The grade and elevations of landscaping is not always plain and simple. Sometimes, retaining walls and other landscaping structures have to be used to utilize space. These walls are made of bricks, rocks and other materials, and often have a plain look.

If you want to get the most out of your landscaping and make these features more attractive, a good design is essential. You may want to include things like stairs, gardens or even a water feature in the design of your retaining walls. If you want to change the look of your plain retaining walls, here are four design ideas that will make them more attractive and practical.

1. Floating Stairs, Gardens & Plants

Floating stairs and garden areas can be a great addition to your retaining walls. This can be done but cantilevering large stones or concrete beams into the elevation behind the wall. The protruding stone or masonry will be what creates the floating illusion. This is also a great way to utilize space and not have to use valuable space to create stairs and other features.

2. Recessed Retaining Wall Features

Recesses in your retaining wall can be a great place for different types of features. This can be done to plant trees, add decoration or even something like a cooking area around a pool. You can also use recessed pockets in your retaining wall to install lighting and add texture to your landscape lighting design.

3. Adding Water Features to Retaining Walls

Water features can be another great addition to your retaining wall. You can create large cascading waterfalls, ponds and aquatic gardens. If you are building a retaining wall for a pool area, the addition of water features can be a great way to integrate your landscape design into your pool area. You can even have the water features connected to the filtration system of your pool.

4. Garden Areas & Flowerbeds Built Into Retaining Walls

If you have limited space, you may want to find as much space as you can for plant. Adding gardens, flowerbeds and planting areas can be a great addition to your retaining wall. You may consider a terraced design, which can give you a raised vegetable garden area. Plants can be a great way to make your retaining wall more attractive, and with climbing plants, you can even hide the retaining wall so it is not visible.

Retaining walls do not have to be unsightly additions to your property; using some of these ideas can give them an attractive appearance. If you need help with retaining walls and other landscaping features, contact a landscaping service like Done Right Landscapes that has experience providing customers with attractive designs.