The stones were speaking to me…

With the site excavated and gravel base in place, it was time to build the foundation for the stone terrace garden.

I had been “mining” my new five-ton stone pile for the biggest, squarest stone I could find. It wasn’t quite like finding a needle in a haystack, but I would smile whenever I dug out a nice foundation stone.

A palette of stone

As the stone migrated to the job site by wheelbarrow and hand-trolley, I grouped like-minded stone in clusters.  If stone-walling is like oil painting, I wanted a nice palette to choose from. I also wanted a surplus of stone close at hand, so I could keep on a roll. A few of the absolute best stones were earmarked for the corners — they would act as anchors for the foundation.

Our resident blue birds kept busy flying in and out of their bird box with nesting material. It had been a late spring and we hoped the female would settle down soon to lay her eggs.  Meanwhile, swallows had nested on our front porch and would make a racket and fly away whenever we opened the front door.

Next door, a few cows roamed the pasture at Cox Farm.  Rhubarb was sprouting in our garden, and lilac bloomed in our front yard. After a long winter, summer had truly arrived.

The gravel base for the terrace was a straight seven feet, with a freelance curlicue at the end for architectural interest. I dug in and started to rough in the bigger stones, and used a rubber mallet to tap them together as tightly as possible.

Keeping a tight fit

In a few cases, I chiselled off small edges for a tighter fit. The gravel base had some give, so when a foundation stone was slightly misshapen I could work the flaw into the base; that way, the upper side stayed as level as possible for the second course. Once in awhile, I took a break to back to spot and correct any serious flaws in level or placement.

The next task was hearting — carefully packing in smaller stones to create integrity inside the structure.  I worked my way on bended knee along the line of foundation stones, packing about six buckets of heartstones inside.

I checked the wall from above.  A light rain brought out the variegated colours of the stone foundation, including its curlicue at the south end. The muted pinks, greys, blacks and blues of the stone stood out nicely against the green of the oaks, birch and ironwood trees nearby.

So pretty — but also a pattern that would be hidden forever once the terrace was fully built. Better get a photo for posterity!

The stone terrace garden now had a sturdy foundation.