Re: Cinderblocks

**"Debby Williams" w*@msu.edu**

At a small local building supply near my last home, they had half size
(width) cinder blocks which I used for a raised flower bed.  I painted them
with Thompson's water seal to seal the concrete - if I recall correctly
concrete leaches and makes the pH high(?) -and then planted dragons blood
sedum in the holes.  They were very happy, hung over the sides and covered
the concrete.  I planted Nepata (cat mint) in another group and they didn't
do as well.

Debby Williams

> From: Adam36055@aol.com
> Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2003 12:51:31 EDT
> To: community_garden@mallorn.com
> Subject: [cg] Cinderblocks.
>
> I've found ciderblocks great for stacking to make benches in gardens
(flat,
> not standing up or sideways) or for use in the foundation of a patio or
other
> large piece of infrastructure like a shed, in lieu of freshly laid cement
(we
> rented a mixer for the slab that our new shed sits on at the CCG.)
>
> However, I've found that unless you have hanging plants, like sweetpotato
> vine,  growing from the holes in the cinderblocks, the effect is decidedly
> unaesthetic if you choose to use them as planters.  Some of our earlier
> gardeners used cinderblocks to frame their beds, originally, but chose
brick
> or wood largely because of the aesthetics.  Fortunately, red bricks were
> plentiful in NYC vacant lots (before canny demolition companies started
> gleaning them for resale as "aged bricks") so many of our gardens have
> redbrick paths and borders.
>
> Its been also said that new red bricks manage to walk to community gardens
> "by themselves" from construction sites easier than large cinderblocks -
but
> the lady who said that refuses to be quoted in this forum...;)
>
> Best wishes,
> Adam Honigman
>
>
>
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> End of community_garden Digest

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