BilletHead Posted June 9, 2017 Posted June 9, 2017 What can I say? The BilletHead needs a project or hobby going all the time. This was a project and kind of a hobby and yes garden related. We got a concrete storm shelter put in a few years back thanks to a tax refund. I think I posted the paint job we did on it. Well still not happy I told Mrs. BilletHead of my plan. I always get a really and what do you think it will look like? Most projects I do turn out pretty well. First thing I did was clean it out and build a bench. We had a couple of chairs in there just in case we needed to use it. No real seal around the door and a couple of mice made it in, died and dried up. Got that taken care of and figured out a seal. took care of future bugs, spiders and mice. Made a bench with storage underneath. Got a case of water in the box. The 2x4s you see in the upright have a cross member above them where I will hang this years harvest of wild garlic. Now to the outside . Using treated decking boards I built what is now a sod roof. Got some sweet potato vine in there so it will be neat when it fills in and drapes over the sides. Some ground cover in there too. This will be an annual flower bed from here on out. Then the sides were built all the way around and then a cover for the door. There is no point of attachment made into the concrete shelter or door to compromise its integrity. Looks like a sod house kind of. Now that it is done Mrs. BilletHead says I don't know what i question you .I would say this may be one of a kind but then again I have been told I am one of a kind. Don't know if that is a good remark but I will take it. There will still be some dirt work around it and then I will try a year round ground cover. Thinking a crown vetch. It is tolerant of dry weather. The Department of transportation plants it on roadsides. Mostly on off and on ramps. I have found some along some dirt roads that is a bright yellow. About time for a digging wild flower trip, BilletHead Johnsfolly, Chief Grey Bear, Daryk Campbell Sr and 3 others 6 "We have met the enemy and it is us", Pogo If you compete with your fellow anglers, you become their competitor, If you help them you become their friend" Lefty Kreh " Never display your knowledge, you only share it" Lefty Kreh "Eat more bass and there will be more room for walleye to grow!" BilletHead " One thing in life is for sure. If you are careful you can straddle the barbed wire fence but make one mistake and you will be hurting" BilletHead P.S. "May your fences be short or hope you have long legs" BilletHead
jdmidwest Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 Put some more shelves in there and store canned goods out of garden. The storm cellar we had on the farm growing up kept our canned goods, taters, and onions from the garden. Don't ever remember using it in a storm. MOPanfisher and BilletHead 2 "Life has become immeasurably better since I have been forced to stop taking it seriously." — Hunter S. Thompson
BilletHead Posted June 10, 2017 Author Posted June 10, 2017 Yes JD there are some future plans for other shelter accessories. Got to leave room for us and the dog also . Will be extra watering as the top will dry out pretty quick I think. BilletHead "We have met the enemy and it is us", Pogo If you compete with your fellow anglers, you become their competitor, If you help them you become their friend" Lefty Kreh " Never display your knowledge, you only share it" Lefty Kreh "Eat more bass and there will be more room for walleye to grow!" BilletHead " One thing in life is for sure. If you are careful you can straddle the barbed wire fence but make one mistake and you will be hurting" BilletHead P.S. "May your fences be short or hope you have long legs" BilletHead
MOPanfisher Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 When it gets all coversed in vines and plants it will be hidden. If you are ever trapped in it during a storm your rescuers will think it's just a pile of vines. . We too had a cellar or whatever we called where we stored canned stuff. It was fairly well sealed uo, nothing bigger than a medium sized dog ever got into it. I know I would have taken my chances outside with a parachute and steel rod in my hand before I spent more than 4 seconds in that dark, damo, spoder infested torture chamber. Yours looks much nicer. My home is earth contact on 3 sides so there are inch concrete walls on the 3 sides, I already live in a large storm shelter. Quillback and BilletHead 2
Johnsfolly Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 BH Nice looking shelter. I have thought the yellow legume along the roadways was birdsfoot trefoil.
BilletHead Posted June 10, 2017 Author Posted June 10, 2017 6 hours ago, Johnsfolly said: BH Nice looking shelter. I have thought the yellow legume along the roadways was birdsfoot trefoil. It could be John, I thought it was a vetch as it has the same type of head as what MODOT plants on steep banks. Do you think it will work? Is it invasive? Is it native? Guess I should look it up huh? . BilletHead "We have met the enemy and it is us", Pogo If you compete with your fellow anglers, you become their competitor, If you help them you become their friend" Lefty Kreh " Never display your knowledge, you only share it" Lefty Kreh "Eat more bass and there will be more room for walleye to grow!" BilletHead " One thing in life is for sure. If you are careful you can straddle the barbed wire fence but make one mistake and you will be hurting" BilletHead P.S. "May your fences be short or hope you have long legs" BilletHead
Johnsfolly Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 BH Both plants are legumes, i.e., related to peas and beans, and thus have the same type of flower. Also both are non-native and considered to be invasives in the midwest. Even though vetch is still used by MODOT for erosion control the MDC has articles on how to control this plant and what effects it has on native species. Both should work to cover your shelter. You might want to look at a native alternative☺. You just might not find one that would work as well for this job. BilletHead 1
BilletHead Posted June 10, 2017 Author Posted June 10, 2017 I knew I could count on a scientist to get me some answers. Got any native suggestions. "We have met the enemy and it is us", Pogo If you compete with your fellow anglers, you become their competitor, If you help them you become their friend" Lefty Kreh " Never display your knowledge, you only share it" Lefty Kreh "Eat more bass and there will be more room for walleye to grow!" BilletHead " One thing in life is for sure. If you are careful you can straddle the barbed wire fence but make one mistake and you will be hurting" BilletHead P.S. "May your fences be short or hope you have long legs" BilletHead
Mitch f Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 I don't see a doorbell? How is Dorothy going to get in?? BilletHead and ness 2 "Honor is a man's gift to himself" Rob Roy McGregor
Johnsfolly Posted June 10, 2017 Posted June 10, 2017 2 hours ago, BilletHead said: I knew I could count on a scientist to get me some answers. Got any native suggestions. BH The natives that I found that were suggested for erosion control are all grasses or sedges. I did find a couple of small ground cover natives called three leaf stonecrop, Sedum ternatum and prairie pussytoes, Antennaria neglecta. The Missouri Wildflower nursery has the Anntennaria in stock currently. They would work on the top of the shelter but maybe not the sides. BilletHead 1
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