The rolling hills of Central Kentucky mean at least one thing for your landscape — the need for walls! Even the rare flat, or nearly flat, property can benefit from a vertical, structural surface in the garden. Walls provide function (usually multiple, all-in-one solutions) and add visual appeal.
- Retaining — even small grade changes and slopes require walls to be constructed. These can range anywhere from 1-foot high to 10-feet or taller, but most often can be 1.5-feet high and double as a sitting wall. Working with the existing site grades help make these fit into the project like they were meant to be there or even like they have always been there. They are great for terracing too! Walls that are 4-feet and taller must be engineered.
- Sitting — these can be freestanding or double function as retaining walls and are the same height as a typical chair, which is 18-inches. They provide permanent outdoor seating so you don’t have to worry about furniture and cushions.
- Accent — Water features, path edging, wall fountains, wall ornaments — these walls can provide structure and an artistic element to the garden.
- Screening — Where privacy may be an issue, a wall might be your answer.
- An edge — Small to medium height walls are great to provide an edge to a space, like a driveway, property line or other edge you want to define.
So many materials to choose from too! There are many forms of stone walls, precast materials, wood and metal — mix them up for a unique stamp on your property.
Andrea Wilson Mueller is a native Frankfortian and graduate of the University Of Kentucky College Of Design with a Bachelors of Arts in Design. She was raised in the horticulture industry by her dad and is the first and only APLD certified landscape designer in the state of Kentucky. She specializes in residential and commercial outdoor spaces of all sizes and styles with an ecological focus. Find out more at www.insideout-design.org.
