Walls give your landscape more structure, both literally and figuratively. They are an important part of any landscaping project and can contain gardens, build up elevation in a specific area, or protect your garden from the elements. But not all walls are the same, different types of walls have different purposes within a garden. Knowing the difference between them is an important step in planning the layout of your landscape or backyard area.
Garden Walls
Garden walls are usually smaller walls that don’t go above one foot. They are perfect for separating your walkway, lawn or just lower ground from your mulched garden area. They help you build up the elevation of your smaller garden area which emphasizes the plants within it and gives your property a more interesting look. This structure is commonly used on the outskirts of a backyard and can look really beautiful when done right. In most cases they wrap around the entire perimeter of the garden to give it a unified look, but they can also be used in smaller capacities as well.
Perimeter Walls
Perimeter walls are exactly what they sound like. This is the type of wall we see all the time when walking by the homes of others. They surround the backyard, and sometimes the whole property. Many people prefer a wall to a fence because of the durability as well as the classic look of a stone or light brick wall.
Retaining Walls
Retaining walls are more difficult to build than most other types of walls, but that is because they are built with a very specific purpose. They are usually built up around when the ground has a major shift in elevation. They help transition from the higher ground to the lower ground. They are called retaining walls because they retain the higher ground on one side of the wall and keep it from slipping. They need to be specially designed and built to withstand this horizontal pressure. They usually require a permit of some kind in most towns and a little more knowledge of physics and construction than your average wall.
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If you’re interested in adding garden walls, retaining walls or any other type of wall to your property, we offer hardscaping and many other landscaping services to the Sagus, Wakefield, Melrose and greater Boston area.