in an irregular pattern.

I chose one of my favorites—Arizona cypress for the blue tint in the winter time, Knockout rose for the summer bloom, and a semi dwarf crape myrtle that would give shade for the summer and allow the sun to shine through in the winter.

The design turned out to be a good one. The plants were planted and never pruned. Actually, other than growing them in the first year, they were never watered. The plants performed well and survived a couple of droughts.

The Knockout rose was in full bloom in mid-November even after two periods of heavy frost. It is approximately ten feet high and eight feet across.

Large Knockout rose--never pruned

The crape myrtle has dropped almost all of its leaves, but you may still see the effects of its screening in the summertime.

Crape myrtle for shade in summer and light in winter

And, here’s a view from another window showing the cypress, rose, and an arborvitae.

cypress, arborvitae, and rose for privacy screen

Nest summer, I may prune the back side of the rose away from the Arizona cypress. But, then again, I may not.

 *****These articles are brought to you by the author of Requiem for a Redneck and the brand new Redemption for a Redneck. John The Plant Man appears in both books as the narrator. Click here to take a look.

Would you like to have a consultation with John Schulz, Landscape Artist in your yard in NW Georgia? Contact me by email:  wherdepony@bellsouth.net

 That’s right, the books are on a truck somewhere between the printer and good ol’ Rome, Georgia.  It is a wonderful feeling to think that in just a couple of days I will hold the results of a year’s creative work in my hands.

 It’s a good read, too. Here’s what Ray Atkins has to say in a pre-publication review:

“In Redemption for a Redneck—the sequel to the award-winning Requiem for a Redneck—John P. Schulz reunites us with John the Plant Man and Kickstand as the two men continue their philosophical examination of the unique culture of rural Georgia.  Schultz is a natural storyteller, and he treats his subject with kindness and respect.  His characters—Boss Jack, Pork Chop, Brickyard, and Roadkill, to name but a few—will entertain readers of all ages.  Mark Twain, make some room; you have company.  John P. Schulz has arrived, and he intends to stay awhile”.–Raymond L. Atkins, author of The Front Porch Prophet and Sorrow Wood.

 And there’s a new blogsite for my books. You may see it here

Click on the picture for more info.

 Thanks for being a fan of John the Plant Man. I appreciate it.

john

 I will not have a plant post up this week and probably not next week because I am spending my writing time working on another site to introduce Redemption for a Redneck, the second in what I propose to be The Redneck Trilogy.

 A lot of people have told me how much they enjoyed Requiem for a Redneck and if you are one of them you will like the new book even more—I guarantee it.

 The files for Redemption have been sent to the printer and the book should be available soon. I’ll tell you about it right here on Johntheplantman. The story started in my mind as I looked at one of my favorite pictures of me, my wife, and Speck the coon dog. My son, Paul, came in one day with a true account of a bunch of rednecks on a coon hunt that ended up in a gated community and the story started to take shape.

 Here’s what Raymond Atkins has to say:

In Redemption for a Redneck—the sequel to the award-winning Requiem for a Redneck—John P. Schulz reunites us with John the Plant Man and Kickstand as the two men continue their philosophical examination of the unique culture of rural Georgia.  Schultz is a natural storyteller, and he treats his subject with kindness and respect.  His characters—Boss Jack, Pork Chop, Brickyard, and Roadkill, to name but a few—will entertain readers of all ages.  Mark Twain, make some room; you have company.  John P. Schulz has arrived, and he intends to stay awhile.–Raymond L.Atkins, author of The Front Porch Prophet and Sorrow Wood.

 And here’s the picture that started the story. I’ll see you in a week or two. All is well

 Dot Fletcher loves her window planters. I call them window boxes, but they are actually made of a wire frame with coconut fiber liners. We change these planters twice a year—in the spring we plant lots of begonias, bacopa, and similar plants for summer color. In October, when the begonia plantings still look nice, we change the planters over to pansies. I love pansies because of their hardiness and their ability to give us beautiful flowers throughout the cold days of winter.

We started the project with a trip to a couple of local nurseries where we picked out just the right colors of pansies. I laid the trays of plants out on the driveway next to a tarp which would help to keep the site clean.

Choose just the right colors of pansies for the planters

Repeated work with these planters has shown me that we need to change the coco liners once a year. Here is a label from the new ones:

You can find coconut fiber liners for just about any wire planter

I bought a bag of premium potting soil. This particular blend from Miracle Gro is loose and easy to work with. A good potting soil will allow air flow while still having a capacity to retain moisture.

A good potting mix ensures success

There were six planters. We changed out the liners and filled them with potting soil.

fiber lined window boxes ready to plant

I had also gotten a couple of trays of violas. I love violas because they just keep on blooming. I thought these would be good for the corners and spots in the fronts of the planters because the violas tend to droop and run as they grow. They will fill in the areas below the pansies. I used a tray of white and a tray of purple.

Violas will fill in and enhance the sides and fronts of the planters

We sprinkled Osmocote, a time release fertilizer, over the top of the soil before planting. The actual planting of the plants will mix the fertilizer into the soil and the fertilizer will work slowly all season long. At this point, we’re ready to plant.

Pansies love Osmocote which feeds them all season

I started out by planting the separate colors in groups of three and then finished up by filling in the blank spaces with whites. All of the planters were to look more or less the same, so I planted one for a prototype and then followed the design on the next five. The coco mat liners allow for lots of air flow and that allows me to pack the planters with as many plants as I can find room for.

arranging pansies for lots of color and interest

We moved the finished planters to the windows. Dot told me that one of the best things I ever did was to install the system of drip stakes for the window planters. There are two stakes for each planter which are attached to tubes which come up from a drip system at the base of the wall.

drip irrigation stakes for container watering

The drip stakes run for 7 minutes every other day and are controlled by a simple, inexpensive, and easily installed Orbit timer that I found at Home Depot.

Orbit irrigation controller--inexpensive and easy

The pansy planters look good in the windows. The plants and flowers will droop a bit at first but will pick up and look pretty after a couple of days of sunshine.

A pansy planter on the outside windowsill will flower all winter

You will find a little bit more information about running drip tubing to planters in an earlier article if you click here

******************

Would you like a consultation with johntheplantman in your yard? Contact John Schulz BY EMAIL

Do you have a landscaping problem that needs solving? Leave a comment.

******************

A box of notes leads to a book series

 John P. Schulz announces the upcoming release of his new novel, Redemption for a Redneck, which is the second in a series that was started with his award winning Requiem for a Redneck (Independent Publisher’s Book Awards, “IPPY”, Gold Medal for “Regional Best fiction-South” 2009). The book will be available on or around November 5, 2011.

          John says, “I have enjoyed listening to redneck stories for many years. During my beer drinking days I spent a lot of time sitting by the warmth of a wood heater, drinking beer, and listening to stories that seemed to come from a foreign community. These were what I now refer to as ‘the redneck stories.’ One cold day, right after the snow storm of ’93, after a delightful story telling session, a friend said, ‘John, you need to write about these stories. You’re the only one around who can do it.’ He handed me a note pad.

          “I listened to my friend and started taking notes. I became obsessive about taking notes of redneck stories and I wrote them on anything that was at hand–an envelope, a bar napkin. When I got home I threw the notes in a cardboard box, thinking that I would get to them some day. In 2001, I quit drinking. My life changed, the stories slowed down, and the box of notes was relegated to a back closet.

          “One day, a few years ago, I was cleaning out a closet and found the box of notes. I sorted them out and enjoyed them all over again. As I arranged the notes they became the basis for a fictional story about a world that most people don’t know about.

          “I wrote Requiem for a Redneck which was published in 2009 and was well received by a good number of readers who wanted to know, ‘when is the next book coming out?’

          “The first book opened up a new life and a new set of adventures for me. The Requiem sold well, got lots of good reviews, and was highly profitable in more ways than one. You may read about my profits in a previous article, A Thank You and a Love Story”

          Redemption for a Redneck takes the reader to a small community in the north Georgia mountains. Kickstand falls in love and the community finds its lost identity. John Schulz delivers on his promise to “make you laugh, make you cry, and make the ladies go ‘Awwwww.’”

          In a pre-publication review, Ray Atkins says,

“In Redemption for a Redneck—the sequel to the award-winning Requiem for a Redneck—John P. Schulz reunites us with John the Plant Man and Kickstand as the two men continue their philosophical examination of the unique culture of rural Georgia.  Schulz is a natural storyteller, and he treats his subject with kindness and respect.  His characters—Boss Jack, Pork Chop, Brickyard, and Roadkill, to name but a few—will entertain readers of all ages.  Mark Twain, make some room; you have company.  John P. Schulz has arrived, and he intends to stay awhile.”

–Raymond L. Atkins, author of The Front Porch Prophet and Sorrow Wood.

Permission granted to reproduce for publication

Stay in touch or subscribe. Availability will be announced first right here, on Johntheplantman.wordpress.com

 There was a multi faceted landscaping problem to solve. I stood there looking at a long narrow pathway down a side yard. The drainage was critical to prevent flooding, and we had tried to grow all kinds of grass but it was just too shady. A few years ago, I had put in a rock border down part of the area with underground drainage and catch basins. Now, I was trying to figure out how to cover the ground between the rock garden and the house.

A solid walkway would inhibit the water flow, so we decided to make stepping stones from whiskey barrel rings and let the water flow around them. As for a ground covering, I was afraid that any kind of wood mulch would float and cause a problem, so we decided on pea gravel. To see how we built the stepping stones, read this article

 The stepping stones had been built and we decided to install the pea gravel before finishing them in order to avoid damage from the wheelbarrow. Finally, the gravel was in and we had removed all of the barrel rings. It was time to finish the job. We washed and cleaned the stepping stones. I used a wash of muriatic acid to remove the cement powder and to help to free up any plant material left from the impressions.

Washing stepping stones in preparation for staining.

Next, we applied the stain. There are many choices for stains for concrete. I wanted one that was easy to use and which would be translucent, providing me with a variety of tones. I chose a water based stain that was recommended highly by my friend at Basic Materials, a company that specializes in concrete related applications.

water based concrete stain

The concrete stain was a bit expensive, but it mixes with three parts of water. I mixed it up and sprayed it on with a pump up garden sprayer.

applying concrete stain with pump up garden sprayer

 I didn’t want a solid color, so I concentrated on getting more stain in the impressions and then leaving a mottled effect on the flat surfaces. I thought it came out well, but we will watch the stepping stones as the color cures and decide whether to add more or not. With concrete stain, you really don’t see the true color until after the sealer is applied, but when the sealer has been applied, it is too late to add more color. I thought the stepping stones looked pretty good at this stage

concrete stain on home made stepping stone

We raked the gravel out around the stepping stones and ended up with a finished product that please me. The ground has been covered and the water should now flow through the pea gravel into the catch basin.

Stepping stones and pea gravel with a rock garden border

The next part of the project will be to plant the raised rock garden with plants that will tolerate deep shade. I’m researching the choices.

********

If you like this article on stepping stones, you may wish to see “Building Rock Steps,” parts one and two.

Would you like a consultation with johntheplantman in your yard? Contact John Schulz BY EMAIL

Do you have a landscaping problem that needs solving? Leave a comment.

There’s a story behind this picture, read on

Amanda likes to make a good impression wherever she goes

Halves of whiskey barrels make great planters but the barrels don’t last forever. Years ago, I realized that one of my recurring duties as a landscaper was to remove rotten barrel planters and replace them with new ones. I realized that the oaken staves, though partly rotten, would make good kindling and I shared them with my friends. I kept looking at the left over rings which held the barrels together and thought that I might, someday, find a use for them, so I began saving the rings. People who saw my growing stack of whiskey barrel rings often questioned my sanity. I didn’t care, though, because I knew I would find a use for them some day.

Then, one day, it dawned on me that the rings would make great forms for pouring stepping stones. I tried it out and made a few mistakes before I figured out a good way to make unique stepping stones that wouldn’t wiggle and which had lots of character. The process developed over the years. I finally got the concept of stepping stones that looked as if they were slabs cut from a petrified log full of fossils.

 We were working on a long (100 foot) narrow side yard on the north side of a house. The drainage is critical and a normal walkway just won’t do. We had built a long rock garden at the bottom of a retaining wall and were looking for a sustainable walkway, so we decided to use poured stepping stones surrounded with a pea gravel mulch. Here is the first part, step by step:

We dig out a circle to set the form so that will be level and rise to the proper elevation. The stepping stone will be poured in place and therefore won’t wiggle when finished. The barrel ring is slanted and we make sure that the side of the ring with the smaller diameter faces up so that we will be able to remove it from the finished stepping stone without lifting it.

Be sure to get the ring level, with the narrow diameter facing up

We line the ring with plastic which will make it easy to remove the ring when the cement is dry. Then we start filling it with cement. I used Sakrete concrete mix for strength and durability. Be sure to use a concrete mix, because mortar or sand mixes will not set up strong enough for a stepping stone.

Lay plastic over the ring, shape it to the corners, and add cement

With the plastic folded back, we smooth out the cement to the top of the stepping stone.

Smooth out the cement to the top of the barrel ring

There is almost no limit to the choices for an image in the stepping stone. I chose a fern for this one which will come out looking like a fossil. The fern frond was placed in just the right place and smoothed in with a trowel. You will need to experiment to find just the right stage of curing to wait for before troweling the inset into the cement.

The fern will look like a fossil in the finished stepping stone

Gently pull the plastic toward the center to make sure that there is no overhang of cement. This will also give a nicely finished wrinkled effect to the edge of the stepping stone.

Pull the plastic toward the center to form a finished edge

Fold the plastic over the stepping stone. I like to gently mash the wrinkles of the plastic into the cement to create random lines of interest.

Mash the plastic wrinkles gently into the stepping stones to create a neat texture

Gently place a rock or two on the plastic so that the wind won’t blow it around and walk away from the project until the next day.

allow the stepping stone to cure for a day or so

After the project had dried for a day or two, the barrel rings may be removed. At this point, we trim the plastic at the bottom of the stepping stone, leaving the circle of plastic under the cement alone. If you are careful, the stepping stone will not be disturbed and will not wiggle when walked on.

pull the barrel ring from the dry stepping stone

Feel free to be creative with the images left in the cement, too. In the picture below, we used hydrangea leaves and parts of artificial flowers that we got from the dollar tree. The materials used to make the images will be removed, leaving their impressions in the finished product.

Flowers in a stepping stone

That’s it for the first stage. Be careful to allow the cement to set up well before allowing any traffic on them. In a week or so, these stones will have cured enough for me to stain them. Part two of this series will deal with staining and finishing the stepping stones as well as with mulching and finishing the total project. Stay tuned!

To see part one of this series, click here

***********

If you like this article on stepping stones, you may wish to see “Building Rock Steps,” parts one and two.

Would you like a consultation with johntheplantman in your yard? Contact John Schulz BY EMAIL

 These articles are brought to you by John P. Schulz, author of the novel, Requiem for a Redneck .  You can read more of the adventures of John the Plant man here: http://www.amazon.com/Requiem-Redneck-John-P-Schulz/dp/0981825206/Try “see inside the book”

Or you may visit our website: http://www.requiemforaredneck.com/