My Beach Front is done!

I still have a few things to do but I'm done, due to our weather.

UP-DATE: I am very excited that "hometalk" posted my beach on their Facebook page! I just want to clarify something, in case I didn't make it clear here. I had a horrible time getting anything to grow there other than weeds! I put down plastic and then bags of coquina shells. I will look for a picture but you can see the process on multiple posts on my blog. I did not and wouldn't create a litter box. But what do we do here in Florida, living on sand?! Enjoy!

To see more: http://thejourneysend-journeysend.blogspot.com

68 Comments Displaying 25 of 68 comments | See Previous

Susan S Fredericksburg, VA

A classic example of you have not because you ask not!! I'll bet stores in non-beachy areas could probably sell lots of these Coquina Shells if they only offered them. I love their look & texture - BTW - ignorance exposure here but just what kind of shell is that? Is it from a sea critter or a nut of some sort?
Also, was wondering about you and our other Fl. friends w/the impending hurricane. Hope it fizzles out and doen't do any damage to any of you!!

on Aug 25, 2012 · Like 2
Becky Blair, NE

I wonder if they'd get them here in the Midwest if I asked. I tried to find them online, but couldn't find any shells on their site. Do you mind telling me how much they charged per bag and how many bags it took to fill your area?

on Aug 25, 2012 · Like 1
Susan S Fredericksburg, VA

Becky, if you have an Ace Hardware in your area maybe they could have some shipped from another store??? Worth asking anyway!!

on Aug 25, 2012 · Like 2
Sharron W Memphis, TN

@Pat and Susan AWESOME ladies!

on Aug 25, 2012 · Like 0
Becky Blair, NE

Not a bad idea Susan. We have them in Omaha and a small one in our little town. I'll have to ask. Not that I know what I'd do with them. I'd have to think about that one.

on Aug 25, 2012 · Like 1
Marg C Middletown, NY

the shells are from the Sea Susan.

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 1
Susan S Fredericksburg, VA

@Marg - WELL - they coulda been some kind of nut shell that looked like sea shells and used for landscaping - couldn't they? LOL So, let me wipe the shells off my face and tell Becky what I did find - which I should have done in the first place. Thanks for the info Marg!! ;~)
@Becky - go to this web-site. It has tons of different sea shells for sale and if I'm reading the prices correctly they seem to be reasonable. ...»

www.shells-of-aquarius.com

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 0
Marg C Middletown, NY

I only knew this because in St Augustine, FL there is a Fort (Castillo de San Marcos) made entirely of Coquina shells. Awsome tour. haunted too! love me some ghosts!

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 1
Becky Blair, NE

Thanks Susan. They sell by weight so I'd have to order a sample to see if they'd be worth it. Probably not though for the size of the space we have. We just decided last night on a ground cover between our sidewalk and house so it's pretty much a moot point now. We've been putting bark there, but it gets costly because it either blows away or fades and looks terrible. We'd been searching for a ground cover that didn't cost an arm and a leg and finally realized that the one we had in our ...»
berm would work since it's spreads further than any traditional ground cover we'd been looking at.
I still could use some shells from this site for in my potted plants. I hate the way the dirt splatters when watering them. The shells would look neat and keep that from happening. Thanks!

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 1
Susan S Fredericksburg, VA

Oh, I read about the St. Augustine place being made of these shells when I was searching around. To be truthful, I really don't know HOW I feel about ghosts. I think I'm rather neutral in that I don't have any personal experience one way or the other. I do watch a few of the stories such as "A Haunting" I think it called. I won't deny that there have been some unexplained and eerie occurances. Actually, doesn't NY have it's share of other worldly things going on too doesn't it??? Oh, ...»
and the info on St. A. didn't mention anything about being haunted!!

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 1
Sharron W Memphis, TN

I love St Augustine, My favorite place to visit...and I bought a candle formed from shells by pouring wax in a hole dig in the "soil" there....I Love that thing...and Ripley's, but I don't remember hearing that the fort was haunted...

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 0
Ellen H Cullman, AL

Before I signed on here, I was cleaning out my email. I pinned two scenes from St. Augustine from an email deal, then came over here and here you are talking about St. Augustine. It's kinda spooky. For a second I thought I had somehow pinned to HT instead of Pinterest.

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 2
Sharron W Memphis, TN

@Ellen....maybe the universe is telling you to plan your trip! LOL

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 2
Pat S Titusville, FL

Good evening!
The bag of shells I used are 30# = 1/2 cubic foot = 6 square feet coverage area for each bag @ 1 inch deep = $4.99/bag...It doesn't hurt to ask!
otherwise $1.80 for 1/2 would cost $108.00 per my bag.
I wound up using 12 bags and it is deeper than the one inch that is suggested. ...»

I hope that helps... I thought this info was on my blog.

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 1
Pat S Titusville, FL

By the way, for the most part Isaac is going off to the west and headed, it seems, for LA (again) we have had tropical storm conditions, which is not as bad as it could have been. Tonight I just pray no tornadoes pop up!

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 1
Becky Blair, NE

Thank you so much Pat. That helped me decide against checking on getting them. It would take about a couple hundred bags to do the area I was thinking of. I just did a rough calculation and the area is approximately 350 square feet so maybe a little less, but still more than I want to spend. I'm thinking the idea I had earlier this summer of using trunk slices from the trees we had to cut down and then ground cover to fill in will be the way to go.

on Aug 26, 2012 · Like 1
Marg C Middletown, NY

that is good news Pat!
Apparently the whole town is reportedly haunted. We even took a ghost tour on foot which lasted 2 hours! That's all you'll see down there is signs for this place and that place being haunted :) as a matter of fact, Ripleys is supposed to be the place with the most paranormal activity. Ghost Adventurers did a show at the Castillo de San Marcos so that's why I wanted to take the ...»
tour....and that's when I found out about it being built entirely with the shells :)
Ellen, I think you should go because besides all of that, it is really a beautiful place to vacation...a cute town with loads of fasinating history, right on the water and good eats too! I don't think you'd be dissapointed :)
I go ghost hunting with a small team of mine and I love it Susan! I have recordings but that's for another day :)

on Aug 27, 2012 · Like 1
Pat S Titusville, FL

Becky, I had looked on line to buy bulk shells but it all would have been too costly...I think the bulk is more for crafting not landscaping. There are a few places along the coast that sell shells by pounds and tons but I don't know if then it becomes costly for shipping....I like the trunk slices too and was thinking about pea gravel at one time.

on Aug 27, 2012 · Like 1
Becky Blair, NE

Oh I bet the shipping would kill that deal too. Around here you can get rocks by the ton or truckload. We thought about that, but neither of us really care for that look. So trunk slices it is since we can get them for free. Well I can. Hubby will have to work quite hard to get them for us. Hoping the chain saw will work. Just have to figure out a way to hold the logs steady while we do so so no fingers get in the way. :^{

on Aug 27, 2012 · Like 2
Sally Lee by the Sea, LLC Ocean Park, WA

It looks wonderful, congrats! I love the idea of using shells in the front. We basically live on a sand spit so have many areas that don't grow anything either...think I'll give this a try.

on Nov 11, 2012 · Like 2
Sharron W Memphis, TN

This is adorable! You did a fantastic job!

on Nov 11, 2012 · Like 1
Pat S Titusville, FL

Sally Lee by the Sea, LLC that's my problem here...sand! Thank you and Sharron W

on Nov 11, 2012 · Like 1
Sherrie S Debary, FL

I love the look you created - so welcoming & playful. Makes me smile.

on Nov 11, 2012 · Like 1
Pat S Titusville, FL

Thank you Sherrie!

on Nov 11, 2012 · Like 0
Bernice H Yakima, WA

Very cute and fun! Love it!

on Nov 13, 2012 · Like 1