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Retaining walls are one of the most common landscaping features all over. If you have a garden and have not tried out retaining walls, you are missing out on the great benefits that this simple, yet handy, addition can bring to your outdoor space. Below discover 4 different ways you can use retaining walls to add value to your landscaping.

Control water drainage around elevated areas

If your garden has an uneven terrain, storm water will always flow from the higher areas to the lower areas, sweeping the fertile top soil and any plants along its way. A retaining wall helps to prevent this. It creates a barrier that holds the soil and plants in place. The storm water is then controlled to either flow around the retained areas or to seep slowly through several outlets along the retaining wall. This way, elevated areas on your garden remain protected even after heavy rains.

Turn your sloping garden flat

If your garden has a sloppy terrain, it may not make the best site to create a garden. You will constantly have problems with water erosion and your garden will not be easy to use for play or relaxation. Retaining walls can be used to correct this problem. Your garden is simply graded using an excavator, i.e. the soil is dug up and leveled flat. The excess soil is then lined up along the perimeter of your garden. A retaining wall is then used to hold that extra soil in place to prevent it from flowing back to your now flat garden.

 Create elevated surfaces on your garden

You can also use retaining walls to create artificially-elevated areas just as explained above. Here, you simply need to buy the needed amounts of earth and hold it in place using a retaining wall. You can create such elevated areas along the edges of your garden or as centerpieces. You can do this for a number for reasons such as to make your garden look unique, to demarcate various levels of your garden or to separate the main lawn from the flowers around the edges.

Create planter boxes along your fencing

Last but not least, you can use retaining walls to create permanent or semi-permanent planter boxes along your fence perimeter. All you have to do is install a short retaining wall—about a foot high and a foot away from the fence. You then fill this space with soil about three-quarters to the brim and plant your beautiful fence flowers.

You can use different materials for your retaining walls, such as timber sleepers, concrete sleepers, stone, and even interlocking blocks. Talk to a landscape supplies retailer and find out which retaining wall is best for your applications.