--- title: Retain Your Property and Gain Space With Retaining Walls description: Let retaining walls help you live better in your sloped backyard. These structures create raised flowerbeds and cozy terraces, perfect for enhancing your outdoor living from this season on. image: https://www.johnslandscape.com/hs-fs/file-15723214-jpg/images/ret_wallsnew.jpg --- [![John's Landscape](https://www.johnslandscape.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Johns_Landscape_Images/JLSLogo283x129.png?width=330&height=126&name=JLSLogo283x129.png "John's Landscape")](https://www.johnslandscape.com/) 781-646-5555 ' 30 GARDEN STREET - ARLINGTON, MA 02474 DESIGN ' INSTALL ' MAINTAIN # See Our Blog Posts Below: # Retain Your Property and Gain Space With Retaining Walls Posted by [John Tighe](https://www.johnslandscape.com/jls-blog/author/john-tighe) on Mon, Sep 10, 2012 @ 01:18 PM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Is your yard limited by a slope or hilly area? Retaining walls help to create usable, attractive space by transforming hills into a flat area that's perfect for turf, gardens or even a patio. Gain more space and enhance your backyard with these sturdy outdoor features. ![ret wallsnew](https://www.johnslandscape.com/hs-fs/file-15723214-jpg/images/ret_wallsnew.jpg) **Creating a Terrace** A terrace provides a beautiful view into your yard, and often has room for a patio set or outdoor furniture. Stone pavers or a wooden platform deck can be used to finish this area, but retaining walls provide the necessary structure. With tiebacks and a gravel base, retaining walls hold back soil to eliminate a sloping yard. What you end up with is a drop off, but the courses—or levels—are slightly offset for stability. Mount a railing to the top course on high retainers to prevent accidents, and enjoy the enhanced view a terrace provides. Wall caps and deep stairs help to finish off a retaining wall and terrace design. Consider incorporating water features into the layout as well, and use the retaining wall materials throughout your landscaping for a cohesive look. **Better Gardens** Sloped gardens present a number of challenges, including soil erosion and water run off. Many plants will not thrive in a sloped garden, and countless gardeners have given up on these challenging conditions. Having a retaining wall installed to create better garden space is one cost effective solution. Short retaining walls act as garden edgers and provide the stability for raised beds. Raised flower beds deter pests and allow for soil improvement. Retaining walls transform the steepest slop into a thriving raised bed ideal for vegetables and a wide selection of flowers and plants. **Materials Used for Retaining Walls** Stone is a popular material used in retaining walls. Due to the stackable shape and durability, both natural stone and concrete bricks work well for retaining walls of any height and length. Wood timbers, like 4x4s or 6x6s, are an inexpensive option for retaining walls. They can be installed with little fuss and secured with hardware and rebar for a dependable, long lasting structure. Retaining walls allow you to make the most use of your outdoor space. Create a terrace or raised flowerbed with stone or wood timbers and live better in the backyard. 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