Concrete block wall project for New Year's
The New Year’s ball has dropped. 2011 is a clean slate. I never bother with resolutions, in the garden or otherwise, but I do get antsy for a new project at this time of year. Pleasant temperatures, no mosquitoes, and a tamed and friendly Death Star (i.e., sun) make winter in central Texas the perfect time of year for a new hardscaping project.
And here it is—a sneak preview of the cinder-block planter wall I’m building. I’ve shamelessly imitated a similar wall created by Pot-ted, which I saw at ApartmentTherapy.com. More pics to come soon!
Update 1/4/11: Check out more cool walls made of concrete blocks at Sunset’s Fresh Dirt blog. Thanks for the link, Elizabeth.
P.S. Those grapevine orbs in the top image were my Christmas gift from my sister. I decided to hang them from the live oak sheltering the upper patio, and my DH helped with that today. Aren’t they great?
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
How funny! I was trying to figure out how to do a roundish raised bed with cinder blocks today! (on paper as the rains have made everything here a sea of mud.) Love your new orbs!
Cinder blocks seem to be a popular medium for these economically challenged times! They are inexpensive and easy to work with. I look forward to seeing your raised bed. —Pam
Hi Pam, Happy New Year. I’m envious that you can start a new project in January. Here in CT, January is for planning purposes only. I may ‘borrow’ this idea from you for my garden. I wonder how long it would take to grow moss on the cinder blocks??
It probably all depends on where you site it. Have you heard about the trick of “painting” concrete with a yogurt mixture to encourage moss? I look forward to seeing how you interpret this idea, Debbie. —Pam
January is the perfect month for me to read the blog posts of Texas gardeners like you who are starting all kinds of interesting projects. Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. I like it so far!
I just needed another excuse to plant succulents, Carol. And now I have just the spot! —Pam
What a great sister you have! Those orbs look wonderful in the tree; hard to find something big enough to make a statement but light enough to hang. I’m with Carol as far as January projects and weather. So I agree that it will be fun to have something like this to watch while we shiver up here.
I bet you get lots of great planning done while you’re enjoying a break from actual gardening. I can see the advantages! But I do love this time of year in central Texas. —Pam
What a great diy project! Can’t wait to see what you put in all the little planting spots. And the grapevine decorations in the oak are beautiful.
I’m going to plant hardy succulents for the most part, Amy, although some of the planting pockets are very shaded, and I may go with foxtail fern or something similar in those. —Pam
Love your project and look forward to seeing it planted. Question- did you get someone to cut the cinder blocks to use in the planters or did you do it yourself?
None of the blocks are cut, Jenny. The cantilevered ones are simply turned sideways and anchored from above by a block sitting on top. I’ll have more pics and instruction about making this wall when I’ve finished it. And I believe Jenny Peterson, who has also just built a wall like this, will have a post up this week. —Pam
I love it! It looks very contemporary and you will have it filled up in no time with beautiful succulents, etc. That is a clever idea!!!!!
Isn’t it clever? I wish I could take credit for it, but of course I’m borrowing the idea from someone else. Gotta love blogging! —Pam
Interesting concept – would never have even thought of that! Will you be leaving it in its original concrete gray, or painting/staining it different shades?
My husband doesn’t love the gray of the concrete, so even though I don’t mind it, I think it will paint it. Not sure what color yet. —Pam
Should be a fun project! I do like those grapevine balls too. Hope you have a wonderful 2011 Pam!
Thanks, Jean. Happy new year to you too! —Pam
Shameless imitation or otherwise it’s a beauty! Will you paint it? Mortar between the blocks? I can’t wait to see it planted!
Yes, I plan to paint it. I’m using a liquid concrete adhesive to add stability in lieu of mortaring. It’s pretty stable as-is, but since I have kids around I want to be sure the blocks won’t get knocked loose. I’ll probably wait until spring to plant it, but I think it’s going to look great. —Pam
Where did your sister get the grapevine balls. I need some. I love the planter. Thanks for sharing.
Somewhere in Houston, Karen. Sorry I don’t know more. —Pam
What a great idea! I could actually do this for an area I wish to partition off from another. Thanks for sharing! Love the orbs, too! I’ve got several in the house that are about 6 inches in diameter. I’ve got little white lights inside them and they’re piled into a Crate and Barrel basket on top of our bookshelves. I’ve got more of them, perhaps hanging them outside will work here, too! You’re just FULL of ideas today!
I was thinking they’d look great with lights inside them. —Pam
Can’t wait to see that wall. I printed that image from Apt Therapy the minute I saw it, too.
Very inspiring, wasn’t it? Check out Sunset’s blog Fresh Dirt for more cool concrete block ideas. —Pam
The orbs look wonderful hanging in the tree. Your block project looks interesting. I can’t wait to see it potted up. Will you paint it a surprising color? Fun.
I do plan to paint it, Lisa, but probably something neutral rather than surprising. The succulents I plant in the holes will add enough quirkiness on their own, I think. —Pam
Very cool – I love blogs – so much inspiration! Can’t wait to see the finished project! Happy New Year!
I will be sure to post more pics when I’m finished, Cat. —Pam
Whoah! That project is genius! Simple (except for hefting all the heavy blocks) and high-impact. I’ll be checking back on its progress. Happy 2011–you’ve got it off to an inspiring beginning.
Thanks, James. Isn’t it a brilliant idea? I only wish I’d been the one to think of it, but I’m just borrowing it from someone else. Check out Fresh Dirt (link added to end of my post) for more great ideas with concrete block. —Pam
OOoh, that cinder-block planter wall idea is fantastic. I might have to steal it too!
Go for it, MeemsNYC! —Pam
They are great. Oh boy, I have a lot of these blocks piled up…give me an idea or two.
I look forward to seeing what you come up with, Darla. —Pam
Pam, Happy New Year! That is clever and it will look fantastic planted out! Now, I must find a spot for it here! gail ps AT has often been a source of inspiration to me~
I am not surprised this appeals to you, Gail. Your art reflects your contemporary tastes! —Pam
Love this idea! When I saw Jenny working on it I didn’t think of how large this could become. This could be a great way to hide my AC unit.
I keep looking for Jenny’s post. Yes, she built a BIG wall of concrete blocks, with nifty niches for candles. —Pam
Cool idea! Can’t wait to see the finished product. Very mod.
Something like this would look good in your mod garden, Lee. I’m kind of pushing the envelope, style-wise, in my more rustic garden. —Pam
What a cool looking wall! It will be fun to see the completed project.
We’ve been out in the garden too–first time in months and it feels good to see beds composted and mulched. Much more to do…
I start to feel pressure at this time of year to get hardscaping projects accomplished before the heat returns. But it’s hard to get motivated on gray days like we’re having. —Pam
Wow…I’ve never like cinder blocks…but that idea is brilliant…I’m sort of tempted to try it!
Sometimes it’s all about finding the right use for something ordinary, isn’t it? If the color of the blocks turns you off, they are easy to paint, Scott. And it’s a lot cheaper than hiring out construction of a wall. —Pam
love those orbs! i also was inspired by apartment therapy’s posts about concrete block. i just posted some cool concrete block walls, as well as that awesome planter. can’t wait to see how yours turns out. i thought it would be cool if someone had enough space so that it had plants on all four sides! talk about a focal point!
Exactly what I’m thinking, Janine! Mine will have plants on both sides (I cantilevered blocks over both sides of the wall), and of course the ends will be planted, as well as the top. One side of the wall is viewable from a path through the garden to the patio; the other side from the patio itself.
BTW, thanks for sharing those fabulous concrete-block ideas on your blog! I wanted to post a comment but couldn’t without an account; I use the Name/URL option to comment. Anyway, they were inspiring. —Pam
Just found your blog – I really enjoyed looking back through your galleries. Happy New Year
Thanks for visiting. Please come back anytime. —Pam
Check today’s entry at Fresh Dirt. http://freshdirt.sunset.com/2011/01/glamour-from-an-unlikely-source-cement-blocks.html
Serendipity! I love their examples, Elizabeth. Thank you for sharing! —Pam
Thanks for sharing this cool idea! I think it is very deserving of stealing, and I’ve got just the situation for it.
Perfect! Have fun making your own wall, Liz. —Pam
Those will look great with succulents. Love all the ideas linked too.
Pam, you can use surface bonding cement to easily give cement block the look of stucco. Use added pigments to for color and/or apply tiles or other found objects to personalize it.
Cool tip, S. Fox! —Pam
I would love to cover it with creeping fig and grow a shade garden in it! Great idea…….!!! Like the links to other ideas.
I love creeping fig…when it’s not in danger of swallowing my house, as it was when we moved in. Keeping it contained on a free-standing wall would be a great way to enjoy it in captivity. Cool idea, CIMS. —Pam
Your wall will be wonderful. I’m passing the idea along to a friend moving to Texas in the spring. I love your blog, it’s been fun lurking and learning. Your photos are beautiful.
Thanks for visiting and commenting, Andylynne! So glad you’re enjoying it. —Pam
Oooh weee! I can’t wait to see what you’re up to this time. Love the orbs. Love’em. Happy New Year.~~Dee
It’s a good time of year for a new project, at least way down here in the south. Too bad I have so many old projects that still need doing! —Pam
It is a frozen tundra here and your patio looks quite inviting along with the shade of the tree and the dangling orbs. I can’t wait to see what you will put in those pockets. Will you paint it? Stucco it? Leave it be? Just wondering where your creative leanings will take you. I will have to wait and see.
It was 71 F here today, Layanee. Nice for enjoying the patio. I do plan to paint it because my DH doesn’t care for the gray concrete look (though I do). And when the danger of freezing is past, I plan to plant succulents in the pockets. —Pam
What a great idea, Pam. It’s going to look great! You’ve definitely given me something to think about for my yard… — I love the Fresh Dirt post, too.