Front Patio – Step 2

After we had a month long spell of “below average” temps – I was ready to resume work on the front patio.

When we last left off, #1 of 5 and I had cleared away the bulk of the rock around 3/4 of the patio – but were left with all the rock that spilled in the dirt.  When shoveling up this rock, it would tend to bring more dirt along with it than rock – and when I dumped the rock in it’s new location – all that dirt would provide just the right environment for weeds to germinate within the rock – so that was out.

 

I decided the best approach was to build a sieve to sift the rock and dirt through.

Two 2x3’s lying around and a three foot chunk of 1/2” hardware cloth – lots of staples, and a snip-snip here, and a snip-snip there (trimming the excess hardware cloth) and I was ready to go.

I set the sieve up on two sawhorses, and started shoveling away.

By Saturday night – I had sifted through all the piles that #1 of 5 and I had left behind.  Sunday morning (right after church) let my motivation get the better part of me, and I headed out to finish the job.  #3 of 5 asked if he could help, so I found a task (that I REALLY did not want to do – pick the rock that fell into the lawn out of the grass – see photo).

He and I spent the better part of 3 hours picking through rock – sifting dirt from rock – hauling rock in a wheelbarrow, and (and here is the best part) – listened to HOURS of Gunsmoke Old Time Radio

By 5pm – I had the entire area I wanted free of rock – freed from all the rock.  I had the rock moved and in it’s new location (under the deck), had dug up and moved the three bushes that were in the corner (Moving those bushes were the hardest part of the day).

Now, I am ready to have Gopher One come out and mark my yard, so I can start digging holes for the fence posts to go in… 

Enjoy some photos of the area, prepped and ready for Step 3!