Building A Rock Wall Garden

Once built you ll have a rock solid retaining wall without all the heavy mortar lines.

Building a rock wall garden.

Constructing a wall is backbreaking work but the results will be a structure that will for last for generations. Line it with landscape fabric overlapped 12 inches at the seams add a 6 inch layer of inch stone and tamp it. This prevents mortar from running down the face of the wall. Rock garden designs can range from to sprawling naturalistic creations to faux dried river beds to rustic mounds of stones soil and plants it all depends on your preferences and the amount of space and rock you have to work with.

After spreading the mortar but before laying the next stone use the trowel edge to cut the mortar even with wall face. Contemporary terrace gardens and retaining walls tend to be much smaller and modest in most residential landscaping designs and while some are works. Dry stacking with no mortar is the quickest method to build a rock wall but it won t last. Prepare the footing photo by russell kaye.

Dig a trench that s below the frost line and 2 feet wider than the wall. A rock wall can be a long lasting distinctive addition to any garden or yard. This will allow me to terrace my property and give me more usable space for gardening play. Though it can be hard work building a rock wall is well worth the effort whether it will be used as a retaining wall foundation or garden fence.

If you have a small area often the best design is a simple round raised bed made of select rocks this design can fit neatly into any well chosen nook and will. An ideal rock has six parallel faces like a brick. The key to building a wall using mortar is when you apply the mortar it needs to go evenly onto the run of stones that are set. Want to build your own stone retaining wall but unsure how to start.

Dig a ditch the length of the wall that is about a foot wide and 8 to 12 inches 20 5 cm 30 5 cm below the ground level. A river rock wall adds character to any landscape and will help define property lines. Join me as i build my first ever dry stack retaining wall. Regretfully there aren t many ideal rocks available so look for angular rocks with the most flat faces.

How to build a rock wall 1. Try to cut the ditch into native soil rather than loose added soil as the former provides a more stable foundation for the wall. If you an uneven yard a stone retaining wall can help prevent erosion and provides a nice place to plant. If you live in bakersfield los angeles or one of the other big cities with no rocks except by the pound from the local materials company look around for somebody removing some concrete.

All kinds including wood rock stone brick gabion concrete low garden and more. Pick them up and make a rock wall or place them next to each plant on the flat and call it a rock garden.