How to Design Stacked Stone Garden Walls
Stacked stone garden walls are easy to build and attractive, and come with the added benefit of being eco-friendly and all natural. There's no messy concrete or mortar to pour, and if you collect the stone yourself, a stacked stone wall is cost-free. Stone walls can make dividers between plantings, path borders, or even low retaining walls, but since the stones are not held together by any type of bonding agents, a little foresight and planning can go a long way. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose the location of your wall. Make note of features such as hills, trees, or existing landscape and architecture that will need to be factored into your plan.
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Calculate the height and width of your wall. CreativeHomeOwner.com recommends a height of no greater than 3 feet for free-standing, mortarless walls, and a width of at least 2 feet. If your stone wall will be a simple garden divider of 1 foot in height, your base can be as narrow as 8 inches. Similarly, retaining walls (to support soil, for example) require the stability of a wider footer and a dug-out bed.
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Collect the stone. Sandstone and limestone (generally easiest to cut) are widely available at home improvement centers and landscaping supply stores (oftentimes already cut flat). If you are collecting stones locally, look for a selection of flat, rectangular shapes and smaller fill-in pieces.
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Sketch a few variations of your wall, based on location, height, width and type of stone, until your outline begins to look the way you want it.
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Mark the final layout on the ground with spray paint before you begin physical construction.
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Tips & Warnings
Try to incorporate existing features of the garden into your design. The natural look of the stone will blend nicely into sloping hillsides, for example, or try planning your wall to wrap around a tree or meander in a curve across the garden rather than a straight line.
Check with your local municipality before you begin. Most locations do not require special permits for dry-stacked walls under 4 feet.
