Retaining walls not only serve a necessary function but can enhance your landscape. When considering installing walls, there are many options available for materials, style, color and consistency to best blend with the style of your home and look of your landscape.
The number one reason walls are installed is for function. However, there are times when aesthetic considerations trump function and walls are used to add depth and interest to a sloped or steeply-graded area.

The installation of a retaining wall can be very labor intensive, with the length of the project and materials used determining cost.
In our area, the list of materials available includes, natural stone, block, block with veneer, stucco, free staked wall block, railroad ties, landscape timbers, and large boulders.

Here in Southern Oregon, natural stone retaining walls are usually built out of moss rock or river cobble rock, simply due to the fact that the materials are readily available. Other rock options exist but are not as available as the options mentioned above.
Block pillars and walls with a veneer finish have become very popular and widely used in new home construction during the past ten years. This finish works best when you can tie into the veneer used on the house. We recently created a wall around a pool using a veneer finish that tied into the front entryway, using the same veneer used on the fireplace chimney. The end result was a great continuity between the pool area and the exterior of the home.

Stucco finishes offer a very clean and modern look. One of the most popular materials used is free staking wall block. In the last few years, the look of free staking wall material has come a long way with more color, size and texture choices available. When installed to specifications, these walls can last a lifetime.

I’m pleased to report that the day of the railroad tie has come and gone! But back in the day, these ties where the “big deal” for landscape retaining walls! Today, the use of landscape timbers has replaced ties, and when used in the right area, results in a very clean look.
Large boulders are most effective when used to retain large amounts of square footage and serve to provide the best natural visual effect possible.
I recently installed a number of rock retaining walls for a client who wanted to create a garden area from a sloping back yard area that had been unusable. Now, the resulting project includes a terraced vegetable, rose and flower garden that’s a wonderful addition to the landscape.
Be sure to consider two of the most important things when designing and building retaining walls: hydrostatic pressure (from water in soil placing pressure on the back side of walls) and drainage.

So, as we head toward great weather and start drying out, remember that this is a great time to install a retaining wall, and love your landscape!
Adam Haynes is the owner of Artisan Landscapes Inc. He can be reached at 541.292.3285. See also www.artisanlandscapesinc.com