Masonry block has come a long way since Peerless Block was founded in 1905. When company owner Steve Doty asked me to see their new outdoor landscape display, I thought it would be a few pavers and some block walls. But I was pleasantly surprised to find a stunning display that incorporates a multitude of options for every outdoor space.
While I was chatting with May and Keyser, a customer arrived to purchase something that I'm going to find a spot for in my garden. The patron was buying a load of brick chips, and at half the price of lava rocks ($70 a ton), they are not only attractive but practical as well.
Another product that my husband wants as much as I do is the sand that they have used to install their brick pavers. Called polymeric sand, it's swept in just like regular sand, but once wet it forms a hard, cementlike seal that is weedproof, unlike its regular sand cousin.
May explained that if you have existing sanded bricks, you can power-wash the brick (cleaning the bricks and washing out as much of the existing sand as possible) and then let the brick dry completely. Then sweep on the polymeric sand and it will work as well as if it had been installed originally.
Wish we had used it in the first place - and so do my kids, who have had to weed the patio frequently over the past 15 years.
Starting over
Speaking of projects my husband approves of, we just undertook a monstrous job that took a truck and chain and lots of sweat. We removed large, overgrown euonymus bushes and Virginia creeper from around an entire side of our home.
We took the bulk of the plants out by looping a chain around the bushes and pulling with a large truck (thanks to our helpers!), but the rest had to come out with a mattock and lots of sweat. Now we have this beautiful, blank canvas and we're poring over the gardening books to decide which bushes will go into this new old bed. What fun!
Poison ivy help needed
I have several readers (as well as my own family) who are looking for something to get rid of poison ivy. A commercial product? A home remedy? I'm scratching as I type this, so please help. Between the poison ivy and the yellow jacket nest, I've had a rough week.
Sara Busse is a Charleston resident and Master Gardener. Reach her at sjbu...@gmail.com.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Masonry block has come a long way since Peerless Block was founded in 1905. When company owner Steve Doty asked me to see their new outdoor landscape display, I thought it would be a few pavers and some block walls. But I was pleasantly surprised to find a stunning display that incorporates a multitude of options for every outdoor space.
The company has installed a raised patio, complete with several types of stairs leading to an outdoor kitchen, fireplace and seating area. The floors of the entire area are covered with various types of bricks, pavers and slabs of natural and manmade materials.
There are many different patterns, from formal to natural, to suit many tastes. There's a waterfall made of natural, rounded river rocks, and tables and benches throughout, all made of stone and block.
The large brick fireplace is the focal point, and it's not only interesting because it's pretty, but because it's a prefabricated item that comes to the customer's home in three pieces, ready to be put together quickly and efficiently. At $7,000, it's quite an investment, but the company has sold several since it has installed the display.
Peerless President Keith May explained that the company employed Joe Young of Triad Engineering to design the display space. Valley Gardens installed the masonry work and the accompanying plantings, but May stressed that most of the products are made for do-it-yourselfers as well as for professionals.
"They even talked me into doing a class about installing a paver walkway," May said with a smile. "If I can do it, anyone can."
The paths around the display lead to a lovely fire pit area.
Helpful employee Josh Keyser gave me a chart that details what's needed for making a round fire pit. Pick the size you want, and the chart shows how much to buy and how much it will cost to pick up the supplies at the Peerless yard.
For example, an 18-inch-high fire pit with an inside diameter of 4 feet, 1 inch and an outside diameter of 5 feet, 7 inches uses 33 6-inch blocks and 33 12-inch blocks, for a pretax cost of $295.
Everything in the display is available at Peerless. And this company aims to please - they're having hot dog cookouts for their customers once a month using the new outdoor display area.
While I was chatting with May and Keyser, a customer arrived to purchase something that I'm going to find a spot for in my garden. The patron was buying a load of brick chips, and at half the price of lava rocks ($70 a ton), they are not only attractive but practical as well.
Another product that my husband wants as much as I do is the sand that they have used to install their brick pavers. Called polymeric sand, it's swept in just like regular sand, but once wet it forms a hard, cementlike seal that is weedproof, unlike its regular sand cousin.
May explained that if you have existing sanded bricks, you can power-wash the brick (cleaning the bricks and washing out as much of the existing sand as possible) and then let the brick dry completely. Then sweep on the polymeric sand and it will work as well as if it had been installed originally.
Wish we had used it in the first place - and so do my kids, who have had to weed the patio frequently over the past 15 years.
Starting over
Speaking of projects my husband approves of, we just undertook a monstrous job that took a truck and chain and lots of sweat. We removed large, overgrown euonymus bushes and Virginia creeper from around an entire side of our home.
We took the bulk of the plants out by looping a chain around the bushes and pulling with a large truck (thanks to our helpers!), but the rest had to come out with a mattock and lots of sweat. Now we have this beautiful, blank canvas and we're poring over the gardening books to decide which bushes will go into this new old bed. What fun!
Poison ivy help needed
I have several readers (as well as my own family) who are looking for something to get rid of poison ivy. A commercial product? A home remedy? I'm scratching as I type this, so please help. Between the poison ivy and the yellow jacket nest, I've had a rough week.
Sara Busse is a Charleston resident and Master Gardener. Reach her at sjbu...@gmail.com.
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