Brick walls and walls made of small-scale block materials are susceptible to bulging outwards under pressure. You can reinforce them by setting hooked metal rods in their mortar joints, which project through the back of the wall into the bank where they’re ‘tied’ to blocks of cast concrete called ‘deadmen’, which act as stabilisers. Timber [...]

Because of their location, buried in the ground and holding back a large amount of earth, retaining walls are susceptible to dampness. It’s vital, therefore, that you include adequate drainage in the structure so that the earth behind doesn’t become waterlogged and heavy. In the long run this would weaken the wall and could even [...]

Your earth-retaining wall must have enough mass, as well as sufficiently solid foundations, to resist the lateral, or sideways, pressure of the retained soil and the rainwater that collects in it. So long as you provide this strength, you can build your wall from most common building materials – bricks, concrete or stone blocks, cast [...]

Regardless of whether your garden is flat or sloping, earth-retaining walls are an ideal way of remodelling it to create interesting features such as a raised lawn, a sunken patio or terraced flower beds.
Building up to ground level
1. Start laying the first bricks at a corner if one is planned, at one end of the [...]

Fence panels are made of tanalized softwood. Panels should last up to 20 years or more depending on the location, but as an added protection should be painted regularly with wood preservative. I once met someone who painted their fence with a 50:50 mix of creosote and old sump oil; the fence was 50 years [...]

- Before buying panels and posts, mark out the position of the fence with a garden line and check it is straight using a 3-4-5 triangle. Measure the length of the fence, work out the number of panels, gravel boards, and posts required, not forgetting to add the two end posts, and making allowances for [...]

Selection of the correct hedging subject for your particular soil, location and visual need is only part of the story. Good hedges do not just happen, they originate from careful soil preparation and aftercare. Mark out the site of your hedge and then prepare an area one metre (one yard) wide for the entire length. [...]

As structural components of gardens, walls have more to offer than just protection and privacy. They can be used to display a variety of ornamentation, although attractive old walls are best left unadorned. Some forms of ornament can be built into the wall while it is being constructed; these are likely to become permanent features [...]