Thread: doing a little landscaping

well we have been to the plant store and the block store and the wall is going up if i can figure out the pic thing will post if possible.

Dont know if this is how you are suppose to download a pic but this is just getting started on my little project of trying to get it done the way i want it

Have about 2500 block going in when it is all finished. we just finished this little guest house portion of the property and i can not stand not being able to walk on the lawn/issan yrd. so since i have time and village labor is pretty cheap so will hopefully get this done before i got to go back to work.

Well done mate ,,

just some shots of the progress so far. We are going for a flower and tropical walkway to small thai kitchen/ maids quarters built

just wanted to see before and after

A bit of help on your pics. House sure looks familiar.

how did you make the pic that size?

Thats only the guest house... looks nice.

How much was a load of earth?

I have been told that the black stuff is the best... anyone any thoughts on that?

dirt 180baht i think and cant find the black stuff have about 100 bags potting soil. and am going to bring in rice husk and cow manure to amend the soil,

It cost me 250 baht for similar looking earth but i had to have mine graded in a slope to the road...not sure how that affected the price.... and yea I could not get the black stuff either.

it looks like i will have to make my own

It looks sandy so it will give you good drainage in the rainy season and will not turn into a pool ....hopefully.

interested in the retaining wall construction - those interlocking blocks/bricks - mortared?

Near us a failed retaining wall - pic - it was ok till they pushed the soil behind it when it took on a curved shape, ready to collapse.


The price for soils seems ok, paid 100b/cu m recently for 45m of clay to build up a section over the road, poor quality it would be no good for a garden etc.

a small truck. Would have been ideal here. Our ones were 5cu m at a time.
One driver in a hurry to go back for another load started driving away with the tipper still up, and took the powerlines with him.

Damn Genghis. All very chaotic at your build.

no, not building, girlfriend inherited another section across the road and when soil is available cheap locally gets a few truckloads to build it up above road level, would make a nice building site as one side overlooks a river. It is next to the one with the failing retaining wall, she's building it up to the same level as that one.
We live in her house, classic 2 bedroom Thai style on poles her late father built early 70s, had the ground level concreted and tiled, one 6 x 3m room and a 9x6m open 'living' area.
From what I've read here I don't think i could cope with the stress of building; even the few times we've used tradesmen (and I use that term loosely) there is always something . . .

the blocks are not mortared as only 6 block high they have dimples in them to lock them together. will post pic blocks 7 baht a piece

well done, keep em coming

Originally Posted by genghis61

From what I've read here I don't think i could cope with the stress of building; even the few times we've used tradesmen (and I use that term loosely) there is always something . . .

yes, it can be stressful but when you manage to achieve what you want, that is a good feeling

think i got it now

A-Picker... Are those blocks laying on dirt, or did you put in a small concrete footing first?

right on the dirt..I wanted a small concrete footer but got talked out of it we shall see if it holds. But will be bracing out side wall with small step down planter to help with stabilization. Fill is only 2ft deep at the deepest

as per that pic I posted earlier - I would have concerns with these interlocking blocks that they don't slowly take on a curve of their own once the soil is compacted and rained on, may be strong horizontally and not burst, but no vertical support.
Same as a line of Lego bricks?