Clover :: Coffee

After working at Starbucks for almost 2 years I have developed an appreciation for great coffee. I say great coffee not implying that SBUX is truly the best coffee. It is nice and the one great thing they have going for them is consistency. I can go to any Starbucks and know that what I ordered in Cincinnati will be the same as I order in Idaho (assuming Starbucks exist in Idaho). Recently though I have learn to enjoy and favor coffee that is not roasted as long as Starbucks. Why? I think it has more flavors to it and not so much of a roasted taste. Call me crazy, but that is what I believe.

My favorite coffee shop in Cincinnati is near the University of Cinicnnati campus and is called Rohs Street Cafe. They are strictly a "Fair Trade" coffee shop, which I guess is nice, but Fair Trade is not as safe as it sounds. It is by far my favorite though because it has a nice creative feel and I can actually do work there without hearing kids fight with each other while soccer mom enjoys her Orange Mocha Frappe' on a hot Cincinnati day.

Anyway, Rohs Street is serious about coffee, which I really enjoy for the simple fact that I do not have to question if the Barista knows what he is doing. Another plus is that I know the coffee at Rohs Street is very fresh. It is bought in small quantities and is roasted in Cincinnati. The last and greatest thing about Rhos Street is that they have a machine called a Clover in which you can have your coffee brewed.

A Clover is a brewer that is a mix between a Vacuum Press and a French Press. Traditionally most people are taught that the French Press is the best way to drink coffee because you can get the most flavor out of it. The Clover basically gives you all of that flavor but without the mess of the sludge found in a French Press. It is an intoxicating experience to say the least. If you are lucky enough to have one near you, because there are less than 40 at the time of posting in the USA, then I highly encourage you to give it a go. I also hope you will find the experience exhilarating as I do. However, if you add cream then it probably will not make much difference to you because the cream will eliminate the subtle notes you will experience in the partaking of coffee from a Clover. By the way, if you are wondering how much this machine will cost you for your house you better be ready to hand over 10k.

Rock Border

Another project we did this weekend was make a rock border around an already existing patio. We made a patio last summer out of Brassfield Chips. We used Brassfield for the color it provides and because of the sharp edges, which helps the stone stay compacted once it settles. We also used crushed rock because it was much cheaper than using Pavers or pouring concrete.

Our Problem
After a year of weather the dirt edges of the patio were deteriorating. They were not the clean cut edge we once had and we given two basic suggestions for a solution.

• Get more Brassfield and build up our patio to the edge of the grass.
• Place some kind of rock border around the dirt edge to stop the deterioration.

Our Solution
We went with the second option and placed some of the leftover River Rock from the pond/fountain around the border. This was a quick task that Molly completed as I was working on the pond. Here is what we did:

• Pull back the existing Brassfield Chips
• Place the River Rock against the dirt edge
• Push the Brassfield Chips onto the River Rock
  

DIY Water Garden

I have always wanted to build a Water Garden or Water Feature depending on what you would call it and I finally took the plunge. I got the idea for this form a local landscape company and decided I would give it a shot. I liked the idea that you could have water when you wanted it and that it was not as much maintenance as a pond made for Koi.

This was a one day project that literally took about 5 hours to complete. Below is the material list and some other suggestions.

Material List

• Felt Liner :: $1/sq.ft. This goes on the ground so that rocks or roots do not damage the pond liner.
  
• Pond Liner :: $1/sq.ft. Purchased from a local landscape supply company. Pre-formed ponds can float if the hole fills up with water, so buy a real pond liner.
  
• 2 Scoops of River Rock :: $50. If you use rock that is round you do not need pea gravel because the round rock will not puncture the liner.
  
• 4 Boulders :: $0.20/pound = $60 total.
  
• Water Pump :: $100. This was more expensive than I thought it would be and I may have been ripped off. I checked online and it was the same price, but I did see some at Home Depot for like $60-$70. The main thing you want to do is make sure you will be able to pump enough water. I explained my idea to the guy at the landscape store what I wanted to do and he hooked me up. I have a PondWorks pump which will displace 475 GPH (Gallons Per Hour).
  
• Pump Sock :: $15 a pre-filter for the pump which catches fine particles of debris.
• 3 Gallon Bucket :: Drill holes in this bucket so water will get in and cut a hole in the lid for the pump. Then slip the pump and pump sock into so that all the real big debris will be filtered. You can also use a 5gal bucket.
• Delivery Charge :: $25 it was same day delivery.

Instructions and Tips

• Dig your hole first and then buy the Felt and Pond Liners. Take into account the measurements for the bottom, the walls, and at least 1ft extra on each side. My pond is only about 15" deep with the middle being about 18" so the pump is the deepest part.
• Use the dirt from the hole to place around the edge of your pond so that water does not drain into the pond. Make the water drain away from the pond.
  
• Try to place your pond/feature near an electrical outlet. This way you do not have to run extra electric. Of course make sure this is a GFI circuit, it should be if it is outside.
  
• After pond is dug walk on the dirt and pack it down so that it will not move around once the liner is in place.
  
• Place the liner in the pond and make sure it conforms to the shape you designed. You can secure it at this time with the metal landscape nails around the edge or just by placing large field stones around the edge.
  
• Begin putting the gravel in the pond. Make sure you wash the gravel before you place it in the pond or else the water will be dirty for a while.
• Cover the bottom of the pond in gravel before you begin to go up the sides. That way when you put the rest of the gravel in the line will not move.
• Place your pump where you want it and build up gravel around the sides. At this time you should bury the wire under the gravel. Also make sure you test your pump before it is covered in gravel.
  
• Fill the rest of the pond with gravel till your desired height.
• Fill the pond with water and test out your pump.
• Cut the extra Felt and Pond Liner from the sides.
• Extend the rock on the edge of the pond to cover the liners.