Comments on: Recycling a Collapsed House

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Tue, 29 May 2007 16:48:45 +0000

Thanks! Actually, the bricks aren’t TOTALLY level, but that doesn’t bother me too much, nobody’s gonna be playing soccer on it or anything.

By: Xris (Flatbush Gardener)

Xris (Flatbush Gardener) — Tue, 29 May 2007 15:22:03 +0000

Old materials are treasure. Had the same situation in my first garden in NYC, in the East Village. The paths were brick and the retaining walls for he raised walls were bricks and foundation stones.

Chamomile is another hardy plant choice for planting between the bricks. It looks too sunny for moss, otherwise I’d suggest letting that grow in. And I’ve always wanted to be able to grow Corsican mint, a creeping mint species which is not quite hardy here in NYC. However, in a protected site, as it looks like you might have, it’s worth a shot.

Two maintenance problems you will have: weeds and heaving. Seeds from every weed from blocks around will settle in the cracks between the bricks. Prepare to spend lots of time digging the weeds from between the joints.

Because you’re laying the bricks directly on the ground, as I did in the East Village garden, you’ll also need to re-level all the bricks every Spring. This will include needing to remove and reset some of the bricks that are too far out of line to pound back in place.

By: kathy

kathy — Tue, 22 May 2007 13:54:48 +0000

I’m currently living in a 100+ year old Victorian cottage on the Jersey shore. At the end of last summer, I finally began demolishing the decrepit shed behind the house. Soon I realized that the shed was as old as the house, which made me feel very guilty about ripping it apart, but it was just too big and hard to maintain. So I understand your conundrum. My thoughts, though, lean toward the philosophy that you save what you can, and try to adapt and recycle the things you can’t, as you’re doing.

By: jenblossom

jenblossom — Mon, 21 May 2007 18:08:03 +0000

Oh, yeah, it’s pretty durable. If ours is any indication, it’ll last through the winter and keep coming back every year.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 21 May 2007 17:55:39 +0000

Yeah, I have heard that. It’s pretty tough, too, right? It’s gonna get stepped on :)

By: jenblossom

jenblossom — Mon, 21 May 2007 17:54:22 +0000

Wow, that’s really something. No ruins at our place that I can see.

Have you thought about planting thyme in some of those cracks? It spreads really nicely which makes it a great groundcover, and you can snip it off and use it in cooking, too. :)