A Sloped Lawn Doesn't Have to Be a Challenge to Design Improvements: How a Retaining Wall Can Help in St. John, IN

A Sloped Lawn Doesn't Have to Be a Challenge to Design Improvements: How a Retaining Wall Can Help in St. John, IN

Your St. John, IN sloped lawn doesn’t have to be a problem any more when a landscape professional designs and builds a lovely retaining wall. Stone retaining walls can be exceptionally effective at holding back the soil to define your property and increase the planting spaces you have available. 

Related: HERE IS HOW A RETAINING WALL CAN COMPLEMENT A BRICK PATIO IN ST. JOHN, IN

Benefits of Retaining Walls 

When there is a steep slope or even a hill in your front or backyard, this can make mowing, landscaping, and simply enjoying your property a challenge. Another common problem with sloped properties can be erosion.

When a rain storm comes, you might lose part of the mulch in your landscape beds as it washes away. Because the water rushes down the slope, you can be left with tree limbs, debris, and dirt in a path right down the slope and through the rest of the yard. Many times, the erosion and run-off also affects your neighbor’s landscape, too. 

A well-planned retaining wall can be the solution you need to remove the erosion issues and offer more definition and usable outdoor space in the landscape.

Retaining Wall Types

The type of retaining wall that will serve your landscape best can be a crucial choice. Some retaining walls must be taller than four feet, which would require a structural engineer’s assistance, while others might be only two feet. 

  • Single retaining walls can work well on a gentle slope that doesn’t need to have too much heavy soil held back and they can also work well on a steep slope that will present a weighty amount of earth behind it. The retaining wall your landscape professional recommends should be sound and unmovable after construction. 

  • Tiered retaining walls can work exceptionally well to reduce the visual space of a slope by using two or more parallel retaining walls. This tiered approach can give your landscape several levels to use for planting your favorite ornamental grass, spilling flowers and vines, and any other plants you wish to use. A landscape professional can recommend planting the lowest-growing plants in the first tier and progressively planting taller plants and shrubs as the tiers rise. When they plant all the same variety of shrubs or plants in one section, the symmetry can look amazing.

  • Retaining walls with steps can remedy the difficulty of moving from one part of the landscape to another by the use of steps. A landscape professional can incorporate wide, deep stone steps to allow you and your guests a comfortable way to move from the parking area to the front door without having to climb an awkward sloping walkway. This can dramatically improve the safety and appearance of your landscape. 

Retaining Wall Materials 

While a landscape professional can advise you on the best materials for your retaining wall, any wall can be a lovely addition to your landscape plan. Often built of hefty stone that brings visual weight to your property, a retaining wall can also incorporate glass block, decorative tile, and custom-colored and sized stone. 

Your landscape professional can make the retaining wall an attractive focal feature in your landscape design, one that also serves an important purpose of increased safety and functional landscape space. A wall can be the perfect solution to a thorny landscape problem.

Related: 3 REASONS A RETAINING WALL WOULD BE NEEDED IN HOMER GLEN AND MANHATTAN, IL

Since 1989, Bob Tunzi has been designing, installing, and maintaining outstanding landscapes throughout the South Chicagoland area.

His passion for the outdoors led him to complete his education in landscape management and to fulfill certification requirements that set the foundation for a comprehensive landscaping service built on integrity.