David Domoney considers the different characteristics and uses of garden walling.
17 February 2021
Garden Walling
Filling your garden with plants and features doesn’t mean you are strictly bound to growing in the ground. Instead, I like to imagine the garden as a box, with the fences or walls of the garden folding down to create more space to use. At times, garden walling can even be necessary to ensure it’s a practical space.
Sloping Gardens
Preparation and planting can be difficult on sloping spaces. As well as being hard to access, the soil typically dries out and sloped areas can be taken over by weeds, but this doesn’t mean that the space is useless.
SPLIT-LEVEL GARDENS
Retaining garden walls are a striking way to make the most of the space, whilst looking marvellous. Having these walls in your garden can allow more growing space than you would have on a sloped garden
Raised Beds
No matter what style you garden comprises, there’s a variety of Burford Walling to fit it, with the option of sandy hues from Golden Buff or the grey tones of Natural Light Weathered.
What’s more, is the reconstituted stone gives the look of natural stone, but with a lower price tag. To create the perfect walling, there are three stone finishes to choose from; split, which looks rough and course, pitched, which has a subtly uneven appearance, and tumbled, with a weathered and irregular finish.
Versatile Walling
Lysimachia Nummularia (Golden Creeping Jenny)
Once your walls are in place, the sections can then be filled with colourful and texture-adding plants. Lysimachia nummularia (golden creeping Jenny) ‘Aurea’ can add glorious groundcover to an area with beautiful yellow blooms that appeal to pollinators too. Thymus vulgaris
(common thyme) is another popular plant for pollinators, whilst also being an aromatic addition.
Bring in some ornamental grasses for added texture, such as Miscanthus sinensis (eulalia) ‘Flamingo’ for arching leaves and pink feathery inflorescences in summer.
For accessible, easy gardening, and an appealing architectural addition, retaining garden walls will add a new dimension to your space.
Water-wall
Introducing water to your garden is a great idea for a multitude of reasons. Benefit from the sound of moving water to help you relax and de-stress, and watch the sunlight glimmer off the surface of the water which is like magic. You’ll want to ensure you have seating nearby so you can sit and appreciate the soothing soundtrack of your garden.
Feature Walls
If you haven’t got heaps of room for a large fountain or feature that will take up precious floor space, you don’t need to compromise. As an alternative, you can create a water feature on your wall with the contemporary and clean aesthetic of Porcelain Wall Cladding. The white-grey tones will bring a brightness to the area, and when complemented with the glistening of moving water, it will undoubtedly relax you.
Planting
Embellish the base of your water wall with gravel and pebbles and plants that love moisture. Ferns such as Asplenium scolopendrium (hart’s tongue fern) will do great here, or the moisture loving Iris ensata (Japanese water iris).
Relaxing place
One of the great things about gardens is there’s no set way to design them. Different people will prioritise different elements and depending on the space available, this can take many unique shapes. Take time to consider areas where you will relax and enjoy the balmy summer days and evenings.
CONTEMPORARY GARDEN AREAS
In a contemporary courtyard, to get more seating and storage, Moodul Walling can deliver the ideal solution. This modular walling is flexible to maximise its functionality and fit in your garden, so you can hang flower boxes and shelving, or even create seating units sunk into the wall. The horizontal blocks have a great impact in giving the garden a sophisticated and high-end finish.
Fragrant Planting
I think it’s always lovely to have fragrant plants near a garden seating area so your quiet contemplation or conversations can be complemented by beautiful aromas. Jasminum officinale (common jasmine) is a great one for fragrance as you can have it climbing up a pergola or wall and when the flowers bloom in summer, you’ll be joined by their sweetly floral scent.
Garden Log Fires
A wonderful addition to a garden is an outdoor fireplace to make your garden inviting all year round. What better feeling on a cool evening than to wrap up warm outdoors, with a warm drink, next to an outdoor fireplace?
Make the vision a reality using Slate Stack Wall Cladding, which is available in two varieties. The Blue/Black gives a refined finish, and the Rusty variety introduces many earthy tones to complement your feature, whether it’s a fire hearth, outdoor oven, or barbecue. Adding this cladding will without a doubt transform an ordinary wall to an impressive work of art.
So, make the most of your wall space by incorporating space for storage, seating, water features and add warmth by choosing warm tone materials for the daytime and open fire places for the cool nights. Bear in mind that walling isn’t just for the perimeter of your garden, instead it can bring a new dimension to accentuate other areas of your space.
This month I've selected a video of a particular favourite garden feature of mine, a Slate Stack Walling water feature. I hope you enjoy watching it and that it might inspire you to create one yourself. There is nothing more soothing than the sound of running water in your garden.
There are many more inspirational garden videos featured here for you to explore.
David Domoney, TV gardener, horticultural expert and Pavestone brand ambassador blogs monthly on the Pavestone website on all things landscaping related.
We look forward to seeing you back again next month.
