In a previous post I mentioned that a garden terrace was being added beside the cabin - and that terraces are like flat steps on a hillside with retention walls to help keep the vertical part of the step from being washed down the hill with a heavy rain. Back Acres: Making an A-Frame Level for Staking the Garden Terrace Contour Line.

A tractor path was flattened to bring field row rocks to the garden terrace construction site from the large pile of farmer's field row rocks that follows the forest's edge all the way up the hill of the valley. Back Acres: Constructing a Tractor Path to bring Field Rocks - for the Garden Terrace Retention Walls.

This garden will be for growing vegetables, herbs, and berries for the family. Creeping wild strawberries or herbs will be grown on the outside of the terrace field rock retention wall.

Digging the First Rockwall Row Trench

• First a small trench is cut with the pickaxe for the first row of lower retention wall rocks to lay in.

• Small rocks are removed from the first row trench so the first row rocks don't teeter on them when being placed.

Laying the Corner Stone and First Row

• The large rocks should lean towards the inside of the wall - not the outside. With the heavier side of the rock towards the inside. Larger rocks that create a close-to-flat wall top are selected for each row of the terrace retention wall. Rocks are wedged together to help keep them from moving towards the outside of the wall - whenever possible.

• Small rocks are placed behind the larger rocks if needed for stabilization and to slow dirt from pushing through the larger rocks. The smaller rocks are placed on the inside of the rock wall so they are not easily pulled out like they would be on the outside of the wall.

Movement of Earth to Create the Terrace

• A drop off is cut along the row of stakes to create an upper drop off. The dirt is brought down to the rock wall until level with the new row of rocks.

Terrace Uppercut

Pick Axe and Garden Rake Combination

• A pickaxe to loosen the dirt - then the use of a garden rake to pull the dirt down to the inside foot of the new rockwall row.

The Rows Continue

The rows for the rock wall continue to be added until the desired retention wall height is reached, and the top of the rockwall is level.

Terrace Construction Visitors

During the week of 6 hours of random work on the garden terrace leveling and lower retention wall construction - I had a few visitors.

A Cousin and family came out for a visit. I was happy to show my Cousin's husband what I was working on - and tell him about the plan.

One of the cats strolled by for a visit. I have to plant the garden soon so he doesn't think this is a litter box for him.

My Son and his friend to provided a gravel sifter framed-up photo b0mb :)

The High Speed Terrace Construction Video

Below is the video of the week of the spuratic 6 hours of garden terrace and rock retention wall construction that has been speed up to be condensed to 14 minutes. A lot of airplanes fly over the lake apparently - they can be heard throughout the video.

Downhill view of the Garden Terrace - Before and After:

Uphill view of the Garden Terrace - Before and After:

Next up for the terrace is the garden leveling, irrigation ditch trenching, soil improvement, seeding, transplanting, and upper retention stonewall construction.

Have a Great Day!