Incorporating walls into your landscape

Incorporating walls into your landscape can serve multiple purposes: they may add privacy, may provide seating, may be used to retain land/soil and separate areas, they may simply serve to beautify your landscape or add a buffer to your property line.

At Gardenin' Angels, we've built walls for customers throughout eastern Massachusetts to serve each of these purposes. Whatever reason you may be considering for installing a wall and whether you may install it on your own or with the help of a professional, we suggest you consider these points:

1. Create a solid base.
The base of your wall should be dug several inches below grade and compacted to level. Filler, like gravel should be added before any stones or blocks. The base is the foundation for your entire wall, so it's worth spending some time preparing a solid base.

2. Prepare for water drainage
You do not want water pooling around your wall. Over time this can disrupt the integrity of the wall. If your wall is at the base of even a slight slope, it will need additional drainage. A drainage pipe at the base will help release this water and avoid major problems. 

3. Have your wall suit your style and function
While the primary purpose of your wall may be to divide spaces or hold back soil, get creative in using your wall to serve additional function or create a more beautiful outdoor living space. Perhaps making it the height for additional seating or adding a trough at the top for planting small seasonal flowers can better suit you. And remember, walls don't have to be a straight line. Adding curves can add some dimension to your landscape. 

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