Garden Wall vs Retaining Wall: What’s the Difference?

First, knowing why you want to install an outdoor wall is essential. Outdoor walls can retain slopes and create more usable land space. You also might need a wall to define a garden or flower bed or to support dirt that seems ready to collapse. You also might want to install a low wall for extra seating on your patio or in another outdoor living space.

In this blog post, we’ll look at the distinguishing factors of the garden and retaining walls so that you can quickly determine which is suitable for your space.

What are garden walls?

The first thing distinguishing garden walls is that they are low. Garden walls are no higher than three feet tall. They are built to define garden beds, possibly for extra seating and often for decoration.

Another distinguishing factor about garden walls is that they are lightweight enough to be reinforced with adhesive and backfilled with topsoil. 

Garden walls are also built of solid stone and are self-capping.

Garden wall block options

If a garden wall is something you’re interested in installing, you may wonder what options you have for styles and colors. Let’s look at some of the possibilities for garden wall blocks.

Tegula Garden Wall

The Tegula Garden Wall block features a tumbled look that fits perfectly in a PNW landscape. It is slightly taller than some blocks, at 6.5”.

Chateau Moderna

Our Chateau Moderna will give your wall a clean and contemporary edge. It is versatile and non-tumbled, ensuring a sharp accent to your outdoor wall.

Nursery Stone

Our Nursery Stone is a standard wall paver. It is lightweight and ideal for a more classic look for your garden wall.

Chateau Divisio

Our Chateau Divisio is similar to Chateau Moderna, only with a more rough-hewn style. Its split face can be used as the main block or as an accent cap.

What are retaining walls?

Unlike garden walls, retaining walls are built higher than three feet tall. They are built for supporting outdoor structures or retaining a slope, and so are reinforced with geogrid and lip and backfilled with heavy, packed earth.

Retaining walls are built with a hollow stone meant to be filled with aggregate, requiring capping.

Retaining wall block options for Outdoor

Murata™

If you are looking for a modern option for your retaining wall, Murata™ is the way to go. Its clean, sharp lines are reminiscent of smooth tile, and it will bring a beautiful design aesthetic to any space.

Nursery Stone

Our standard Nursery Stone works just as well for retaining walls as it does for garden walls. It is a classic that works well in a variety of contexts.

Slope-35

Slope-35 is an older retaining wall option. We do not carry it in stock, but you can order it if you want a rougher, more old-fashioned look for your retaining wall.

Check out our Paver Finder

Do you want to find the paver that fits perfectly with what you envision for your garden wall or retaining wall? Take our Paver Finder quiz to get a personalized recommendation.