The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => Totally Off-Topic Discussions, Rants, Tire & Oil Threads, Etc. => Topic started by: Danie on January 28, 2009, 11:41:42 AM
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Just after I came back from work earlier this afternoon, I anctiosly open our back door - just to have a quick look at my hard work in our pool area during the past couple of evenings. And as I opened the door, I actually could'nt beleive my eyes ............disaster - again ! The concrete fencing above our swimming pool has collapsed - probably due to a (self inflicted) mud slide ! :-[
We bought our current house about 18 months ago, and unfortunately the previous owner has not been a keen gardener. When we moved into the house, the bank at the back of the pool area was covered with weeds, and just after we moved in, I started getting rid of the weeds. Then it started raining heavily - causing a mud slide - and half of the bank ended up in the swmming pool !
Since the previous disaster I was not very sure whether I should try again........but the temptation became too much to handle............. I started getting rid of the weeds, planted daisy lawn.........then it started raining heavily yesterday, and it is stll raining - causing another mudslide !
Now I am not too sure whether the insurance company will be very happy about the situation........
:-[
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Sorry about the pic's quality - I suppose I was a bit shakey :-[
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That fence is concrete? Wow.
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Ouch!!! I guess you need to try some erosion control material which is impregnated with seeds for plants that have deep rooting characteristics. Grass is too short rooted. Rebar for erodeable slopes is some deep and intertwined roots. Take a look at what shrubs and plants grow on the embankments of rivers for a hint in your part of the world. We liked the fast shrub willow or red osier dogwood. The latter is nice in that the stems are a beautiful red colour.
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In our area one can buy bags of wild flower and grass seeds called "Conservation Seed" - it is intended to be used on slopes and areas prone to erosion where one wants indigenous, fast rooting and thick growing plants to help take hold of the soil and prevent these sorts of things. some of these contain "weeds" or wildflower type plants that are actually quite pretty when they blossom. Maybe they have something similar to this sort of thing produced in your area ?
IT would probably break many international laws, but you could probably have some of our members from the southern half of the USA ship you a couple stalks of Kudzu plant - that stuff can take over a hillside within a couple weeks, I think, depending on your average amount of rainfall. But, it could potentially take over your whole neighborhood, too!
;)
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Wow, that sucks. :(
What kind of drainage system did the previous owner install behind that nice brick wall? That might be part of the problem. Too much saturation and not enough drainage and it won't matter what you plant there.
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I'm really sorry about the problems you're having Danie, but I'm a little confused (a common state of play I think).
How is is that your removing of the weeds caused the fence to collapse? I'm assuming the property above is not yours?
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Thanks about all advice - I hope to adress all questions.
Firstly, I have contacted the Insurance company today, but unfortunately I am still in the dark - the insurance reprasentative did not seem to be 100% sure about the "fine print" of the contract. They were suppose to phone me back - but they never did. So hopefully I will get an answer tomorrow.
I am not aware of any proper drainage system on any side of the fence. The property on the other side of the fence belongs to my neighbour, and we still have to discuss the problem. My intention is to get all relative building plans from the local outhorities, in order to make a proper assesment. Fortunately both my youngest son, and son in law, are civil engineers by profession - so hopefully there will be a cheaper way to prevent similar future problems.
As far as the concrete fence is concerned - it consists of vertical concrete posts, with loose concrete blocks which slide in between the different posts. Unlike the US, (where hardly any fences in residential areas can be seen) concrete, razorwire, and electic fences unfortunately became an absolute nessessaty in our country during the past couple of years - for security reasons.
Regarding shrubs and other bigger plants with a better root system which could help to stabilize the upper bank - these plants are becoming more and more unpopular in our area, also due to safety risks. As said before on other threads, we do experience an extremely high crime rate in our country - and these plants often offer shelter to unwanted elements in residential areas. And for this very reason, I must admit - I unfortunately had to remove some shrubs from the bank as well.
Perhaps a better answer about personal risks locally could be found somewhere in this report from abroad :
http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=4752.0.102.0
Regards
Danie
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From reading the intro to that report (link), your mudslide is the least of your problems.
I am sorry that things in SA are in such a bad way... :'(
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Well, a lot of things can be said about this country, but fact is - I will stay here till I die.
On a positive note, there are still millions of people with high moral values locally, and we are also facing an election - hopefully during the first half of this year. Many citizens are simply sick and tired of the current mess in this country - which started the day when the great Nelson Mandela left our political scene just over eight years ago. Mr, Mandela's moral legacy has simply been destroyed by most of the political leaders in our goverment during the past couple of years.
The recent split in the ruling political party (ANC) is causing a lot of excitement locally - many prominent leaders in the ANC started jumping off the bandwagon. The sence of despair (to many citizens) has been replaced with a sence of "yes, we can too".
I prefer not to say much more about this issue, but I have added a few pics to my Photobucket album - perhaps those pics tell a better story about why so many local citizens are so concerned (and furious) about the current condition of this beloved country.
The pics have been taken by myself when I visited my mother in the western Free State - just after the past Chrismas period . My children went to this school untill it became a "full blown" goverment school back in 1995. Untill that time that school was a semi-private school - and in perfect condition.
While I visited the school (perhaps unlawfully) which accomodates more than 1000 pupils each year during the school holiday, I found almost complete chaos -doors and windows has simply been left open, and it was clear that nature already took a toll on the buildings itself. It was hard to find any classroom without broken windows - door locks has been destroyed, toilets were in a disgusting condition, etc. :
http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh288/DaniesR65/
I do apologize about this disgusting pic from the school toilets, but perhaps it says a lot about dropping standards in our country:
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Danie,
I understand the concerns about the shrubs. Perhaps you can find something that isn't so pleasant to hide amongst? The spouses dad propagated a beautiful rose bush that he had at a Skelly fuel station he owned back in 1948. He brought some of it to the house, about 13 years ago. This rose has the most thorns on it that I have ever seen on any plant, anywhere. When I trimmed it back last summer, I was wearing some very thick leather gloves. Even though I was being very careful, sometimes the thorns went through the gloves like they were thin silk. ouch!!!
We also have some raspberries and wild roses that are pretty nasty, too. And the root system on these things go extremely deep. I've got some of the roses growing on the embankment between the house and the street. No one is going to be doing any hiding there, unless they're wearing a suit of armor. The quail like it though......coyotes can't get to them there. ;D
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Good stuff Dee! I hope Danie is able to use them!
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Around here in New England, people with nice "estate" type homes often grow a particular variety of holly shrub as a hedge around their house. It is very, very dense, and the leaves on the thing (which stay on even through much of the winter) are basically like thick, 8 edged razor blades. The stuff is impossible to get through without a suit of armor and its roots go deep into the soil, I don't think that it would tolerate the hotter/drier climates so well, though. The birds of course like the berries, and it is quite ornamental besides beign a good deterrent against intruders.
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I understand the concerns about the shrubs. Perhaps you can find something that isn't so pleasant to hide amongst? The spouses dad propagated a beautiful rose bush that he had at a Skelly fuel station he owned back in 1948. He brought some of it to the house, about 13 years ago.
We also have some raspberries and wild roses that are pretty nasty, too. And the root system on these things go extremely deep. I've got some of the roses growing on the embankment between the house and the street. No one is going to be doing any hiding there, unless they're wearing a suit of armor. The quail like it though......coyotes can't get to them there. ;D
Another good possibility is Pyracantha. Not only are the thorns viciously sticky, but they also seem to have something on them that burns like an insect sting. (Hence a partial reason for the name.) A bonus is that the berries are a very pretty red (another explanation of the name). See the www.wikipedia.com item about the security aspects.
JT
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Around here in New England, people with nice "estate" type homes often grow a particular variety of holly shrub as a hedge around their house. It is very, very dense, and the leaves on the thing (which stay on even through much of the winter) are basically like thick, 8 edged razor blades. The stuff is impossible to get through without a suit of armor and its roots go deep into the soil, I don't think that it would tolerate the hotter/drier climates so well, though. The birds of course like the berries, and it is quite ornamental besides beign a good deterrent against intruders.
Well, we have a couple of different varieties of the holly bush/tree around here in the south. It gets pretty hot here and it survives really well. You cut it down and it comes right back! The birds love nesting in them as well. Those leaves can really bite! But I like to use sprigs for decorations at Christmas time.
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Danie, I'll add my vote to Dee's suggestion. We have some rose bushes in the back yard that I am scared to walk within 5 feet of. :o I swear they're possessed as I know they jump out and bite me sometimes. :P
I really do "feel your pain", to quote one of our most famous adulterers, I don't really stay that up to date concerning what happens in SA but I always thought it was supposed to be a paradise once apartheid was ran off. About all I can offer is the particulars on some of my favorite .44 Magnum loads... [smiley=evil.gif]
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Thanks for all advice and moral support - really appreciated !
Well, since my previous post I have decided not to act like a crybaby again. This beautiful country still offers a lot - and a negative attitude will bring us nowhere anyway........
I must admit - I really love roses, but unfortunately the embankment at the fence only gets full sun for about four months of the year. So I do not think roses will survive there. I do know about a local shrub which could be Pyracantha - as described by Altritter. More birds in the area would be a bonus as well.
Anyway, my insurance claim has been submitted, and hopefully the insurance accessor will do his rounds soon. Aparantly they have been "flooded" with claims, and they are battling to cope with the extra workload. So I can't do anything but wait at the moment.
Again, thanks for all advice ;)
Regards
Danie
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I must admit - I really love roses, but unfortunately the embankment at the fence only gets full sun for about four months of the year. So I do not think roses will survive there.
Not quite true - try David Austin roses. They have a huge variety. Roses will grow with only 4 - 6 hours direct sunlight a day - in summer. I have a wide selection of roses that get little sun during the winter (they are mostly hidden by an embankment) but during summer they put on a grand display. SA is very similar in climate I believe to SA (South Aust). I also have several under Japanese Maples -not the best place one may think - but the tree has grown a little larger than I had anticipated so early on it's development. I had planned on moving them in 5 - 6 years-but hey - they are performing wonderfully well. They are lucky to get any more than 4 hours a day during summer. However, because Austin roses have been developed in te UK the amount of sunlight is relative.....
What I really love about the variety he has is the perfume. Try one or two and if they don't work well - I figure you're only out maybe $50 at the most.
If you plant 900mm apart they will join up without any issues.
Aloe plants? Prick the Bejeez...s out of you and have a nice rosette as well....Good thing is the sap....helps with sunburn and the pricks (so to speak) ;D Can testify to the effectiveness of the 'thorns' - had some and I accidently put my forehead in one (don't ask) - anyhow I subsequently pulled them out.
Horticulturally yours
Tim
PS By the way - still lost on the failing of the fence - it appears to have broken a third of the way up or so - how is the ridding of the weeds the issue?
PPS I'm not even going to go there with the gun issue...
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Thanks for the information about David Austen roses Aussie. There are several nurseries in our area - hopefully they do keep stock of this variety.
By removing the plants (including the roots) from the embankment, the soil obviously became very loose - therefore also caused a higher risk of a mudslide during heavy rains. This happened after my first attemp to remove unwanted plants at the embankment, just after we bought the house.
I inially thought that the embankment has moved downwards this time - but after having a closer look, it does not seem to be the case. The soil on the other side of the fence is about 1ft. higher than on our side, so I do have a feeling that a higher pressure against the wall (caised by the heavy rain), as well as a possible structural weaknes in the vertical post, has caused the fence to collapse.
Regards
Danie
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It looks to me, from the shaky pic, that the post is broken off about a foot or so above the ground. If the soil gave way, the post would have been undermined completely to cause that collapse.
I think you'll find that it is your neighbors side of the fence that was the problem here. May you two can get a bulk rate on the same plants for both sides of the fence.
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Hi Danie,
What I learned about the SA I learned from Sipo Mzimela who left the ANC and the country back in the sixties to become an Episcopal priest. He said the reason he left was the ANC's scorched earth policy to make the country unlivable by taking down institutions - like schools. At the time he was adamant that the ANC communist leaning policies were failures and would do terrible harm to the country. The end result was a lost generation: illiterate, impoverished and angry.
Sipo was from Natal provence (Zulu country) so he wasn't really a ANC person anyway. Being from Natal he ended up aligning with Inkatha Freedom Party. He came to Altanta in the late 80's early 90's because he needed a place to go and we took him in an made him an assiting priest. (Black Priest at a predominately white church). He got married here in church: now that was a wedding...you should have heard the drums.
One of the crazy things that happened at St. Bartholomew's Atlanta is that there was a debate about the future of the SA between ANC and Inkatha sponsored by St.Barts because Sipo knew everybody and brought them together. Unfortunatly I missed it as I was working that night (the story of my life). But people that were there said it was very tense. I don't remember who the ANC people were but I think Inkatha Chief Buthelezi was there.
When Mandella was released Sipo was asked to come back as part of the first (Unity?) government on the Inkatha side and to our amazement was named minister of jails. I don't ask him about this (I'm sure it wasn't much fun) in fact I haven' t seen him much recently as he is suffering poorly with diabeties (he's trying to hang on to his feet).
Your picture and stories is an affirmation of sorts that Sipo was right all those years ago.
Sorry to be so wordy but it is a crazy story from a my crazy Episcopal church in far away Atlanta where we joyfully participate in the sorrows of the world.
Sipo Mzimela and Gale DeCosta
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Hi Bill
I do find your comments very interesting. I obviously do not know Sipho, but I am sorry to hear about his poor health condition.
As said above, Sipho was absolutely correct about the ruling party's policies that would harm our country. Our current goverment school system is probably one of the biggest failures of our goverment - and this is causing huge concern locally. Hundreds of thousands of youngsters are leaving school each year - with a senior school sertificate which became virtually useless. Many of this young people cannot even read or write properly - and this "lost generation" became a huge concern indeed.
The current leadership in the ruling party is also a huge concern to many of our citizens. Our next President will probably be a man without proper formal education - who are currently facing several charges of corruption, fraud, money laundry, and racketeering. Although he and his party claim that he is completely innocent, they are trying every trick in the book to stay out of court........
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/04/2482621.htm?section=justin
Regards
Danie