When I say weighty I mean as in: “man that weighs too much , we have to reengineer !“
The planter boxes , of which there are approx. 64 lineal feet at 20 inches high are now going to be constructed out of light weight sheet styrofoam and covered with tomato soup orange eco-stucco ( # 2 from photo ).
We’ll use the commonly found insulation sheets of styrofoam - probably the 3/4 inch
sheets.
The small square water feature that abuts the venetian plaster ( warm mustard yellow ) will be crafted out of thin strips of slate stacked one on top of the other . ( # 4 from photo )
The bio wall is still being experimented with, but we’ve concluded that it will have to be built and transported in several different sections and then re-bolted together at the show.
I am hoping that we can avoid small ‘gaps’ in the segmented sections.
We also cut down on the height of the wall.
It was going to be 3 flats high with a top planting of bromeliads which would bring the over all height to over five feet tall, and instead have decided plant the wall 2.5 flats tall and top it off with about 1 to 1.5 feet tall of bromeliads and orchids.
This new revision will allow people who don’t want to wait in a ( inevitable ) line to view the garden from standing outside of the exhibit ( It is a ‘walk -through’ , handicapped access display)
Bio wall individual flats - 3 high
Bio wall indvidual flats - photo shows 2 flats high - we’re going 2.5 high
Aeoniums and other succulents growing in pots . These will be planted infront of the bamboo planter and infill the bio wall.
The shower wall still has to be built using standard construction techniques due to the extremely heavy weight of the stacked Thai pebbles.
Each 2 foot by 6 foot insert panel will weight several hundred pounds so the framework really needs to be beefy to accommodate both the weight and the thickness of the stones.
( # 5 + 6 from photo )
Back to the studio !
That’s the update for now.
Michelle
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3 comments:
Pretty complex Michelle. How full and lush will the biowall be--those succulents still have 6 weeks to fill in don't they? Is the Venetian plaster going over styrofoam also?
I'm so glad Nandina pointed me this way! I'm certain you've thought of it...but you could always stuff any gaps with dried reindeer moss. Texture and color would work, would they not? And it shouldn't add any appreciable weight...
Melanie (aka mjsee)
Hey it's the gang from the GardenWeb Design Forum !
Miss you guys !
Susan, funny how the simple designs can be the most complex to build !
The succulents that are growing in the flats in the greenhouse are pretty full.
I have extra flats and my garden guru, Bahia ( David Feix) has kindly offered me cuttings from his garden should I need some fillers.
Thank goodness for good friends !
Miguel and I just wrapped up a discussion on the Venetian Plaster walls and we are going with plywood instead of styrofoam to veneer the walls with
The interior panel of stacked pebbles ( shower on the inside , just the pebbles on the outside facing wall ) is just too darn heavy and needs some good shear strength from the adjoining walls.
So plywood it is going to be.
I knew that those stacked river pebbles were going to be heavy but I really underestimated their weight.
Heavy little buggers !
Hey there Mel.
Great minds think alike.
I plan on bringing a bale of moss just incase I need to 'stuff it'.
So so so glad you guys stopped in to say hi and to check in on my / our progress.
Today was a fun filled day of cutting and gluing stone.
Will post photos in my next blog entry.
Hope to hear more from you , as your artist and technical eyes are SO MUCH APPRECIATED !
see you around.
Michelle
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