Rustic Rock Wall

by Patty http://funfamliving.com

The rock wall in my backyard was meant to be rustic so it flows with the woodland that surrounds my home on three sides.
Before we put in the rock wall our back yard was a slope so when it rained the water would pour into our basement! We had to change the land so the water would be channeled away from our home.

Our friend who is a landscaper recommended a wall to make 2 levels and to bury pipe under the ground and behind the wall were the excess water could drain into the pipe which would be long enough to carry the water away from our house.

Somehow the cost of putting in a straight formal wall where all the rocks were perfectly lined up didn't flow with my style of gardening. This wall cost less actually, maybe because we caught a deal on craigslist for a pile of rocks, but also we did as much as possible ourselves.

I like to have pockets of dirt here and there to plant draping specimens and I enjoy planting in odd number groups that do not line up but rather are scattered "here and there". These rocks provide or demand that opportunity

To get the rocks from the place we bought them we had to hire an excavating company to haul them by dump truck which took several trips back and forth. Another piece of equipment placed the rocks and a friend helped my husband place the stairs. The planting was my contribution but the wall was made possible by my husband John and a few friends. It was no small feat and a little hard on the back but it was "so worth it"

This stone wall is one of the projects we accomplished around our home but with lots of help! I had a blast shopping for the plants and then planting all of them. It was a lot of work, but it was the kind I classify as fun. Scroll down to see the other pics!

Some of my favorite draping plants are Verbena, Petunias, and Sweet Potato Vines. I am working on gradually adding more perennials every year just to lower the workload, but also the cost.

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3 of 6 questions

Debra on Jul 18, 2016
It's beautiful. How do you keep the woodchucks and groundhogs from digging holes in between the rocks and flowers?

2
Sarah on May 17, 2017

How do you keep from the dirt eroding away ?

0
Beverly on Dec 14, 2018

what are those plants?

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Pgr21742649 on Apr 15, 2017

Yes, it looks great - for now. Hope you enjoy weeding. I have a 200 year old farm in VT w/ the remains of a stone barn foundation I did something like this to. Dandelions in particular love to sprout in between the rocks - and very hard to get their taproots out. And quackgrass - the worst weed of all.

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Kim on Jul 23, 2017

This is so GORGEOUS! I am so jealous!

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