Did you know? A custom garden wall or retaining wall can do much, much more than simply slowing soil erosion or helping control flooding issues — they can also add immense visual impact to your landscape. You can use them to:
Create privacy: Use a retaining wall to add privacy and intimacy to certain areas of your outdoor living space — for example, near a hot tub/spa feature or a children’s play area.
Add seating: Thoughtfully planned and designed retaining walls can be crafted in a way that they serve double-duty, creating a place to sit or place container plants or other artistic elements.
Reinforce your design aesthetic: Your custom garden wall can and should reflect the larger style of your outdoor space. For example, use stacked fieldstone to echo the feel of a rustic or traditional home, or consider bluestone slabs with clean lines to mimic the modern feel of your contemporary home.
Take a look at some of the different ways other homeowners have incorporated retaining walls into their landscaping below — then contact us to set up your consultation.
A Driveway Border
Consider using a retaining wall to serve as a driveway border. These homeowners enhanced their existing clay paver driveway with a mortar-set stone border wall topped with bluestone coping. Stella de Oro daylily and catmint provide color and texture.
Define a Space
When done well, retaining walls not only support the soil to create multiple yard levels, but they can help effectively designate different activity spaces in a large outdoor area.
Organic Shapes
A retaining wall doesn't necessarily have to look like a traditional wall. Instead, consider using stones of different sizes and shapes to create a retaining wall structure that fits in organically with your other landscape elements.
Multiple Levels
For especially hilly or steep yards, consider using multiple retaining walls to create multiple yard levels. Here, the homeowners used retaining walls to create a terraced effect, allowing them to intersperse small areas of native groundcover plants and flowers while creating a gorgeous pathway to their front door.
Mix Styles
Don't be afraid to mix materials, textures, and styles when creating multiple retaining walls on your property. Here, the homeowners opted for a concrete-topped retaining wall that complements other hardscape features, then used stacked rock retaining walls to add additional visual interest in other areas of the yard.
More inspiration: Ideas we've collected from around the web
A Dramatic Backdrop
A retaining wall can serve as a dramatic visual backdrop for elements in your backyard. Here, the homeowners chose a multi-level stacked stone retaining wall to define the pool area, including statuary and draping plants to add to the feeling of luxury.
Add a Water Feature
One way to make a retaining wall feel like a more intentional part of your backyard space is by incorporating a water feature into its design; the soothing sound of running water will make the space feel more serene and calm.
A Natural Staircase
On a sloped landscape, a retaining wall can serve as both soil support and beautiful staircase. Here, the homeowners chose to use sandstone slabs to create a serpentine walkway from their home to the water's edge.
Beautiful and Practical
Your retaining walls can and should echo the larger aesthetic of your home and landscaping. Here, the homeowners continued their property's contemporary styling with hardscape elements that reflect the clean lines and interesting textures seen elsewhere on the property.
Protect Your Property and Add Beauty with Custom Retaining Walls
A custom retaining wall not only protects your property and your property value — it also enhances your property’s overall beauty. If you’re considering adding retaining walls to your landscape, contact us first for a free consultation.
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