A retaining wall can be more than merely functional: it can also enhance your garden's appearance. Susie Coelho, host of HGTV's The Surprise Gardener, shares tips on building one that will be an asset to your garden. Here's how to go about it:
- Using a shovel, mark on the ground where the retaining wall will be built, both front and back.
- In this case, the wall's height was set to match the level of the front door. Determine the desired height with string, long wooden or metal stakes and a string level (figure A), available at any hardware store.
- Drive a stake into the ground where you marked the back of your retaining wall. We placed ours about every 8' along the marked line.
- To indicate the height of the wall, stretch the string from the level of the front door (or any spot you choose) to one of the stakes (figure B).
- Level the string on the stake, and tie it off.
- Once the grade is established on the first stake, tie the string to the next stake, and using the string level, place the string in the proper position. Continue using the level and string until the string on all the stakes is level.
- After grading the terrace level, place the boulders in a trench along the string line. The boulders must be firmly seated in the ground. If the stones are quite heavy, you may wish to rent a front loader.
- Backfill the area behind the boulders with gravel or a well-drained soil mix.
- Place the next row of boulders on top of the first, angling them slightly to the back to give the wall more strength. Make sure that the second row of boulders sits over the joints of the first (figure C).
- Continue placing layer on layer until you reach the desired height. Fill in between the layers with gravel or soil mix (figure D), and finish the wall with good topsoil or potting mix so you can grow plants along the top.
| 
)
)
)
)
)
