'pends on whether we've determined that this forum is for historic landscape restoration, or generic restoration, landscape repair and revision. Your project looks like the latter.

And why can't this forum handle both? Unless Mel plans wholesale reworking of existing planting schemes in addition to the renovations listed above, it's restoration and not redesign. And Cady, the way conversations have been drawing out on the forums lately, do we really want another 90 post thread on "Define historic"? Yesterday is historical, dear...

Heh heh. Well, she did ask, so I posited an opinion. Either way is cool with me. I want to see pix.

I'd say here. Not only do I see re-this and re-that in your post, where else are you going to have a crack team of professionals and experts helping you with your redesign, while throwing in useless pop culture references to the 60's and 70's to make you laugh.

Hmmmmm...on second thought, maybe LD.

spectre

ok children--here it will be. I'll have to borrow a neighbors camera--and then figure out how to post pics--because (lord help me) the last time I DID post pics it was with the help of my older boy's buddy--Lat. Lat is at Digipen learning how to design and execute video and computer games....

So, as you can see, I am bereft of technical support.

melanie

ACTUALLY--after further thought--I want this forum's progenitor's blessing. Ginger? I know you aren't the moderator--but this place WAS your idea. I'm happy to post either place!

melanie

Melanie:

If you really need tech support on posting images, I've written something on the Tropicals Forum that I can cut and paste here. I won't link it because it's buried under a lot of other posts.

spectre

Hello, Melanie-
I have been at a conference the last two days, 5:00AM to 7:30PM (travel-time included!); last night my computer line was briefly down, so couldn't post til today . . .

When the forum first began, I put up a post, subject line of which was "Purpose of This Forum." I outlined what I had in mind; also wanted input from others. Got an e-mail from Spike that that was not kosher and that the purpose of the forum was already determined by the title and subtitle:

GARDEN RESTORATION
"This forum is for the discussion of renewing old gardens, and garden history more generally."

I had wanted a focus on BOTH garden redesign/renewal/ renovation/refreshing/rejuvenation AND garden restoration and garden history. I think with the emphasis on garden restoration we may end up with a greater focus on garden history and historical restoration, to the detriment of the more general renewal work. We will have a more dynamic forum if we have posts on both general garden renewal and historic garden restoration. Lets do both.

There is an overlap with the Landscape Design forum to be sure. Posters will have to decide for themselves where to post. The user agreement asks that we not post the same message in multiple forums. However, you can no doubt post a query in one forum, get solutions, then further refine your query and take it to a second (or third) forum. Other forums have overlap as well - Tropicals and Tropicalesque; Sustainable, Organic, and Permaculture; Northern, Canadian, New England; and so on. It all works out!

Ginger

WHAT?!?!? You have a LIFE?!?!?! You don't live and breathe solely for THE GARDENWEB?!?!?!

sheesh!

Thanks for the reply--I'll have to think about it.

melanie

Melanie:

Keep it here...we'll give it a shot. We can give you a money back guarantee, se habla español, if we can't beat your deal, we'll eat a bug.

spectre

Spectre,
YOU'LL eat a bug. The rest of us will watch and clap. LOL

Melanie, now that you have us intrigued, you've got to keep it here. It sounds like an interesting set of design issues, and since Ginger has already started a thread about planning changes in the garden and landscape for our old age, your plan to add handicap access fits in very well.

Well, good! I don't have a scanner yet--nor have I gotten hold of a digital camera--but I DO have a rough drawing that the contractor e-mailed me as a J-PEG. If I e-mailed it as an attachment would one of you computer whizzes know how to reduce the file size so it could be seen here? It's a pretty big file...

Spectre--please cut and paste those instructions--and e-mail me instructions if you know how to reduce file size of pics. I don't have a web page--so I won't be able to post pics IN TEXT HERE--but I will be able to put them in hte gallery.

This could be fun--but don't get too attached to the handicap ramp--the project came in at $45,000--and with a kid in University I can't quite handle that--that's two years tuition! This wasn't going to be a typical wooden ramp--it was to be an integral part of the front "patio"--rising up in a gradual grade to the driveway--and paved with the same material as the patio. A majority of hte cost of this project (over 50%) is the replacement of an INTACT brick retaining wall to accomodate the new ramp...I'll have to get hold of a camera this weekend.

If I thought the cracked retaining wall would make it another seven years I'd just hold off on that part of the project and deal ONLY with the steps, the drainage, and turning the nasty white rock into a patio--I've got my contractor coming back next week--perhaps he'l come up with a way to stabilize the wall so that I won't HAVE to redo that part in 7.5 years when BOTH kids are through college and I can afford to do the ramp...

Are we still excited?

melanie

I am. Because I think we can design a handicap ramp for less than freakin' $45,000. I mean, is that estimate including a pneumatic lift or something? Structural steel? What?

I think for $45,000.50 we could lower the house down to ground level solving all your problems.

No, it includes 864 sq feet of solid rock retaining wall at $25.00/sq--($21,600)and 800 Sq ft of cobblestone patio (installed) at $11/sq.($8,800.) Those are the two big ticket items...and in all honesty--he priced what I want. I want this to blend with the rest of the (beautiful)rock walls in my yard. I think even he was a little surprised at how high the estimaate came out. In fairness to him--I didn't give him a budget--because I was CLUELESS as to how much this stuff cost--I should have. I also asked him to design something that would be beautiful and in keeping with the current site. MOSTLY it's because of the length of the retaining walls. I know we could do something with landscape stone--and he would probably be happy to do so--but I need to decide if I want to. This is a problem I have--I'd almost rather do without than settle for less than the best--it's why I don't have my own digital camera yet. I REALLY wnat that Nikon SLR--and I can't afford it! So I "make do" with my Nikon FE2--(kidding) but then I can't post pics.

Does his estimate make a little more sense to you?

Melanie

With a fancy stone retaining wall, that paints a totally different picture. Yes, now I see where that estimate is coming from.

I realize that a pressurized lumber ramp isn't as visually appealing, but what if you built that -- in all its inexpensive yet structurally sound glory -- and then built a stone facade for it and nice plantings? I can sketch something out this weekend to show you what I'm thinking.

Melanie:

As I posted on the Palms & Cycad Forum:

First thing you need to do is register with an image hosting site. There are tons of them out there like WebShots, Ofoto, Shutterfly, HPPhoto, etc. Alternatively, if your ISP gives you web site space, you can upload your pictures there.

Once that's done, then you create a link in the body of your message. You can either link to the picture by using an HTML tag like <a href="http://website/image.gif">color>; or post the actual image by using the HTML tag <img src="http://website/image.gif"; >color>.

Remember to lower the resolution to a web-friendly size because many people use dial-up. Around 75KB is a decent size. Take care.color>

Hope that helps...I've also sent you and e-mail. BTW, for $45,000, I'll do it.

spectre

I have had a look at the photo spectre posted melanie, is the drawing attached to the estimate the only plan you have of the proposed job?

Yes--because that is all we asked for. I'm going to contact the contractor (say THAT three times fast!) on Monday to set up a meeting to see if we can come up with some more cost effective--but still attractive, alternatives. My own fault--you'd think after all the time I spendt hanging out in LD I would have know to give him a "not to be exceeded figure..." instead I told him what I wanted to achieve and asked him to design something that would meet those requirements--and be attractive. Not HIS fault that I have champagne tastes on a beer budget!

I can type out the itemized estimate if you'd like--but perhaps it would be better to put it all under the new thread Spectre started?

melanie

NOTE FROM MELANIE! (how odd to be speaking in the third person...) Please move over to the "melanie on htis Old HOuse feed back thread!

I've posted a link...

Here is a link that might be useful: the thread to answer on