A garden wall is one of the most versatile features that can completely transform a simple garden into an outdoor oasis. A wall can combine the perfect balance of practicality and beauty, adding height and structure to your landscape while also introducing characterful texture to your plants and flowerbeds. One of the most attractive features of garden walls is the fact that they are completely customisable. Whether you have a small or large garden or a bigger or smaller budget, there's a garden wall idea to suit every style, taste and space. From beautiful wooden cladding to pebble mosaics and living walls, these DIY garden walls will elevate your outdoor space in an instant, and may even make your neighbours envious!
1. Retaining walls
Marshalite® Pitch Faced walling in Ash Multi
If you have retaining walls, you've already got the perfect starting point. These can be enhanced by adding lights, potted or climbing plants, and removable cushions to transform a plain wall into the focal point of your entire garden.
But, even if you don't already have retaining walls in your garden, don't worry, as they are easy to build and don't require too much space. There are many materials you can use that perfectly match your home's aesthetic. Poured concrete or concrete blocks are perfect for a home with an industrial look. If concrete isn't your style, you can use stone or beautiful cut timber.
Building retaining walls around your home's driveway or garden paths can add interest to a more simple landscape design concept, and create an eye-catching feature if installed in your front garden.
If you are green-fingered or are thinking about taking up gardening as a hobby then a retaining wall is a perfect space addition for your garden. You can leave space between each layer of the retaining wall to install some tiered flowerbeds in which to plant shrubs, herbs, or even vegetables.
2. Natural stone walls
Stoneface® Sawn Veneer Walling in Silver Multi
Stone walls are a great way to add character to your garden, giving the space a natural and rustic feel. There's a huge variety of different types of stone and rock that you can use for your garden walling, each of which has different qualities meaning you'll be able to find the one that's perfect for your home. With so many to choose from, it's worth doing your research before starting to build your garden walls.
Stone walls are a great idea for gardens with several levels. By using natural rock walls to separate different zones within your garden, you’ll be creating additional planting space thanks to being able to fill the nooks and crannies between the stones with soil. Moreover, the rustic charm of stones like sandstone, slate, and limestone will add instant character to larger gardens by breaking up lushlawns.
While natural stone walls can be slightly more expensive than other walling materials, they're incredibly durable meaning they will last you for years to come. Think of a stone or rock wall as an investment that, as well as looking fantastic, will keep adding value to your property long into the future.
3. Curved garden walls
Indian Sandstone in Brown Multi
Take your landscape design to the next level with the soft, flowing lines of a curved wall. Curved garden walls are an excellent way to transform hard edges and add shape to an elegant garden design.
You can use a curved wall design around a patio area, a paving circle or as framing for a small garden bed. If you want to add more greenery to your design, you can use the top of the wall as a platform for potted plants with lush shrubs, colourful flowers, and small trees.
Brick and stone are the most popular materials for curved walls. You can either go for stone with a rougher, more organic texture to create a rustic and natural look or opt for a smooth, more uniform brick to achieve a contemporary, sleek finish.
They are a great alternative to straight, square-shaped landscaping and retaining borders, creating the perfect setting for a cosy fire pit area or impressive water feature sat within a stone circle.
4. Raised garden walls
Tegula Walling in Traditional
If you have a hill or slope in your garden and don't know what to do with it, then a tiered retaining wall is the solution for you. These walls are generally lower in height and serve as an excellent divider to separate different zones within larger sloping spaces. Tiered retaining walls create an upscale landscaping look and can transform an unworkable incline in your garden into a more usable space.
While retaining walls are great for preventing soil erosion and reducing the risk of flooding, they're also the perfect choice if you want to open up space in your garden. Rows of plant pots can be placed on top of the retaining wall to preserve floorspace for grassy areas, patios, garden furniture, and more.
If your garden space allows it, consider building your retaining walls into a sunken patio or cosy seating zone where you can decorate the space with chairs, benches, and outdoor lighting. You can highlight this finished design even more by incorporating raised garden beds into your retaining wall to frame the whole area with colourful flowers or fragrant herbs.
5. Living walls
A living wall is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to bring a burst of greenery into their garden or outdoor living space and attract more wildlife. As the name suggests, a living wall is a garden wall where there are plants and flowers growing directly on it. You can build your living wall with stone or wooden cladding, but be sure to choose plants that are suitable for this type of area.
As well as being aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching, living walls can be real problem solvers if you’re short on space. By having vertical planters, you’re able to free up floor space for additional features such as furniture and patio areas. This type of garden walling is stunning and functional at the same time.
Living walls are also great for sprucing up a neglected area, like a side garden. You can turn this into a meditative walkway with curtains of plants in various shades to create a beautiful wave-like pattern. Another idea is to install one as an accent wall in your patio area, perhaps filled with herbs to enhance the sensory experience of your garden.
Learn more about how to create a living green wall in your garden.
6. Modern garden walls
Stoneface® Drystack Veneer Walling in Nero
Modern and contemporary garden designs are all about keeping it simple and sleek. For anyone wanting to achieve a modern, minimalist aesthetic, think about installing a block plaster or poured concrete garden wall that is painted in black, white, or grey.
Keeping your garden wall smooth and neutral in colour will add to the sophisticated feel of a modern design scheme while making the space bright, especially in the summer months.
If you want to add more personality to an ultra-modern outdoor living space, adding a pop of colour is a great way to inject some character. For example, having a red brick wall can complement your sleek surfaces nicely. You can use this to frame the patio or flower beds, or use bricks to build your very own outdoor barbeque area.
A modern garden wall doesn't have to have a plain design, though. Concrete wall planters, wooden cladding, and elegant lighting can bring a simple wall to life while retaining a modern look. Garden paving is also crucial to creating a contemporary garden space as it ties everything together and keeps your outdoor living area looking sublime.
7. Garden walls for privacy
Stoneface® Sawn Veneer Walling in Autumn Bronze
Your garden is meant to be your own little oasis, a sanctuary of calm and tranquility where you can lounge and relax in private. No matter how well you get along with your neighbours, a garden wall or fence with low boundaries isn't enough to keep your space secluded.
In order to maximise privacy while still maintaining the overall aesthetic of your garden, you can go with a stone or brick wall that incorporates raised garden beds on top. If, however, that seems like too much time and effort, you can always go with an elegant garden fence made from wooden cladding or steel.
The great thing about privacy fences is they can be both practical and aesthetic. You can accessorise your privacy fence with hanging baskets and plants, a stunning paint job or even a mosaic - whatever will best suit the design scheme of your home’s exterior.
8. Low garden walls with fences
Marshalite® Rustic Walling in Ash Multi
A garden wall doesn’t have to be full height in order to look fantastic and serve its purpose. Low-lying stone walls can be elevated with the addition of wooden fences or even metal railings on top of the coping stones.
This can create great visual intrigue by bringing in different textures, colours and shapes into your garden. It’s also a perfect option for anyone who doesn’t want a solid boundary wall, as fences can have gaps of different widths between each plank.
Fences can also be painted in whatever colour best suits your home’s exterior design scheme, meaning you can put your own stamp on your garden with next to no effort.
9. Rustic garden walls
Phoenix Facing Brick Walling in Cottage Mix
Rustic garden walls are a true classic. Charming and fitting well with landscaping concepts of all types, there is no shortage of reasons why they are so popular.
Nothing says rustic quite as well as a good old-fashioned red brick wall. The warm hues of red bricks have been a favourite amongst house builders for decades, offering heaps of character and versatility. However, red brick isn’t your only option when looking for something with more heritage. Rustic charm can also be achieved by using natural stone blocks such as sandstone or limestone, both of which work particularly well with cottage-style gardens or in locations that are known for mining.
There's so much you can do with a rustic garden wall, and decor choices are endless. You can turn your rustic wall into a piece of art with murals or even a stunning multi-coloured mosaic. For extra greenery, you could train a climbing plant such as ivy to grow across the face of the wall.
10. Pebbled garden walls
Pebbled walls have a natural appeal and are an easy way to incorporate colour into your garden without being too flashy. Many different kinds of stones can be used for this project - while some people prefer a neutral colour palette of greys, blacks, browns and whites, others enjoy using bolder hues like red or blue.
Another option is to mix different sizes of pebbles together to create a visually-dynamic finish. If you don't want all of your stones laid flat on top of one another, there's nothing wrong with placing at different angles instead, as this will only enhance the drama of the design.
Don't forget about texture, too. Depending on what type of rock you use as your base, you may be able to benefit from a tumbled finish. Tumbled stone blocks are processed to have rugged, rougher edges to make the end result appear decidedly more rustic.
11. Trellis garden walls
For anyone who likes to get stuck into a bit of DIY, a trellis can be a great material to use when building a garden wall. Trellises are often made of wood and are used to create screening walls between gardens or to separate different areas within a larger garden. You can buy diamond, square, slated, and lattice trellises, so you’ll be able to choose the pattern that’s best for you.
If you're looking for a more traditional look, consider using lattice panels as fences or screens between sections of your garden. The versatility of this material makes it easy to incorporate into almost any type of garden design.
You can also use them for privacy by adding plants; they'll add height and interest while still allowing enough sunlight through to help your plants grow.
Trellises can also be combined with stone or brick walls to provide a tasteful embellishment that will bring additional planting space to your garden. Simply fix the trellis directly onto the wall and choose whatever flowers and climbing plants you prefer. This will also soften the overall aesthetic of your garden wall by giving it a more textured, natural look.
12. Mirrored garden walls
Stoneface® Drystack Veneer Walling in Nero Quartzite Mirror
If you have a smaller garden, hanging a mirror is an effective hack for making the space appear bigger than it actually is.
Garden mirrors can also help brighten a garden that's tucked away in thicker foliage or under the shadows of trees by reflecting natural lighting. But be sure not to place it in direct sunlight, though, as this could make the space uncomfortably dazzling to the eyes.
Keep the style of your mirror cohesive with the rest of your outdoor decor and your home’s exterior design scheme. More minimalist concepts, for example, may be better suited to simpler mirrors without ornate frames.
For a quirkier, more retro effect, you could consider sourcing a secondhand mirror from a thrift shop or creating your own mosaic-style mirror.
13. Easy, stone-effect garden walls
Stoneface® Mixed Texture Walling in Silver Birch
Fancying all the elegance and classic charm of a natural stone wall without the hassle of having to build one? The Marshalls range of Stoneface® Veneer Walling products is ideal for your garden.
Manufactured from high quality materials that are designed to be chip-resistant and ultra-durable, Stoneface® wall cladding can be fixed directly onto existing perimeter or retaining walls to replicate the unmistakable aesthetic of natural stone at a fraction of the cost.
The whole Stoneface® range makes it easier than ever to achieve a professional look and finish without labour-intensive installations. The veneer panels simply need to be attached onto suitable flat surfaces using Sika Primer 3 and Sikaflex EBT Adhesive.
Build your dream garden wall with Marshalls
No matter how ambitious your garden wall project is, the teams here at Marshalls are ready to help you create an outdoor space that you can enjoy with friends and family for years to come.
With an ever-growing range of decorative garden walling products available to buy online, you’re sure to find the ones that are perfect for your home. So, whatever your design preferences, garden size, or budget, get your next landscaping project started by exploring our collection of high-quality garden wall solutions.
FAQs
How can I decorate my garden wall?
Building a garden wall of any kind in your outdoor space unlocks all types of design possibilities. You can decorate your garden wall with flowers, hanging plants, or a giant outdoor wreath. Unique lighting, a fire pit, or a water feature can really take any lower garden walls to the next level by transforming them into the focal point of your entire landscaping concept.
What is the best colour to paint a garden wall?
The best colour for your garden wall will depend on a range of different factors, including the rest of your garden’s design scheme, any furniture you choose, the architecture or your home, and more.
More modern or minimalist gardens, for example, may be better suited to a neutral colour such as brown, grey, black, or cream, but the choice is ultimately yours. Consider testing out a few different options with colour swatches before making your final decision so that you can tell which one will look the best in your space.
It’s also worth noting that paler colours - whites, creams, and light greys - will reflect the sunlight and help to make gardens feel brighter and more spacious. If your garden is a real suntrap, though, it might be better to steer clear of light-coloured paints as they could make the space feel overwhelming in the summer months.
Can I build a garden wall on a slope?
If your property is on a slope, you can build a retaining wall. In fact, retaining walls can turn an unworkable incline in your garden space into usable, uniform surface by creating a series of different levels leading down from your house.
