If you have decided to add retaining walls with natural stone to your property in the near future, you might be looking around for some ideas of how you can make them really stand out. There are plenty of gabion wall designs to choose from, enabling you to make a really unique choice for your property that stands out from the crowd. In this article, we have shared some of our favourite ideas based on what you plan to use the walls for.

Walls
The most common use for gabion baskets is as walls that either retain soil or separate the various areas of your property. If the walls are low the top matters most, so keep this in mind when packing the rocks (save the best and most interesting until last). You could also use the top to grow succulents or epiphytic plants for added interest.

Screens & Fences
If you plan to use the baskets to improve the privacy of your property in the form of screens or fences, the fill becomes more important because it will be at eye level. You could introduce some colour variations with bands of different coloured stones, or you could turn it into a vertical garden through the addition of some hardy plants.

Containers
If they aren’t required to do much retaining, the baskets can be as narrow as 20 to 30cm, which means that they can be easily used to create a container for a small tree or large shrub. The addition of a geotextile fabric or weedmat behind the wall prevents potting mix from washing throw. Roots also won’t grow through the barrier.

Sculptures
If you’re looking for a gabion wall design that is really out of the box, a sculpture could be the way to go. Some people cut the mesh and shape their own baskets (leaning away from the traditional square or rectangular designs available). If you don’t have this skill, you could also create a gabion labyrinth or maze in your garden.

Water Features & Ponds
Whilst dry stones are certainly beautiful, the full effect for many can only be achieved when they’re wet. A gabion fountain or water feature is the perfect way to achieve this, no matter the weather. You also have the added bonus of being able to hide the pump fairly easily, and the noise will be muffled by the surrounding stone.

Furniture
Many homeowners actually steer clear of furniture made from these baskets, as they tend to be permanent – no one wants to try lifting tonnes of stone. If you are concerned with theft but would love a bench in your front yard or don’t plan on moving anytime soon, however, crafting furniture from these baskets could be ideal.

We hope that the gabion wall design ideas shared above have enabled you to decide exactly how you plan to use these walls on your property. Depending on where you plan to erect the wall and how high you want it to be, keep in mind that you may need to obtain council permission prior to construction. Either way, it’s a good idea to contact your local council about any retaining walls with natural stone to determine what permissions are needed.