Laying the Groundwork

[Tomw]

5’ X 8’ open trailer rental for two weekends @ $20.09 = 40.18

Rototiller rental for two weekends @ $76.48 = 152.96

7 tones of Crushed limestone and silica sand @ $42.20 = 295.4

To create an ideal area for Coccothrinax and Cycads………..Priceless

The back braking work to shovel around 20 tones of “dirt” (from the trailer to the wheel barrel, and from the wheel barrel to the area tilling the dirt and shoveling it into a pile and back) to create this area, in my opinion is well worth it.

All of the good soil was removes form the area to the depth of 3 feet (.9 M) and then crushed limestone and silica sand was added. I would then till it thoroughly, once tilled I would pile it up in an area that is done. I continued mixing good soil crushed limestone and silica sand until the hole was done.

Just before working on this area I was lucky enough to get these two large cap rock boulders. My neighbor rebuilt his house and the landscaper placed these boulders in the landscape, I talked to her about getting me a couple. A week later my neighbor asked her to remove them (probably a cost cutting effort), so I bought them from her (at her cost) and she delivered them for FREE!

Edited April 5, 2012 by Tomw

[Tomw]

Moving the boulders was a trick…….

[Tomw]

Now for a breakdown of the plants,

Coccothrinax crinita in the center.

Coccothrinax alexandrii to the left.

Coccothrinax hiorami to the right.

Pseudophoenix ekmanii placed in the center on top of the mound.

[Tomw]

Continuing the round out.

Coccothrinax miraguama var. havanensis

Coccothrinax borhidiana

And last, but not least!

Coccothrinax macroglossa (azul)

[dalmatiansoap]

Nice setup, great artwork,

for everything else......

[Tomw]

Oh my, I almost forgot the Cycads.

Encephalartos lehmannii

Dioon edule

Encephalartos princeps

Encephalartos princeps

The only thing that is left to finish this off is to put down weed cloth and to cover with white pea rock.

[redant]

Looks great, better get the rock down before every cat in the hood discovers the new litter box.

[Tomw]

Looks great, better get the rock down before every cat in the hood discovers the new litter box.

No doubt!!

I already have “gently” persuaded some cats away from the planter. They hit it before I could even get the plants in.

[bgl]

Tom,

That's a great look! And nothing like the satisfaction you get out of creating it yourself. See it take shape - exactly the way you want it! Yes, priceless!

Bo-Göran

[Kim]

I like it, perfect Coccothrinax habitat! I am a rock fan, and in this case I'm not talking about music.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

That is a lot of work! I would love to have seen those boulders moved. Read this: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=32388

Before you put your fabric down. In your case I would advise against it.

About cats, is it true that they won't do their business where they smell a dead cat? Just saying...

[Tomw]

That is a lot of work! I would love to have seen those boulders moved. Read this: http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=32388

Before you put your fabric down. In your case I would advise against it.

About cats, is it true that they won't do their business where they smell a dead cat? Just saying...

Jerry,

Thanks for the link, I missed that thread. I think that I will skip the weed cloth.

Very interesting information about the cats, but I will have to find better way to deal with them.

[peachy]

Re the cats. I rent cage traps from the council and any cats caught get taken to the pound. The neighbours have learnt to keep their cats at home now. I dont pay good money for plants to have them destroyed by other people's animals.

Peachy

[Tomw]

Re the cats. I rent cage traps from the council and any cats caught get taken to the pound. The neighbours have learnt to keep their cats at home now. I dont pay good money for plants to have them destroyed by other people's animals.

Peachy

A wile back I had a problem with my neighbor’s cat getting on my back porch and spraying. I borrowed a trap from a different neighbor, trapped the cat and spray painted it with florescent paint and let it go (with no harm to the cat, although it did scare the poop out of it, literally). I believe that it’s now an inside cat.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Spray painting a cat with flourescent paint does no harm to it?

[Tomw]

Spray painting a cat with flourescent paint does no harm to it?

Yes, the paint doesn’t hurt the animal, and does wear off eventually. Brushing the cat does help remove the paint. The biggest harm is to the cat’s psyche.

[Tomw]

I like it, perfect Coccothrinax habitat! I am a rock fan, and in this case I'm not talking about music.

Kim, I’m a rock fan also. Unfortunately there isn’t a large availability or selection of rock here in Florida, at least for a reasonable rate.