I guess beauty must be in the eyes of the beholder as I do not find that to be an eyesore at all!! In fact, I would be delighted to have that anywhere on my property!

I would not do anything to it. No stucco, no lime wash, not even an attempt to clean it up. That would ruin it. Its best feature is its age and venerability.

I can understand how it may not be in keeping with a more contemporary, MCM styled residence but it is quite possible to combine two different design styles from two different eras. It is done with interior design all the time so no reason it cannot be done with landscape design as well. I would think carefully about how to tie it into the rest of the landscape with some thoughtful plantings. And I would focus on plantings that might be more in tune with an MCM period landscape than native grasses or a wildflower meadow. MCM landscapes are very minimalist and architectural - no wild and woolly native plantings.

You may find it helpful to engage the services of a local landscape designer to assist you in developing a suitable landscape that honors the wall yet respects your home's architecture as well.

Large shrubs will cover the wall. They will be expensive, but maybe you can plant them yourself and buy a bunch at a good price? Be sure to select a native variety for best outcome and wildlife support. 80’ length of planting space could allow for multiple varieties suitable in your zone. A blend of evergreen, and different blooming (fothergila, witch hazel, lilac, hydrangea, azalea, roses, ink berry, red twig dog wood) gives interesting structure and blooms year round.

I agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder - love that wall! But I get it if it makes you crazy - I agree not to alter it in any way, but depending on your budget you could run a simple wood fence in front of it and paint it matte black, the fence would be a sleek backdrop to landscaping and would not compromise the wall

I also think the wall is wonderful. It appears to be up against natural woodland and suits the situation perfectly. It’s a great backdrop for a naturalistic wild flower bed. Sanitizing it would spoil it imo.

Love your stone wall too, and your wild flowers are very pretty with it!

Love the wall too. As mentioned, you might want to add more plants in front to soften the look

Thanks for all the positive vibes and love for the behemoth. 😆 I think if we had a cottage or traditional style home, I'd be much more likely to embrace the rustic nature of the thing.

I'm actually planning out a full native plant garden with bushes, and grasses and all sorts of goodies for our pollinating and wild bird friends. The wall is just so busy that I worry plants just won't stand a chance. Lol

I'd love to run a fencing system in front of the wall, however there are places where massive ledgestones anchor the wall and I would be unable to get any footings in there.

So, my most recent idea was to paint it with a dark mineral paint made specifically for stone so it breathes: https://residential.keim-usa.com/

Is that terrible?

(You guys rock - pun intended)

I like the wall also. If you plant an assortment of trees and shrubs, you won't really see the wall in less time than you think.

Stand in front of the wall and take a picture of the back of your house. What is the nearest large city?

Natural stone always has a place in your landscape. I wish we had wallstone like that as a backdrop for planting beds. Count me as one of the jealous. I would work with it and take advantage of the extra layer it adds to your landscaping . You will never get that look with a fence.

@kittyvb, I am confused about your concerns. You are worried the wall does not suit the architecture of your home yet you seem to be planning a type of garden that also does not follow that architectural style. MCM landscaping is defined by order, control and symmetry, so a very limited plant palette and a very regulating planting plan. And usually a lot of hardscape, as blending the indoors with the outdoors is a key characteristic. A random mass of native wildflowers and grasses are not part of the brief.

If that is not the aesthetic you are going for, then the presence of the wall is neither here nor there :-) Don't worry about any plants interfering with the wall or the wall interfering with any plants....stone walls and plantings are a match made in heaven!

And please, PLEASE, don't use anything on it. Just let it be!

btw, I am curious what the distance is between the house and the wall.

Yes- what’s the nearest city and how wide is the terraced spot? We know 80’ of length and ledge below. Even very modern homes can have a variety of plants or structure in the garden. I’m holding out for shrubs that suit your zone/ sun vs shade etc.

Is this your forever home? IMO the things you are discussing can’t be undone and might actually reduce value. Just tread carefully and make sure you understand ramifications.

And yes, I’d love to have the statement that your wall makes in my own yard.

I love the wall too, I would not mess with it too much. I think your plants will stand out just fine. Can you even see the house and the wall in the same frame? It seems to be at the back of the yard, so you'd either be looking at the wall from the house or looking at the house from the wall, I just don't think the two would clash as much as you might think. I do feel your pain having something that you don't like that you have to look at in your yard all the time, but maybe it'll fade a bit to your eye after you add your plants.

This kind of consensus rarely if ever happens here. You should consult with a landscaper to get ideas about how to bring your contemporary style into this yard. You may be surprised what they can come up with. Id love to see what you settle on. Good luck.

My neighbors are spending $60K or more to build a bunch of stone walls just for the looks. Don't paint it. In 5 or so years, instead of a natural stone wall we all love, you'll have a flakey mess.

I think the wall IS mid-century modern! That’s a landscape gem that is integral to the era. Look at these MCM landscape photos on Houzz:

https://www.houzz.com/photos/reservoir-exterior-contemporary-exterior-boston-phvw-vp~121607

https://www.houzz.com/photos/mid-century-modern-renovation-midcentury-landscape-denver-phvw-vp~152693327

https://www.houzz.com/photos/ragley-hall-residence-basement-midcentury-basement-atlanta-phvw-vp~899191

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/mid-century-modern-garden-rehab-modern-landscape-san-francisco-phvw-vp~479320

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/mid-century-modern-garden-rehab-modern-landscape-san-francisco-phvw-vp~479322

Don’t paint it, you’ll ruin it. Do some more research and find a landscape designer who understands the era. I think the grass is sufficient actually.

We live in NJ, just a jump away from NYC. Very, very few mid century contemporary homes around here. NJ is very good for traditional and classical European design. We have a great landscape architect that are getting ready to do a huge (100k) project on our house adjacent patios. They are not, well versed in "modern" style and we have really worked hard to nail down the look we're going for (3 years of planning) The current walls and patios are deceiving. The walls are failing, and the patio was installed by the previous owners out of code - drain towards the house, deck stairs are too tall, etc.

Here's a summer view of what we're working with currently.

We are installing a TechoBloc Raffinato wall with raised beds and outdoor kitchen.

And I thought it would be prudent to share my planting inspiration: I'm an avid gardener, so layers of texture and color are important. But it's also got to be native plants as much as humanly possible.

@Sarah we're in zone 7, and get a decent sun shade mix.

The bed itself is about 5ft deep, boulders are 3'10" (permits not needed for under 4ft. 😉

(I'm having the hardest time tagging some of you in my responses.)

N Johnson, your links have been incredibly reassuring. It seems every search for rock wall I pull up is in an English country garden.

Thank you so much

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

I'm looking to do a plant lovers version of MCM 😊

The distance between the home and the rear wall is approx 45 feet. We had a failed wall where the boulders are now that was replaced last year as phase one. We went ultra natural to try to be intentional tying the rustic woods toward the house and will be installing a very square, clean line patio system next to the house in a few weeks

I am no expert but painting natural ancient rocks like that wall of yours seems like a sin. I’m also in NJ and fully embrace the fieldstone everywhere. I understand if you don’t think it goes with your home butttt it is natural, it’s what was here on this land before your home. It’s pretty timeless. Just my two cents. Agree with other user about resale value? Good luck!

Eyesore!!! It's magnificent.

I don't advise changing the wall because it risks looking really bad in a hard to reverse way. I understand why you don't like that wall though and think there are things you can do.

1. Narrow color field

I'm taking a history of landscape design class at the New York Botanic Garden. This week we studied 1950s - 1970s gardens and I was shocked how much I actually loved the MCM landscape aesthetic. It is very much about large swaths of green and texture, few flowers. I think you would do well to take cues from that though since you are an avid gardener you will probably want flowers. I'd limit the color field though.

2. Density

Plant with a lot of density, like the pics below. It doesn't have to have a scraggly cottage feel to it. And don't just think about what you plant in front of the wall but what comes from above that can soften the edges and take the focus away from the stone.

Ladbroke Terrace, London · More Info

HOUSE IN THE TREES · More Info

Garden Design in Clapham, London 1 · More Info

3. Evergreens

You've got to think about winter and evergreens otherwise a lot of that wall is going to be exposed in the winter.

4. Height

The wall creates a very horizontal line of vision, which draws your eye to it even more. I think if you throw in a taller tree or shrub here or there above the stone wall, it will help distract your eye from just seeing the wall.

5. Urns

I'd put a contemporary urn here and there in front of the low wall to break up the flat surface of the wall and draw your eye away from that surface.

“It has been assessed multiple times for structure stability and has been deemed quite sound (it's nearly 2 feet deep)” ...... “The walls are failing,”.

These two statements don’t seem to match.

The natural stone wall is not adjacent to the house and forms a tasteful transition into the woods imo. To paint or stucco it would make a jarring contrast. Given its position at the woodland edge it wouldn’t stay ’clean’ for long and would be a persistent maintenance problem. You have a big project on, why add to it? The consensus here from so many experienced landscapers and gardeners is a pretty clear message.

Do you know about Federal Twist? James Golden from NYC bought a MCM in Stockton NJ and transformed the backyard, which has hillsides and slopes. I visited two years ago and was in nirvana.

Any avid gardener needs to see pics of this space. He has a new book out about it. TheGarden Conservancy is having tours of it one Saturday this June. I would highly recommend going if you can. (You need to reserve a space and I bet it will sell out early.) He will surely be there and you can ask him a lot of questions. I'm sure you will find inspiration there.

His style is new American landscape. I think there are a lot of cues from that style in general that are perfect for putting a contemporary edge to a sloped space without going English cottage.

@floral_uk I guess my last post was slightly confusing. The walls that are failing are the ones in my second attached photo, closest to the house. Those are being replaced in a few weeks. The rear mortar and fieldstone wall is sound though it has cracks and efflorescence.

@Kendrah thank you so much from the guideline breakdown. Your photos are awesome and I will 110% take your design suggestions. I love the idea of plant density; no black mulch visible in my yard! I also like the idea of adding some raised "planters/urns" within the bed to add structure.

I can't thank you all enough for your input. So glad I reached out to the interwebs before I did something dramatic.

Thank you, thank

"I'll include some contemporary trellis to train some native vines (Cardinal Flower is on my list)."

Nothing native about this vine!

And with that wall, trellising is pretty much unnecessary.....it is an excellent support system all on its own.

Kitty, I am official obsessed with your backyard wall issue. Here are some more thoughts.

1.Plant on both sides of the plateau

On the space between the two walls, if the area is too large to cover that entire area well, then consider planting close to both walls with a path in between. This way you are not just focusing on planting in front of each wall, but in front of both wall and above the lower wall.

Topanga Retreat · More Info

Meadow Garden · More Info

2. Come away from the wall

The beds you create in front of the walls don't just need to follow the line of the wall. I think these photos are really successful at obsuring their walls because the beds aren't just glued to the perimeter; they either cut forward, encroach out, or make an undulating edge.

Florida Residential Landscape · More Info

2015 Garden Dialogues: Brooklyn, Monroe Place, June 27 · More Info

Finchley Garden · More Info

3. More plant density inspiration

Florida Residential Landscape · More Info

French Park · More Info

5th Street Brooklyn NYC · More Info

Topanga Retreat · More Info

4. What not to do.

Take note of how these plantings actually highlight and draw your eye to this hideous wall. I feel like the landscaper may have just considered how this would look from straight on, but not how it looks from different angles. I'd be sure to consider how your plan looks from tons of view points.

Flatirons Terrace · More Info

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

I'm in NJ and the American Lobelia is Native in our area. https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/lobelia_cardinalis.shtml

However, I need to correct myself because I actually meant for the climber, American Honeysuckle : Lonicera sempervirens - it doesn't use strong suckers to climb, it is a twiner and appreciates a little support

Cardinal vine or cardinal climber usually refers to a morning glory relative from South America. The lobelia is neither a vine nor a climber.

And I've grown and spec'd for design clients dozens of vining honeysuckles over the years and few will require any more support than the wall already offers.

Oh, @Kendrah, you are awesome. I have a blank slate and here's the current thing I'm looking at. We have a very narrow strip of lawn that we want to keep as a "yard" so planting in front of the boulder wall isn't a possibility for us.

Please excuse the funky looking chicken coop 😆; once the pending reno is complete it's going back to its current location. (Its actually quite cute in the summer when it's not all covered with winter tarps) I'm going to add planters around the perimeter of the run with herbs for the ladies.

And of course, I have to stage all this around the fact that I don't currently have a fence to keep the deer away from new plantings.

Our property line ends about 7 ft behind the mortar and fieldstone wall.

I'll be doing a majority of the planting myself, but I'm going to have our landscaper place the larger pieces like bushes and trees.

I love the "not what to do" suggestion. I'm hoping that by focusing on just a few flowering plants in bolder colors (I love oranges and deep purples and magenta) and sticking with variable textures and greens I can make the area pop and draw the eye forward. Thoughts?

This is going to be so pretty.

And just for the curious, here's a rough design of the pending patio replacement.

I love your patio drawing, except for her legs going through the chair. I don't think you would like that, lol. With the flowers behind the lower chunky rock wall and evergreens behind and in front of the upper wall, the upper wall will fade into the background. I like the grassy area also.

Oh, see? The patio wall reflects the wall at the back of the yard. The stones are more square, but it’s just as orderly and similar height. Maybe it is the ‘new’ replacement boulders that are throwing things off (because of their color and haphazard-ness)and you should focus your plantings in and around those stones as opposed to covering the back wall. If there isn’t too much shade, you might add some geometric planters at the rear wall (on the left side?) to reflect the plantar boxes on the right side of the drawing.

Mid-Century Front Landscape - Racine · More Info

1st pic - Prairie Dropseed

Sporobolus heterolepis

&

https://www.houzz.com/photos/mid-century-front-landscape-racine-midcentury-landscape-milwaukee-phvw-vp~138525221

The old stone wall looks even more attractive in the latest pictures. It blends perfectly with the woods. I agree that it’s the new boulder wall which is more egregious.

I came to this thread late and was so sad to not be able to see the wall in question. I guess you removed the original picture? I'm glad you reposted later in the thread so I could see this wonderful wall that all the experts and avid gardeners here loved. I agree with everyone about the wall; the boulders are more challenging to love for me, but I do think as they age and are surrounded by plants, they too will find their beauty. I especially love things that grow along and cascade over boulders in places:

You can see the wall in question 5th photo above.

@olychick (This silly page in mobile version, ugh) I reposted the summer picks from last year with my first round of in wall plantings. I don't know what survived the winter yet but I actually used one of the photos you posted as inspiration! I just have to keep the deer away long enough to not pull the plants out of the wall 😠

Deer? Good luck with that!😩

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