How to Build a Beautiful, Long-Lasting Stone Garden Wall

In areas like the PNW, the chilly dampness that exists nine months out of the year can easily rot wooden garden beds. Wooden garden beds often don’t last more than a few years because of this, and people often turn to other solutions such as metal, plastic, or cinder block.

This blog post is about how to build a strong garden wall out of pavers so that you can house vegetables and flowers for many future growing seasons.

Choose your stone blocks

The first step is to select which block is the right fit for your project.

Tegula Garden Wall

Our Tegula Garden Wall stone fits the bill if you are looking for a rustic option for your garden wall. It is slightly taller, at 6.5”, automatically creating height when installed.

Tegula-Garden-Wall-Columbia-Blend-McMinnville-Oregon

Chateau Moderna

For a modern garden wall, use our Chateau Moderna. It is now available as a clean, non-tumbled finish stock item.

Nursery Stone

If you want a classic wall using relatively lightweight stones (easier to handle while installing), our Nursery Stone is the one for you. It is durable and requires a simple, dry-stack construction process.

Chateau Diviso

Do you want a rough-hewn style for your garden wall? Chateau Diviso is split-faced with a unique texture and color that proves attractive in any space.

Steps to building a garden wall

Let’s look at the steps involved in building a garden wall.

Mark your garden space

After you have selected the stone blocks you like best, it’s time to mark the space where you want to install your garden. It is easiest to use white marking paint to show exactly where you want it. Also, mark an additional six inches of space around where the wall will go, to ensure there is enough space for the base.

Dig a deep base

The third step is digging a deep enough base to support the wall. You first must dig a trench that is at least 8” deep by 16” wide by the desired length of your garden wall.

After you dig the trench, fill it with compact gravel that is ¾-0”. Fill it to a depth of 6” to withstand loading on the surface and seasonal frost from below.

Lay the first row

After you have a solid base filled with gravel, lay the first level of blocks on the completed base. Make sure the blocks are level from side to side and front to back. Be sure to bury half the base block for that first row.

Stack additional rows

Once you ensure that the first row is solid and even, you can continue to lay additional rows on top. Stagger the blocks along the wall to your desired height, and use a strong adhesive to hold everything together.

One of our best tips is to refrain from building a wall that’s too high. The max height should be three feet tall; some people even limit it to two feet.

Fill with soil

Once you have completed all the walls, your final step is to fill your new garden with topsoil or garden soil to prepare it for your seeds!

Find the perfect paver

Having a hard time deciding what paver you want to use to make your garden wall? Check out our Paver Finder quiz to get a personalized recommendation for the perfect paver.