The design, shape, size and material are all considerations for any planter box. Understand what makes concrete planters unique and what you should consider when you are investing in a concrete cast planter and you’ll be pleased with the transformation of your patio or garden space.

The Advantages of Choosing Concrete

When you first hear the word concrete, you may think about an industrial or urban looking appearance. Many homeowners shy away from concrete garden planters because they assume it is not aesthetically pleasing. Concrete can be stained and painted to compliment any exterior design. These planters also come with embellishments so you can make an organic statement in your garden with only your planter box.

Read through the benefits of choosing concrete over wood, metal, vinyl, and other synthetic materials and you see why they make a great choice.  We’ve seen them placed at the base of the posts for pergolas and other patio covers, giving the space much more of a presence or ambiance.  While not permanent, they can help make for a lasting impression.

Durability

Concrete is a very durable material that will last for ages. Plastic and wood planter boxes may show signs of aging and fading within months of installation. Concrete planters, however, will retain their shape and their structure for years so deterioration from UV light or weather is not a concern. They are heavy and provide a great anchor point in your landscape design.

Here is a nice eco-friendly choice.

Eco-friendly planter options using a mix of concrete and glass and other recycled or re-purposed materials can make for an aesthetically pleasing appearance that’s ‘green’ too.  This always puts a smile on our face here at Patio Covers Place.  Some of these mixed-media planters are also a bit lighter than using solid concrete.  You can also go with some silk greenery which will give a more maintenance-free option that uses no water.

Weatherproofing your Garden

If you live in an area with adverse weather, concrete cast planters may be the perfect choice. They can stand up to heavy rain, snow, and direct sun contact without being damaged. Most planters will diminish in quality if there are sudden changes in temperature. The concrete applications do not crack, fade, or swell, as other applications do. If you want to provide your plants with the best possible protection, the best way to do that is to install a concrete box. The wall barriers provide natural insulation for the root of your plants so they can thrive amid the cold winter.

A Variety of Design Options

Concrete Planter, 36″ Sq. X 30″ H Square Tan River Rock LARGE CONCRETE PLANTERS Square Planter Concrete planters provide a versatile, attractive & maintenance-free outdoor architectural solution. Ideal for various environments including malls, office buildings & complexes, campuses and more. Designed as garden planters or park planters, these concrete planters add to the aesthetics of a facility or large home. Made using one piece, pre-cast concrete with welded rebar reinforcement. Beautiful exposed stone aggregate finish. Rounded elevated bottoms with drain holes prevent trapping of leaves and debris. Edges are beveled to prevent chipping. Heavy-duty concrete prevents theft and stays put. Concrete components are tested to stand up to 6000 psi.

Planter boxes are not one-size-fits-all. When you are shopping for a box, you need to consider the architecture of your home so you can make the best investment. Concrete cast planters come in a myriad of shapes and sizes. You can find concrete cast in anything from a rectangular box to a oblong shape that is customized for your garden area. If you are shopping for planters, you can browse styles and sizes in your local gardening store to get an idea of what is available. You can request a personalized cast if you are looking for a specific color, shape, and style. You may also want to review the embellishments that are available when you are browsing the inventory.

If you want to add a new design element to your outdoor space, choose a planter that will serve a number of functions. Planters can be both stylish and functional.  They’ll keep your plants thriving and create a great surround for your patio or garden setting.  Such a small investment can make a big difference by transforming your outdoor space.

You can install one or two small planters or a very large cast planter with the right sculptural detailing. If you want a custom planter, make sure you explain exactly what you want to the designer so they can turn your vision into a reality. Make your garden a focal point using live plants or the silk flowering trees mentioned above and by selecting the right planter box. Once your concrete outdoor planters are in your space, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.

The key to getting a lush, green lawn is really in the preparation.  Ironically, you will not hear us talk much about planting grass at Patio Covers Place because we really emphasize a more xeriscaping and more drought resistant landscape for where we live here in the desert, but a little grass here and there can be grown without too much water waste.

Here is how our overseeded lawn turned out.

Of course, if we’re being technical, ANY grass grown in the desert that requires watering is wasteful.  The fact is, people have it, so why not discuss how we can do it in a way that yields the greatest results, in a way that is as environmentally responsible as possible.  This is our real goal with all of the sustainable living and design elements we discuss, whether that is building a patio shade structure or gardening and landscape designs.  If you want to opt for a much more responsible ‘lawn’ consider synthetic grass. The current types look and feel like the real thing without the watering, mowing and waste that a real lawn provides.  If you’re not quite reading to make that step, follow these guidelines for getting your winter grass looking great.

Preparing to Overseed

The first thing you’ll want to do when it gets close to the time to plant your seed is to eliminate the competition from your underlying bermuda.  The trick to doing this is to ‘fool’ it into winter mode by cutting off the water schedule by 50-60%.  This will put it into more of a dormancy period and slow any growing.  If you have been fertilizing, you’ll also want to make sure you stop this about one month prior to overseeding.

So, you stopped watering by quite a bit and now you need to mow the lawn.  You’ll want to end up with a very ‘scalped’ lawn.  Depending on the height and density of your current grass, you may need to make several passes.  Your final pass should have you cutting the lawn with the lowest setting on your mower.

Then, once the grass is cut and the clippings are collected, you’ll need to rake up any additional clippings.  Also, de-thatching at this point is a great idea.  You need to have near bare dirt so that your rye will be able to germinate properly.

Choosing Annual or Perennial Rye Grass

Depending on your tastes, you’ll have the option of an annual rye, a perennial rye or a hybrid.  Basically, you’ll want to go with the perennial.  It comes in more lush, it’s darker green and it will not grow as fast in the spring as the annual tends to do.  Fescue is another option and you can find it at Home Depot as well.  Knowing what your square footage or acreage of your property is, you can use the suggestions on the product you’re buying to determine how much you’ll need.

In our case, we only have a small patch of grass that is about 200 square feet.  It requires just one 3-pound bag of seed for my needs, which I purchased at my local Home Depot.  It is just a mile from my house, so it’s just too convenient not to use for our small lawn.  We like the look of the grass, can play there with our son and it just feels good under your toes.  It requires watering, but the rest of our landscape is xeriscaped with Palo Verdes, Ironwoods, a Mesquite and other native species of shrubs and plants.  We use a 1/4″ Apache Gold ground cover for the ‘empty spaces’ around our property.  In fact, the trees require no watering at this point and are only about 4 years old now.

When spreading the rye seed, you want to use either a hand spreader that sends the seeds out in an arc fashion or by using a push spreader.  For larger lawns, you’ll want to use the push type.  Hand spreaders are great for smaller areas, it’s what I use for mine.  Make sure you have good coverage and there are no bare spots.  Sometimes, you will not notice this until after germination.  No big deal, just spread some more then.

After this is complete, you can get a much better and stronger turf by dragging a rake across it in both directions to help the seeds set into the soil.  This will also help create a great bed, over which your topsoil or mulch mix can go.

Topsoil: To Use or Not To Use

Again, we like the idea of organic gardening and landscaping here, so if you are going to do it right, use a natural and organic compost material. You are looking to spread it about 1/4″ thick on top of your seeded lawn area.  You are mainly using it to provide a moisture retaining effect.  It will also help nourish and fertilize by its organic composting nature as well.

In the previous year, I didn’t cover my seed with anything – sort of an experiment in rogue-minimalist-water-conservation landscape mode.  Our seeds did germinate, but this year’s grass is looking much thicker, healthier and more lush.  This time around, we used de-odorized steer manure – also a product from Home Depot.  I opted for the deodorized one and, truth be told, I didn’t look into how the odor is removed, but the thought of that manure smell outside our bathroom window and back sliding glass door that we like to keep open during this great time of year was not appealing.

How Often Do You Water An Overseeded Lawn?

This is a common question and the answer can seem a bit excessive, actually.  It is recommended that you water your seed 3 times per day for a period of 2 weeks, until the seedlings are about an inch tall.  Then, you can water one time per day for a longer period to ‘irrigate’ them.  Ultimately, when your grass is 1 1/2 inches to 3 inches tall, you can water once every 3 days or so.

Watering in this way is painful to think about, especially here in the desert, there’s just no way around that.  If you commit to having a lawn of this type, you are going to be using water and you are going to be wasting it – period (namely here in the desert southwest). In other places, you can rely on some rain and such to provide you with some water – the most balanced and the free kind!  Having said all of this, I watered my lawn once each day at about 7 a.m. for 4 minutes for 2 weeks.  My lawn looks great, but also gets considerable shade from our house and a palo verde.  Some days, when the temperatures were in the low 90s (yes, they were still this hot in early to mid-October), I used a garden hose and sprayer attachment to keep the seeds moist.

There are ways to conserve here as well.  The use of rainwater collection systems can be great for watering potted plants, patio gardens, a raised planting bed and other areas.  But, for a lawn, it is hard to utilize this type of system. It needs too much water, likely more than anyone would have stored through the fall and winter, in any case.

Mowing the Winter Lawn

The first mowing of your rye lawn is not recommended until the grass is at least 1 1/2 inches tall.  Some experts in the lawn field call for a 3 inch height.  You only want to cut about a 1/2 inch off the grass at a time or no more than 1/3 of the height.  Keeping your winter grass at about 1 1/2 inches is a good height.  Sharp blades are also important as it will help the grass from being pulled up out of the ground.

If you follow these steps, you should be able to enjoy a great looking and lively and lush winter lawn.  If you have any suggestions or comments regarding other best practices or ways of growing a ‘sustainable lawn’ please feel free to contact us. If it’s helpful and useful, we’ll update and edit this article to include your suggestions.  Thanks for stopping by today!

There are a variety of ways for building a compost bin. They range from almost nothing being built to a more formal wood and mesh bin with hinged doors, lids and such. The only difference is that the types that you build that are more involved are just easier to use and contain your composting material more easily. There is really nothing more in the way of functional performance, besides the fact that animals or pets cannot mess with the closed-lid variety.

You can utilize a compost pile, another popular way of composting. In recent years, home composting has come on quite strong. One cause is likely due to the fact that many people are more and more likely to have their own vegetable or flower gardens. There has been a big upswing in residential chicken ‘farmers’, organic gardening and building other items like raised garden beds. Anything that brings more people into their backyards and patio areas is always going to get us smiling.

Building A Compost Bin

As mentioned, the actual structure can come in many forms. One great option is to go with the ‘lazy style’ – which is never a bad choice – and that is to simply create a pile. The same ‘rules’ apply; you’ll need to keep a proper mix of brown and green components (we will discuss these shortly), moisture, oxygen and sun. Only, with the pile, it requires no building skills. You will want to locate your pile somewhere that is not right against your home yet near enough so it is convenient to use. Many people choose to use an indoor kitchen compost bucket or pail of some sort and then dump it in their bin or pile when it gets full.

Here is an example of a ‘hybrid’ type compost construction – part contained, part open.

Another choice is to build one with a wood frame, mesh and/or lids to keep it all contained. Again, it will not necessarily give your compost any faster of a breakdown period, but it may make it easier for you to tend, which will shorten the time it takes to get usable compost. This is one of the best mulch types available. It is great for providing nutrition, minimizes moisture loss from your plants’ roots and is a natural weed suppressor.

Can you tell we are big fans of the idea of using those recycled palettes? Free and they result in less waste! There are, of course, composters that rotate. These are often sold for several hundred dollars. There are some advantages to these. First of all, they are easier to rotate and keep your compost turned regularly. This does help with breaking it down a bit quicker. Also, since they are made with durable plastics, they will last longer than the wooden built bins and some have compost juice reservoirs to help you capture that nutritious juice for your plants. This juice is great for indoor plants, a patio garden or herb garden. The downside is that they are quite expensive and are typically smaller than other styles.

So, what are these greens and browns (60%) we’re talking about? Brown material refers to items that are more dried out. They could include things like dead leaves, straw, pine needles or newspaper (shredded is best). This is why Fall is often considered a great time to start a compost when the leaves are falling and can be easily raked up and collected.

Green material refers to items like vegetable scraps, grass clippings, dying or dead flowers, plants and other not quite dried out plant materials. Manure can also be a great addition to your compost. You need to ensure that it comes from an herbivore, like a chicken, cow or other plant eating animal. There is a lot of nitrogen in it.

Some other key components of compost are moisture, oxygen and turning. Moisture levels should be damp, but not soggy. Oxygen is important as it will help the microorganisms in the pile do their work and also keep the breakdown moving along without odor. Turning helps with both oxygenation and keeping the materials mixed thoroughly to allow for proper breakdown.

If your compost is in the sun, you may need to actually water it occasionally. Different climates also affect the rate of breakdown. It should only take about 3-6 months to go from materials in to compost out. Hotter climates can have the effect of speeding up the whole process.

The editor of Organic Gardening magazine discusses the ins and outs of what goes in your compost bin and also how to ‘maintain it’ to give you that black gold you’re looking for in just a few months time in this next video.

If you’re still unsure of exactly how to make a compost bin, then you’re sure to find more helpful videos linked to the ones above. After using both municipal provided compost bins and the (more expensive rotation) styles mentioned above, using the old wooden palettes (if you have the space) makes for a great solution. Happy composting!

So, what type of pond are you interested in building? You really should have your pond design nailed down clearly before starting. The reason for this is because there are inevitable ‘building hazards’ you might call them, that can get in the way. Things like underground cables, gas lines or water lines can spell big trouble if they are in the line of where you want your pond to be. Likewise, natural elements, like stone or earthen material that is extremely difficult to work around or dig through can dramatically alter your plans.

This small pond has a river rock edge, some succulent landscaping and some lilies. You can also see some 'marine life' in there.

You’ll want to know these things prior to digging a big hole in your backyard. However, there are some things you can do to avoid these problems. One step is to ensure that you have the area marked off by all of your local utilities. This is often a free service and the gas, sewer, phone/cable, electric and other utilities will come by to paint or otherwise indicate where they have lines buried on your property.

photo credit

If you plan on digging yourself, this will give you much greater peace of mind. Once you’ve got this all marked out, you can better draw out your plans for your water feature. You might be surprised to learn that small backyard ponds can provide just as much in the way of pleasant sounds, without the hassle of digging a large pit and having to maintain it as well. This is definitely something to consider.

Some pond landscaping ideas include plants that thrive in the water. Essentially, there are three types of aquatic plants to consider for your pond: submerged, marginal and floating. Submerged plants, like water lilies, have most of their structure beneath the water and only a small portion, like some leaves or flowers that grow above the water line. These are best planted at depths of 1-2 feet for optimal growth. Marginal plants have most of their structure growing above the water line, with only the roots beneath. Finally, the floating species have no roots anchored in soil beneath the water, they float on the surface.

This pond has some beautiful lilies growing.

Another consideration is algae growth. Well-balanced aquatic garden ponds will have a natural algae control mechanism in place. Having shade from floating plants will limit the amount of algae growth. Also, fish within the pond can benefit from the oxygen produced by algae. Koi ponds must especially keep this in balance to have a healthy fish population. Again, this is one reason why a smaller pond can be easier to both build and maintain.

photo credit

Pond Construction

When it comes to the formal aspect of constructing your pond, there are some modern innovations that can make this project much easier. These materials are available at your local home improvement warehouse.

What you’ll need:

• liner or basin
• pump
• source of electricity
• tubing for the pump (possible backyard waterfall or fountain feature)

Step 1:
After marking your area, as described above, you can use a hose or other flexible material to lay out your design on the ground. Then, you’re ready to begin digging as per your pond design. Dig out the rough shape for the depth you require. You’ll also want to know where your electrical lines for the pump will be going and your plumbing. Larger ponds will need a dedicated water source so that it can be auto-filled when the level drops to a certain point – much like your pool or hot tub. If you don’t know how to work with plumbing or electricity, (outdoors is also unique) hire a local contractor to handle this aspect for you. For a few hundred bucks you will have it done right and avoid any future issues.

Step 2:
Pour sand into the dug out area for your liner. This will let it sit more naturally in your space and avoid punctures and holes. This is critical because a leak will turn your pond into a mud pit nightmare. Smaller holes can be repaired, but they are best to avoid all together.

Step 3:
Lay in either your liner, which is a rubberized or PVC type material, or your pre-formed pond basin. If you have a larger pond, then you are likely going to need the liner material.

Step 4:
Anchor your liner with larger stones or stakes, rock or other heavy materials. Retaining wall blocks can be used to create more of a wishing well looking pond. If you want a more natural look, you can use things like river rock, sandstone, larger boulders and other stone materials.

Step 5:
This is really your final step. This step involves creating the final look of your pond. Using plants and other natural elements to help your pond blend in more seamlessly with your patio or backyard space makes for a great look. Ponds make wonderful backyard landscaping features because they provide that additional element of sound that creates a peaceful setting.

Even if you have a xeriscaped yard, you can still utilize small water features to add more depth. The key is in proper water management. If you live in a hot or arid climate, like in the desert southwest, locating your pond in an area that gets more shade can help mitigate evaporation of the water and waste that way. You can also use plants to shade and get their water from the pond itself.

Koi Ponds

This backyard koi pond allows for both water feature and fish.

With koi pond construction, there are not many different things to consider. Just as mentioned, plants that provide shade and a well-oxygenated pond are critical. Many koi pond designs often incorporate a Japanese garden feel to the entire space, though this isn’t a necessary element.

photo credit

Pond Accessories

This is a typical looking pond fountain. There are others with different spray patterns and even solar styles, too.

You can utilize a variety of accessories, both during the construction phase and final step to help bring further depth to your design. Things like pond fountains can not only add a visual element, but can provide more aeration as well – great for koi ponds or those with many aquatic plants. We’ve written about the solar fountain and it’s features as well here at Patio Covers Place.

photo credit

Pond Lights

This type of glow is possible using underwater pond lights. There are also LED, solar and other floating pond lighting styles.

There are a variety of lights that can be used to accent your pond. Some are powered with the traditional electrical source. There are also solar pond lights. Like many aspects of outdoor lighting, solar provides a great way for you to get the accent you’re looking for without having to run wires. These make great floating pond lights because of this very design. If you have a larger pond, these floating lights look great in the evening or during a dinner party. They can gentle float around your pond with the wind and provide an additional element to your ambiance.

photo credit

As you can tell, building a pond is both a simple, yet very elegant way to add some much needed ‘splash’ to your backyard space. It is also a DIY-friendly project, one that you can likely complete in a matter of a few weekends. If you take the time to plan, design and build right, you will enjoy your pond for years to come.

Depending upon where you live, the way in which you use any number of water features will vary.  For example, in climates where freezing temperatures are the norm, it is unlikely that you will want to build a pond that has plants or fish in it.  The reason is obvious, the frozen water will kill the plants and animals each winter.  Better to create a waterfall feature that can be drained or can run without freezing.  This is why it is more common to find koi ponds out West or in much larger installations than the typical backyard size pond.

This is a slate covered waterfall in a backyard space that gives a lot of sound off when running.

Building a Waterfall

There are a few steps to take when building your own backyard waterfall feature.  You can get a sense of what is involved by looking at some of the photos below.  However, there are some common characteristics.

photo credit

First of all, you’ll need to have a basin of some sort that will act to collect or catch the water. This could be a dug out and lined ‘pond’, barrel, stone basin, rustic trough, you name it.  Basically, you’re going to be recycling the water from this item back up to the top of your waterfall.

Some of the more striking waterfall designs do a great job of hiding the plumbing and pump mechanisms that are required to maintain a water feature like these.

Once you’ve got your collection area determined, now you can turn your attention to how the water will actually fall into it.  Again, here you have many options.  Some of the more simple designs incorporate larger boulders or stones that are stacked in such a way that gives them a natural looking appearance.  When the pump is turned on, the water cascades down them into your basin or river area just like in nature.  This is the hope anyway!

If you’re a bit more experienced or have the ability to cut tile and are skilled at working with masonry products, you can build a waterfall like the one in the photo above.  This one utilizes copper plumbing to bring the water up from the basin and is a cement retaining wall block that is covered in these great slate tiles.  The amount of water flowing from this style will create a significant water flowing sound.  You should note that this will sound a bit differently than the rock or boulder and cascading river effect as seen in some of the pictures below.

Garden and Pond Waterfalls

Backyard Waterfall Pictures

This is a combination of a rock waterfall into a hot tub.	This simple design allows for the waterfall to have nice, fluid drop to it. A very natural looking design.
photo credit	photo credit
This is another example of a natural looking, stacked boulder waterfall.	This is a picture of a smaller waterfall feature with a longer river rock stream bed.
photo credit	photo credit
Just a picture showing the flagstone style waterfall feature with a cement block basin surround.	One more example of a longer 'river' coming from the waterfall feature flowing into a pond that you cannot see.
photo credit	photo credit

There are no particular stones or boulders that are better for the job. What makes the design look great is helping it to blend into your landscape design. Landscape waterfalls that look natural and blend into the rest of your outdoor features will unite your backyard space. You can incorporate elements of your patio as well, much like how the higher end resorts bring some of the nature elements into their rooms and spa treatment areas. This always adds a bit of elegance to the experience. You can do the same thing at home with your backyard waterfall design.

One is to create a type of ‘panel’ where there is a span of wood – with support posts – holding back the dirt.  In another type of wood wall, the use of railroad ties side-by-side creates the wall.  Railroad ties are a bit more of a dated look and can carry the risk of having the harmful chemicals used to preserve the wood leech into your soil.  If you’re using your ties for a raised garden bed or other planter for trees or flowers, this carries the risk of getting into those plants.

Retaining wall ideas need not be limited to these choices, but they do need to support the large mass of dirt, stone, plants and perhaps water, that exists on the other side of that wall.  There’s more to most wall styles than a simple barrier for your mulch from sliding off your yard.

As we discussed in our article on landscaping ideas for small yards, creating depth and dimension is what it’s all about.  Tiered designs influence where the eye is drawn.  Even in a small space, you can use a retaining wall to give you another dimension or height element where there may have been none before.  For the purposes of our discussion here, we’ll be limiting the subject to front and back yard applications and give you some photo examples of possible designs.

Retaining Wall Construction

There’s really no way around it – landscaping retaining walls are costly.  Depending on the materials you use, you can save costs on both those and the labor that goes into construction with them.  In many cases, the labor is the biggest piece of the price.  There is a lot of digging, cutting and laying that goes into many designs.  Even with a poured wall, there is still the labor of laying it out and building the forms.  A complete wall of any length can run into the thousands of dollars.  While necessary, sometimes it’s hard to appreciate the payoff when it’s all said and done.

If you will be doing the work of creating your landscape yourself, then you need to know a few specific things.  First of all, drainage is a big issue.  Not only will your wall be holding up the dirt and matter behind it, but it also needs to be able to drain the water buildup properly.  In some cases, the wall itself may let the water through.  In other cases, like near a driveway, drainage must be built into your design. (see photos below)

If you’ll be the one building a retaining wall for a driveway that requires proper drainage away from a home or your neighbor’s property, get the professional advice or permits you need.  Water leakage and drainage problems can be your worst nightmare.  There is an amazing force to water, even when it is “only” a little bit at a time.  Over time, this will lead to large moisture and water problems.

When you are doing a project that is less grand in size and scope, buying your retaining wall blocks from your local home improvement warehouse might be all you need to worry about.  All the big stores have different block options, often located in the garden center area.

Retaining Wall Design

Wood

As we’ve talked about, wood is one way to build a wall.  If you take great care, it can last for quite some time.  However, wood will break down.  It deteriorates even with the best of care.  It’s an organic material and this is what happens to them.  You can slow the process by using treated lumber and woods that are more resistant to rot, but this can only buy you so much time.  There’s just one problem, wood is so great looking!  You can achieve looks with wood that the stone and masonry products just can’t produce.

Stone

There are natural stacked stone, dry stone, mortared and stone facade styles of walls.  The style of stone you choose will depend on your tastes and also the budget you have.  You may also be able to source your rock retaining wall materials from your own site or nearby.  Some natural materials are more costly than others.  Another option is to go for a cultured stone product.  This is the style that is laid on top of some backing – either a moisture-proof plywood or backer board or right on top of  a poured or block concrete wall.  This achieves a natural stone look, costs less and is relatively simple to install.

Poured Concrete

This is what will typically give you a more modern or smooth, finished look – depending on the forms.  With a typical form, the concrete is poured between the walls and you wait until it dries.  Once complete, the forms are removed and you’re left with a relatively smooth finish that can be treated with a variety of applications, like an acid stain or paint.  These types of concrete designs are becoming more and more popular.

Another way is to use more ‘rough’ forms.  With these, the wood may leave a pattern or grain on the concrete as it cures.  Then, when finished, the concrete will retain that pattern.  You cannot achieve this look with a pre-formed concrete retaining wall block.  Similar patterns can be achieved on patio floors.  If traditional patio pavers are not your style, then consider this option to blend in with your wall.

Recycled and Urban Materials

What we’re discussing with this style is the use of materials like tires, bottles and other objects that can be used to retain the land.  These have been used in many building applications, commonly called ‘Earth ships’.  Entire homes have been built this way.  With the trend in home and landscaping towards more sustainable designs, these materials make great sense.  You may also opt for a steel wall that develops a rusty ‘patina’ as it ages.

Another eco-friendly look is the gabion.  This is a wall that is made of river rock that is enclosed in a metal cage.  The same great urban look can be achieved by using a steel that is not galvanized, so it will be allowed to rust.  These walls look great in a variety of settings.  Experts often fill the central portion of these walls with other dense materials, saving the outer ‘visual’ aspect of the wall for the more expensive and heavier river rock.

Retaining Wall Pictures