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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]