As promised my fascinating stone has found its place in the shade garden wall.The weather was beautiful today and Ed was working on the wall. When I brought the stone to him he just placed it in the wall where he was working. Today was one of those magical days when the stones just fit together. It looks like mortar squeezing out between some stones. That is actually wet sand. Bedding the stones in a thin layer of wet sand fills the final voids and keeps the stones from rocking. Rain and time will erase the visible sand leaving us a solid place to sit.
This is the "ugly" side of the wall. Since these stones will not show when the planting soil is added to the shade garden, irregular stones have been used on the inside of the wall. The only issue here is structural integrity. It is also a place to bury the stones unsuited for the visible side of the wall. I've always been amazed watching Ed build a wall using the varied stone. The well placed stone stays where it is put.
