"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...
I'm about to build a very low stone retaining wall (two stones high)
around a raised flower-bed and want to use something to bond the
stones together lightly and stop the earth from slowly washing through
the gaps. I don't like the idea of plain mortar, much to obvious and
eye-catching (until it gets moss etc on it, which could be several
years). Strength isn't really a issue. Can I make up a
cement-sand-earth mix to tone down its appearance and disguise it, and
if so, any suggestions as to the proportions? I guess I'm looking for
a sort of cement-bonded earth, if that's practical.


--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Don't know about the proportions or indeed if you can mix earth with sand &
cement and get a bond. A few years ago I was given an old Belfast type sink
for the garden and SWMBO wanted it to look like an old stone type with moss
etc growing all over it. After she decided on it's position I roughed up
the surface and buttered it with s & c and let it go off. Then (this is the
bit you're waing for), I painted it with MILK, I don't think it matters
wether full or semi, and the moss grew over it like there was no tomorrow!
So it may be worth you're while just using a s & c mix and the getting the
cow juice out of the fridge. Last time I saw it, I have now moved house and
was visiting my old neighbours, it looked like it had been there for 50
years+.

HTH

John

Chris Hogg wrote:
I don't like the idea of plain mortar, much to obvious and
eye-catching (until it gets moss etc on it, which could be several
years).

Old landscapers trick, spray or brush a liberal quantity of liquid
manure/fertilizer over it - the moss will grow like fury!

Dave

On Wed, 28 Sep 2005 18:06:00 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:


Yoghurt [the natural 'live' stuff] - mixed with a bit of
earth/compost. Slap it on and it'll age within days. Probably better
in warmish weather.

I'd agree with the previous posters - slap some yoghurt or whatever on it.
Urine has been suggested too. Soil can have a high organic content, and you
can see this by getting some, shaking it in a jar of water and watching how
the
soil separates out as it settles. I'd at least avoid putting the organic
fraction in
mortar.

Another suggestion.: I notice how nearly everything I have at ground level
eventually
takes on something of the colour of the local ( clay ) soil, so why don't
you make
up your mortar the normal way, use it to build your structure, and then when
it
has gone off, simply rub wet soil into it? That'll tone it down right away,
and it
won't wash off easily.

Andy.

Chris Hogg wrote:
I'm about to build a very low stone retaining wall (two stones high)
around a raised flower-bed and want to use something to bond the
stones together lightly and stop the earth from slowly washing through
the gaps. I don't like the idea of plain mortar, much to obvious and
eye-catching (until it gets moss etc on it, which could be several
years). Strength isn't really a issue. Can I make up a
cement-sand-earth mix to tone down its appearance and disguise it, and
if so, any suggestions as to the proportions? I guess I'm looking for
a sort of cement-bonded earth, if that's practical.

You can do that... what are the stones? What sort of earth have
you? I'd go for abouut 1:10 cement:earth as a guess. If you are
not in a great hurry, mix up some samples (say 1:8, 1:10,
1:12), let them go off for four or five days under a plastic sack
on the ground, and see what you get. You're right, strength won't
be an an issue for something like this, it's just to locate the
stones - do you want plants to grow in the wall after a while?
You could try u.r.g.

I know that roofers when they want to age a new clay tile roof use
chicken droppings and water ... soak tiles with that and moss, algae &
lichen grow in record time.

In article ,
Chris Hogg wrote:
I'm about to build a very low stone retaining wall (two stones high)
around a raised flower-bed and want to use something to bond the
stones together lightly and stop the earth from slowly washing through
the gaps. I don't like the idea of plain mortar, much to obvious and
eye-catching (until it gets moss etc on it, which could be several
years). Strength isn't really a issue. Can I make up a
cement-sand-earth mix to tone down its appearance and disguise it, and
if so, any suggestions as to the proportions? I guess I'm looking for
a sort of cement-bonded earth, if that's practical.

Mix in some emulsion paint to give the colour you want. It won't be
permanent but will last long enough for nature to take its course. And
wipe some yoghurt etc over the joints to encourage moss growth.

--
*The first rule of holes: If you are in one, stop digging!

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Chris Hogg wrote:
I'm about to build a very low stone retaining wall (two stones high)
around a raised flower-bed and want to use something to bond the
stones together lightly and stop the earth from slowly washing through
the gaps. I don't like the idea of plain mortar, much to obvious and
eye-catching (until it gets moss etc on it, which could be several
years). Strength isn't really a issue. Can I make up a
cement-sand-earth mix to tone down its appearance and disguise it, and
if so, any suggestions as to the proportions? I guess I'm looking for
a sort of cement-bonded earth, if that's practical.

Reminds me of watching a neighbour the other day. They have an old brick
boundary wall about 6' high which is in really poor condition; it would
worry me if it was mine. Anyway, last week I noticed the Lady Of The
House out there fiddling with bricks in said wall, she seemed to be
repairing it which I was a bit surprised at, but no bad thing.

Anyway, on closer inspection, I noticed that what she was actually doing
was removing loose half-bricks near the base of the wall, packing the
resulting space with earth, and then planting flowers in there. I'm
sure it will all look very pretty until it all falls down!

David

On Wed, 28 Sep 2005 18:06:00 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

I'm about to build a very low stone retaining wall (two stones high)
around a raised flower-bed and want to use something to bond the
stones together lightly and stop the earth from slowly washing through
the gaps. I don't like the idea of plain mortar, much to obvious and
eye-catching (until it gets moss etc on it, which could be several
years). Strength isn't really a issue. Can I make up a
cement-sand-earth mix to tone down its appearance and disguise it, and
if so, any suggestions as to the proportions? I guess I'm looking for
a sort of cement-bonded earth, if that's practical.

It has been done. Mostly to stabilise clayey soils, although quicklime
seems to be about as effective in this (I get involved in all sorts of
wacky projects). The normal approach seems to be to include peat and
vermiculite which will moss up fairly readily. The peat provides nutrient,
the vermiculite (expanded mica) retains water. Both should be available at
a decent garden centre.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/h...744004525.html

contains a suitable set of "recipes". You can also google for hypertufa. I
like the #2 and #3 mixes for your application.

John Schmitt

--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

In article ,
Lobster wrote:
Chris Hogg wrote:
I'm about to build a very low stone retaining wall (two stones high)
around a raised flower-bed and want to use something to bond the
stones together lightly and stop the earth from slowly washing through
the gaps. I don't like the idea of plain mortar, much to obvious and
eye-catching (until it gets moss etc on it, which could be several
years). Strength isn't really a issue. Can I make up a
cement-sand-earth mix to tone down its appearance and disguise it, and
if so, any suggestions as to the proportions? I guess I'm looking for
a sort of cement-bonded earth, if that's practical.

Reminds me of watching a neighbour the other day. They have an old brick
boundary wall about 6' high which is in really poor condition; it would
worry me if it was mine. Anyway, last week I noticed the Lady Of The
House out there fiddling with bricks in said wall, she seemed to be
repairing it which I was a bit surprised at, but no bad thing.

Anyway, on closer inspection, I noticed that what she was actually doing
was removing loose half-bricks near the base of the wall, packing the
resulting space with earth, and then planting flowers in there. I'm
sure it will all look very pretty until it all falls down!

But she was only removing loose ones near the ground so that could hardly be
dangerous. Obviously she wouldn't think of disturbing any near the top of the
wall - that could cause problems...

[no smiley - any bets on that being pretty close to her thought processes?]

--
John Cartmell john@ followed by finnybank.com 0845 006 8822
Qercus magazine FAX +44 (0)8700-519-527 www.finnybank.com
Qercus - the best guide to RISC OS computing

Chris Hogg wrote:

I'm about to build a very low stone retaining wall (two stones high)
around a raised flower-bed and want to use something to bond the
stones together lightly and stop the earth from slowly washing through
the gaps. I don't like the idea of plain mortar, much to obvious and
eye-catching (until it gets moss etc on it, which could be several
years). Strength isn't really a issue. Can I make up a
cement-sand-earth mix to tone down its appearance and disguise it, and
if so, any suggestions as to the proportions? I guess I'm looking for
a sort of cement-bonded earth, if that's practical.


yes, best to use mostly lime and little cement and lots of sand.

I've not done it intentionally, but it has happened in the course of
laying stones and slabs and it sort of hangs together, is fairly porous,
and with the lime, not so rock hard it cracks.

You don't need any mortar - the gaps will fill with earth and
stabilise.

cheers

Jacob