Elements Of Garden Design, Construction Of Stairs In Rockeries, Types And Construction Of Retaining Walls - 2

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

Garden design elements that help shape its appearance

Ladder construction technology in rockeries

One of the simplest ways to build a staircase in a rocky garden is dry masonry, which is equally applicable to retaining walls. Construction begins with the laying of the bottom step. All steps are based on foundations that ensure the stability of the entire structure and lie on sand and gravel dump, which can only be neglected on sandy soils. The easiest way of laying is when the next slab rests on the previous slab. The steps of such a staircase rise by 10-15 cm and are built in isolation at a distance of 5-10 cm from one another. Each of the slabs has its own foundation base on a drainage pad. Earth is poured into the gaps between the steps and carpet plants are planted.

Types of retaining walls

Retaining walls are irreplaceable and multifunctional. They are good for planting miniature and rocky plants. For the stability of the structure, a foundation is made. The main purpose of retaining walls is to strengthen the soil on slopes and slopes and to prevent landslides that often occur in areas located on slopes. Unfortified slopes "float" almost constantly, even from a little rain or melt water. With significant differences in relief (more than 0.5 m), one cannot do without a retaining wall. The walls are placed for better use of the garden area if you want to emphasize the unevenness of the relief; they also make it possible to divide the site into functional and aesthetic zones.

There are infinitely many options for planning a plot with a relief. Even if the area is flat, the space can be visually divided with a low decorative wall. This is a good alternative to a live fence, especially if you don't like trimming your plants. Retaining walls are a very strong decorative element. They decorate the site and give it charm, create intrigue. Retaining walls made of natural stone look especially impressive next to decorative coniferous shrubs, ground cover and ampel flowers. It is good if a stream flows from the retaining wall or a rock garden is organized in the form of rocky ledges on the site.

The walls can serve as a frame for flower beds, they can be used to organize sites for plants or put flowerpots. Where there is not enough space, the wall will completely replace a bench for rest or a place at the entrance where you can sit. It is not difficult to build a retaining wall, you just need to choose the right material and develop a project in detail.

Brick walls look good, and the brick weighs relatively little, but it's not easy to install. Bricks are laid with bandaging, i.e. vertical seams in one row must not match seams in adjacent rows. A skilled bricklayer can decorate a wall using panels or stripes of a different pattern, using different masonry techniques. A brick wall can be faced with special tiles, natural or artificial stone.

Natural stone walls look very decorative. For this, you can use many types of stone: limestone, sandstone, flagstone, shale, granite, dolomite, boulders or river pebbles. Stones are taken of arbitrary size and shape and stacked one on top of the other so that they fit snugly against each other. Many gardeners prefer the so-called dry walls, when stones of different sizes are stacked on top of each other without using a solution, and the gaps between them are filled with earth and suitable plants are planted there. Many types of alpine flora can be planted there.

You can build a wall of concrete. It can be monolithic concrete (with wooden formwork). A metal mesh is shot against a concrete wall, and then revetted with natural or artificial stone. Wood can be used for dry retaining walls. Various types of wooden retaining walls: sheet piling, pile, fence are less durable.

Rock walls - crushed stone is poured into the base of such a wall or concrete is poured, stones are laid without fastening them with a lime mortar. Between the stones, gaps 3-4 cm wide are left, which are filled with light dry fertile soil and plants are planted in them. The most suitable planting earth mixtures of the following composition: 2 parts of sod land, 1 part of peat, 1 part of coarse sand.

Rocky flower walls do not require special maintenance. If, during the construction of the wall, stones are laid with a slight slope back, then rainwater can enter the cracks. Occasionally, in the absence of rain, the plants are watered; 2-3 times a year they are fed with a weak solution of mineral fertilizers. Not far from such a stone wall, it is advisable to install a water spray or periodically spray the plants on hot, dry days. Only light should be in excess, so the walls are trying to be oriented to the south, southeast or southwest.

Which one to prefer? What goes best with the overall architectural appearance of the garden. Low walls (30-60 cm) are more suitable for a small garden, bushes grow lush along them.

Retaining wall construction technology

These walls are easier to build than tall ones. The optimal height of the retaining wall is 1 m, usually it is erected without a foundation. The first row of stones is laid so that later they are only half visible from the ground. If the height is more than 1.5 m or the wall is erected on loose soil, prone to movement, it is required to build a pillow of gravel or fine gravel with a thickness of at least 15 cm. The pillow is carefully tamped.

A retaining wall with a height of more than 1 meter is subjected to great pressure from the mass of the soil and water located behind it, and it should be built according to special rules. It is easier to equip the slope with terraces of several low walls. To prevent water from accumulating at the base of the wall, which can erode the foundation and base of the structure, drainage is arranged. The outer side of the retaining wall is built with a slight backward slope, thereby increasing its stability.

It is better to refuse from excessively high and too long walls. Whatever you decorate them later, there will still be a feeling of heaviness. If, nevertheless, you cannot do without a long wall, try to "break" it with other architectural elements - benches, ladders, niches. And it may turn out that it is the retaining walls that will give your garden a unique look.

Technology for the construction of a retaining wall from brickwork. Stones or slabs are laid in layers. If a slab is larger than the stones of the lower tier, it should be trimmed by adjusting the supporting stones dug under it. Each next row is laid with an indent from the previous one, then the wall is not vertical, but with a slope. After laying the next layer of stones, the earth is poured and compacted behind them. Sometimes drainage is necessary. A feature of dry masonry is the ability to arrange places for planting plants in the walls. The stones are stacked on top of each other with a layer of earth, this technology not only allows you to plant plants, but also reduces the deformation effect in frost and heat.

The construction technology of a retaining wall made of natural stone resembles that of buute-concrete in construction, but it is carried out without formwork, which allows it to be given the most diverse forms. The wall thickness depends on the height, for example, with a height of 1 m, the thickness should be 250 mm. The base is a monolithic unreinforced concrete foundation. It transfers the weight of the structure evenly to the ground and provides a clean and level masonry surface. As a rule, the foundation should be three times wider than the wall being erected. The thickness of the concrete layer for a 1 m high wall is approximately 150 mm. The concrete is placed in a trench on a well-compacted gravel base 50 mm thick. The top level of the foundation must be at least 150 mm below ground level.

Wall masonry resembles brickwork; it is also carried out in rows. For each row, stones of the same height should be selected; the inevitable irregularities are compensated for by filling in smaller fractions or by selecting the appropriate stones for the next row. In the lower part, it is also necessary to lay drainage pipes spaced 1 m apart from each other. This is best done after removing the masonry from the ground.

After finishing the construction of the retaining wall (regardless of its material and shape), a general drainage is arranged from the side of the upper terrace, a layer of gravel 70–100 mm thick is poured between the wall and the ground. This is done at the same time as adding soil.

Leveled terraces should have a slight slope to ensure drainage. The soil level of the upper part should be slightly lower than the wall, since it will still be necessary to fill in the fertile layer removed before starting construction.