9 Backyard Designs with Retaining Walls from Landscape Architects

A well-built retaining wall can provide a sense of stability and security while protecting your yard from erosion and other forms of damage. It can also provide a connection to the natural world. Whether you want to complement your backyard patio, enhance your property's curb appeal, or simply need a new DIY homeowner's project, the following backyard designs with retaining walls can give you the inspiration you're looking for.

Backyard Retaining Wall Ideas

1. Driveway Retaining Wall

Your retaining wall should flow seamlessly with other landscaping features. A wall that lines your driveway can add structure, finesse, and help manage soil erosion and rain runoff. For better water drainage control, fill your retaining wall with gravel or another type of crushed stone and separate the soil from stone with geotextile fabric.

2. Vertical Sleeper/Timber Retaining Wall

Rock retaining walls are popular, and for good reason: they look great, are low maintenance, and are durable. If you're looking for an alternative to this classic, though, why not go with a vertical sleeper retaining wall? They're made out of vertical layers of wood rather than stone, offering a unique, rustic look to any outdoor space.

3. Mixed Natural Stone Retaining Wall

Variety can be your best friend when it comes to hardscape and landscape design. Create your retaining wall with a variety of stacked stones rather than a single type. A combination of flagstone, granite, sandstone, and limestone, for example, adds variable texture to the appearance of your outdoor living space.

4. Concrete Block Retaining Wall

Concrete retaining wall blocks are a cost-effective, easier-to-install option when it comes to retaining wall designs. Retaining wall blocks are easy enough to find at most big box stores like Lowe's and Home Depot as well as smaller mom-and-pop shops.

5. Vegetable Garden Retaining Wall

Make your wall multi-functional by incorporating a vegetable garden into it. The combination of soft greenery and hard stone creates an appealing contrast, and the incorporated garden bed helps you maximize your usable space, making this landscaping idea especially ideal for small backyards. Vegetables that do well in retaining walls in St. Louis, Missouri, include lettuce, tomatoes, and kale.

6. Tiered Retaining Wall

A tiered retaining wall helps you make the most of a sloped backyard while also generating visual interest and controlling soil erosion. Tiered retaining walls look great against walkways, behind pergolas, and next to fences, alongside other hardscape features.

7. Brick Retaining Wall

A brick retaining wall can be an elegant-looking focal point in your backyard landscape and pairs well with a paver patio, fire pit, and outdoor seating area.

8. Gabion Wall

Gabion walls, like retaining walls, help prevent erosion and provide stability to hillside slopes. They're much easier to install, more affordable, and have a more natural look than standard retaining walls, making them ideal options for smaller budgets or homeowners wanting an unassuming, small retaining wall that blends discretely into their landscape.

9. Flower Garden Retaining Wall

Flower beds can soften the look of your retaining wall, adding color and texture to your yard. St. Louis homeowners can incorporate various native Missouri flowering plant species like butterfly milkweed, New England aster, and purple coneflower; shrubbery like elderberry and smooth hydrangea; and grasses like switchgrass and little bluestem.

No matter which backyard design with retaining walls you ultimately choose, remember to never neglect considerations like proper drainage, budget, erosion, stability, and local codes.