Author Topic: Landscaping with locally foraged rocks is badass!  (Read 2579 times)

hankscorpio84

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Landscaping with locally foraged rocks is badass!
« on: September 02, 2016, 11:42:28 PM »
For the past three days I have been using locally foraged rocks instead of facypants manufactured paving stones on my landscaping project.  Moving the rocks one by one takes much more time than getting a pallet delivered from the big box store, but the side effects of fresh air, knowledge of local sources, abundant sunshiene, and a happy helper dog are well worth it.  Sore muscles and a fatter wallet make my mustache grow!  Once the landscaping is complete, a fire pit is next on the list, then maybe attempting a wood stove mantle project with similar rocks.  Free building materials + exercise, does it get any better???

NV Teacher

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Re: Landscaping with locally foraged rocks is badass!
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2016, 03:36:42 PM »
My sister did the same thing all summer.  We grew up on a farm and every time my dad plowed up a field to rotate crops we had to spend hours and hours picking up and hauling the rocks out of the field.   We teased her every time she came and took another load off the rock pile about hauling those rocks twice.

Eucalyptus

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Re: Landscaping with locally foraged rocks is badass!
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2016, 05:11:31 AM »
Interesting idea.

As an Ecologist I'm wary of people collecting their own rocks much (they often provide habitat, soil erosion prevention services, etc). But in the right circumstances its fine.

I was thinking of making a small river-rock zen garden in my next PPOR. Maybe I'll do some careful collecting. I could do it as part of some local hikes-just get a few rocks each trip. Good encouragement for me to get out of the city for microadventures more.


Landlady

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Re: Landscaping with locally foraged rocks is badass!
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2016, 03:44:08 PM »
Cool! I collected some volcanic rocks last time I was near an old volcanic site in Oregon for the sauna we are building. We asked the local ranger the rules and locations and she pointed us to a spot where we could legally collect them. She wasn't at concerned about the ecology in this situation because hardly any wildlife inhabits these old lava rock fields. I would be concerned if the rocks were near a stream or river though.

horsepoor

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Re: Landscaping with locally foraged rocks is badass!
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2016, 10:09:01 PM »
Interesting idea.

As an Ecologist I'm wary of people collecting their own rocks much (they often provide habitat, soil erosion prevention services, etc). But in the right circumstances its fine.

I was thinking of making a small river-rock zen garden in my next PPOR. Maybe I'll do some careful collecting. I could do it as part of some local hikes-just get a few rocks each trip. Good encouragement for me to get out of the city for microadventures more.

Yes, and was also wondering whose land these are coming from, and if you have permission or a permit.

With that said, I've picked up some nice flagstones and reused rocks from our old house in our landscaping rather than buying from the rock yard.

Landlady

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Re: Landscaping with locally foraged rocks is badass!
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2016, 01:09:07 PM »
A fantastic place to get rocks is from construction sites when they are excavating a foundation or digging conduit. They have to haul them away which is expensive for the builder. Usually if you ask they will gladly give fill dirt and rocks away. Just did this last night since this post reminded me I wanted some rocks for a landscaping waterfall.

Fishindude

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Re: Landscaping with locally foraged rocks is badass!
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2016, 01:55:16 PM »
Pretty field stone rocks are something we have an abundance here in the mid-west.   There are piles of them in the wood lot edges and fence rows around nearly every farm where farmers from generations prior to us stacked them as they worked the fields with their horses, mules and small equipment.   They are great building material.   I have gathered them to build a beautiful field stone face for my bar, as well as a backer wall behind my wood stove.