If you need to add a retaining wall or visual barrier to your next landscaping project, consider incorporating a gabion mesh support into your project. These remarkable mesh and basket constructions allow you to work with stone in a simple way that boosts the beauty and stability of any project.
1. Gabions are Flexible
If you need to work down a steep slope, you can use gabion mesh to create a terraced or stepped landscape. Gabion basket metal can be curved to create a flexible landscaping project, offering both grace and privacy.
Because gabions can flex, you can easily build a wall on top of a naturally looping or curving waterway already in existence. If your property features a creek or a pond that is changing due to erosion, add a gabion as part of your protective planting scheme to reduce the risk of flooding.
A flexible gabion at the ridge of your pond can also allow you to put in plants that will protect the shoreline. When heavy rains come, water won’t wash away delicate roots along the edge of your water feature. Plants will be protected from wind and weather while they take hold and build a firmer edge to your water feature.
2. Porous Barriers and Fences Make Rainwater Management Simple
Many gabion constructions are used in places where rainfall is rare but intense. Because gabions are made of stacked rock, held in place by a metal framework, water will easily pass through these constructions.
Of course, a gabion wall cannot stop an existing low-lying structure from facing water damage. However, if your lot is sloped away from your house and erosion paths are starting to form, a gabion wall can disperse rainwater and allow it to flow away in sheets rather than in streams.
Before you put in your gabion, study how rainwater moves down the slopes of your property. Adding a stepped gabion feature to a portion of your property may allow you to better manage rainwater and add direct it where you want it to go.
3. Native Stones and Materials Allow You to Blend Into the Landscape
Putting native stone inside your gabion mesh and metal basket structures will allow you to build a cohesive landscape. Because gabion can be both flexed and customized, you can add pops of greenery, even in a desert landscape.
Your gabion wall of brown and yellow sandstone can be built with planters. You can even build a tall gabion wall and add “windows” into the structure for more interest and safer viewing. If you prefer a lower wall, you can add a tray to the top of your gabion wall that can be filled with a contrasting stone or even synthetic stones that offer flash and color.
Gabion wall construction does need careful planning. Once your walls are laid out, consider height. A simple 3-foot barrier can reduce road noise and provide you with a great deal of privacy; you can load the top with plants or gems and enjoy a unique, striking landscape.