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Landscape Design

retaining wall(s)

14 years ago

My daughter and I have been in our new house for a little over a year now. I am ready to research putting in retaining wall(s) in the slope in my back (side) yard. I have some ideas from photos posted here and at other sites on the internet (as well as from magazines and mom!). I would like to utilize the upper corner of the slope for a "sun deck" of some kind (putting lounge chairs up there) because the view from there is great! I also want to have room for not only flowering plants and shrubs but some veggies as well. Any help? Please!! I'm not sure how to submit my photos... I'll work on this.

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Comments (8)

missingtheobvious
14 years ago
I haven't ever posted photos, but here are GW's instructions on how to do so:
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/pepper/2002072150000611.html

This forum (Landscape Design) is one that does not allow direct posting of photos (it has no gallery), so you'll need an account with a photo-hosting site like Photobucket.

Do you have any idea how high a wall you'll need?
stacysu
Original Author
14 years ago
ok, here's a try at linking my backyard photos using PhotoBucket. I was thinking about two walls, each about 3 feet... but I don't want to do the boring "straight across the back" trellising.

http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af262/stacysu/landscaping%20ideas/house1.jpg

http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af262/stacysu/landscaping%20ideas/photo3.jpg

http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af262/stacysu/landscaping%20ideas/photo2.jpg

http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af262/stacysu/landscaping%20ideas/photo4.jpg
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You have a gorgeous view! We live on top of a very steep slope with beautiful views as well. Our slope is your typical Southern California boulder studded slope. We live on a steep private road with homes built along the flat portion of the ridge. Everyone has 2-10 acres and our properties slope steeply down to a seasonal stream and most own part of the next hill. NOBODY has horses up here, but there are big horse ranches in the flat-lands at the bottom of our hill. I wanted goats, but it's too steep for that also. A previous owner built a lower driveway ending under a huge deck, and he built many brick terraces, here and there. We love the terraces for our small vineyard, but the land is so steep, I take a hiking staff with me for support going down that hill. He used railroad ties to make graduated steps to get to certain areas down the hillside, but you are on your own in most places. I would suggest some steps to get down the hill. You don't mention planting for erosion control. It's a big factor here, and there are a lot of junipers and rosemary plantings to assist in that. Good luck with your project. Please show us photos when it's done!
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stacysu
Original Author
14 years ago
sorry... i am practicing how to put a photo directly into this posting.

IMG src=http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af262/stacysu/landscaping%20ideas/house1.jpg
missingtheobvious
14 years ago
stacysu, when I highlight one of your addresses with my Firefox add-on (as if I were trying to post an image), it adds this before the address:
[img src="

and this after the address:
" /]

Yes, there's a blank space in each one of those sets of symbols.

Replace the brackets I used above ([ ]) with these symbols instead ().

When you finish writing your post, click on the Preview Message button below the message box. If you got the code right, the image(s) will show up in the preview.

The Firefox add-on is BBCodeXtra; it's free. On this board, I use the third option (xhtmlXtra). The add-on also allows me to italicize, underline, post a link, etc., without having to know or type in the needed codes.
hilltop_gw
14 years ago
To input your jpg image just use code like below except at the beginning of the phrase you input img src="http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af262/stacysu/landscaping%20ideas/house1.jpg";

{{gwi:26484}}{{gwi:26486}}

{{gwi:26488}}

{{gwi:26490}}
stacysu
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you so much for your help with attaching photos! This is such a friendly group!!
:-)
PRO
Spider Tie Dealer
8 years ago
Retain walls don't have to be a big deal. Are you planning on hiring someone or is this going to be a DIY?
Marie Tulin
8 years ago
This is a 5 year old post.

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