This flower/planter box was built only 30-odd years ago, but the cap brick joints were deeply raked instead of being flush-cut for the best shedding of water, and there were no weep holes. Masonry structures open to the weather need these drainage openings.
Around 50 bricks on this box were too far gone for repair and were replaced.
I couldn’t stand the look of nine opened head (vertical) joints, especially at different levels on this sloped work, and so ran cotton clotheslines through them from the outside to the inside of the box, and mortared the lines in. You can see the cord ends dangling over the walk, in fresh mud that hasn’t lightened yet. The cords will be burned off either just on the ends, or through the wall, leaving just a small drain hole.
The figurine in the background made me think a couple of times that I was being visited by some homeless waif.
The figurine in the background made me think a couple of times that I was being visited by some homeless waif.