Photo of retaining wall with brick patio in St. John and Homer Glen IL
Making the decision to install a brick patio and retaining wall in your St. John, IN, yard is no small financial choice and this is why it can pay big dividends to talk through the options with a skilled landscape specialist. These design tips to achieve a complementary pairing of a patio and a retaining wall can help you not to miss any details.
Related: CREATING FLOW IN LANDSCAPE DESIGN: DECIDING WHERE A NEW RETAINING WALL SHOULD GO IN HOMER GLEN IL
How Do a Retaining Wall and Patio Work Together?
A well-designed patio is amazing on its own, with the durable and perfectly placed stone surface but when you add a retaining wall to the perimeter or even to help carve out the perfect patio space, the two seem made to go hand in hand. Often a landscaper will have to dig out a portion of space to build a patio and while the dirt might be just fine left as it is, finishing the space with a lovely retaining wall can elevate the appearance into something that looks special.
How Does a Landscape Service Design a Patio and Complementary Wall?
Your landscaper can plan and build any number of brick patio and retaining wall combinations but some seem to work for almost any landscape setting.
Brick patio with retaining wall surround: When your neighbors are nice but you don’t necessarily want them looking into your backyard as you grill steaks or relax with a drink, this can be the time to pair a patio and wall. Your landscape specialist can use the brick or stone that you choose for your patio to build the wall portion of a low (often knee-high) retaining wall so that this space has a more intimate feel. Capping the top of the wall with a flat flagstone or another flat surface stone can allow the wall to be extra seating for guests, a place to sit flower pots, or a place to designate as a drink station.
Multi-level brick patio with steps: If your property has any type of slope, this won’t be a problem for your landscaper as they can design a multi-level patio with integrated steps to access any lower portion. When you have the landscaper add a retaining wall of matching or contrasting stone or brick, this can create a unified outdoor space that has specific rooms. Your landscaper can take a portion of any wall to incorporate a firepit so that now you will have the privacy you want with a dazzling fire any time of day.
Patio with a tiered retaining wall: A yard that has a significant slope does not have to stay that way when your landscaper designs a tiered retaining wall that can descend from the patio that is situated right outside your door. Joining the top of the slope with the bottom can be beautiful when your landscaper ties the space together with brick and stone steps that are illuminated after dark with landscape lighting.
Each tier can be planted with pretty shrubs and seasonal flowers to accent the brick color and shape. Your landscaper can customize the retaining wall with a darker brick border or banding that contrasts with the majority of the brick or they can incorporate decorative tile or clear glass block for a unique and engaging look.
Related: IMAGINING A BRICK PATIO FOR YOUR FRONT YARD IN HOMER GLEN AND NEW LENOX IL AREAS
