Finished Project
The wall is about twenty feet long and two feet six inches tall. It’s located between the prairie and the pine circle. If you are sitting on the butterfly bench, you could comfortably rest a cup of tea on the tallest, level section.
Progress
Stone mason and artisan Brooks Burlson, owner of Natural Stone Installation, did the project with the help of Matthew and Isaac after they did the major work for the dragonfly terrace. Brooks told me about the six aspects a mason needs to consider while placing each stone in regular dry-stack walls, which are built without mortar. For example, each stone needs to be level or slope in to the center of the wall. They also had to be aware of the curves and gradual change in height for this wall.
Inspiration
I’m a huge fan of environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy. His Storm King Wall is a dry-stack stone wall that weaves through the forest at the Storm King Art Center, growing lower as it approaches a lake, and then emerging on the other side. When I saw the stone walls that Brooks Burlson had made, I hoped that he would do curving, sloping wall for me, one that looks as if it is rising up out of the Earth. I’m thrilled with the result. I’m pretty sure the garden lizards will be too.