See 10 Elegant Ways With Stone and Wire
The gabion, a former utilitarian landscape feature, gets star treatment in modern-day landscapes
Lauren Dunec Hoang
November 19, 2017
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.
Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More
Originally used for retaining slopes, rock gabion walls have been cropping up everywhere from garden walls, planters and benches, to the walls of outdoor rooms. Rough and industrial in the best ways, these walls can add a major dose of textural interest to landscapes and — depending on what’s used to fill them — can help keep rocks and leftover construction materials out of landfills. Take a look at these 10 elegant ideas for incorporating a gabion wall into your landscape.
1. Tiered planting. Functioning both as retaining walls for the gentle slope and as an architectural feature of the landscape, these gabion walls in Central Texas hit it just right for a contemporary farm look. The curve of the gabion walls bordering both an upper orchard and lower veggie patch emphasize the subtle grade change of the property, while the gray stones filling the walls tie in visually with the metal of the barn.
See more photos and learn more about this home
See more photos and learn more about this home
2. Textural accent. To get a hint of rock gabion texture without an expansive wall, take a look at this planter idea from a Seattle garden. The designer used rock gabions as columns for a series of metal rill planters. The design detail works particularly well as a material transition from the Cor-Ten steel planters to the gravel below, with the rock gabion as an in-between that blends both metal and stone.
3. Modern bench seating. Tucking rock cages underneath benches is another great way to add texture without going all-in on a large gabion wall feature. In this Los Angeles backyard, the designer used metal cages filled with chunky river rocks and topped with polished wood to form two long bench seats right up against the retaining walls. The gabions (and the same river rocks placed along the walls nearby) add textural contrast in what would otherwise be a landscape of many smooth surfaces, including concrete and decomposed granite.
4. Subtle color play. The gabion wall in the front yard of this home in East Dallas elegantly ties together the color palette of the building and landscape. The mix of gray and warm-beige stones echoes the weathered gray wood siding, concrete pad and golden tones of the grasses. The metal cage that holds the gabion wall together also ties in with the metal accents of the home, including the skinny metal house numbers and a metal-rimmed pop-out window, as well as the metal barn-style roof.
Note: Gabion walls are easier to climb than smooth stone walls or other forms of perimeter fencing. If security is a concern in your neighborhood, or your county has regulations against fences or walls that can be climbed, a gabion may not be the right choice for a perimeter wall.
5. Integrated with nature. The gabion walls along the exterior of this mountain retreat outside of Salt Lake City give the impression that the structure literally rises from the hillside. The gabion walls — used as a facing in front of solid walls — were filled with stones gathered from the property mixed with gravel sourced nearby. The stones also help regulate the building’s temperature, absorbing heat from the sun during the day and keeping the interior cool while radiating stored heat at night.
6. Art backdrop. Another shot of the Utah property shows what a rich backdrop the gabion wall creates for exterior art. Given a gabion wall’s complex texture, it’s best to combine it with sculptures that will stand out against the stones rather than compete with them. This sitting Buddha works particularly well, as it’s light-colored and relatively smooth — both factors help it stand out from the medium-dark rocks behind.
7. Indoor-outdoor accent wall. Just as a wall of exposed brick can really make a room inside the house, a texture-rich gabion wall can take the design of an outdoor room up a notch as well. The architect of this Las Vegas property used a large-scale gabion wall filled with caramel-colored stones to separate two outdoor living areas. The first, pictured here, is of a lower lounge, where the gabion wall functions as a warm accent wall behind a hearth, completely changing the feeling of what might otherwise be a dark under-stair area.
The wall’s other side borders a second outdoor living space with a daybed, adding a rich textural element to the space.
8. Retaining wall. The original use of gabion walls — to retain slopes — remains highly effective in landscapes. For this sloped property in Tiburon, in Northern California, the landscape architects used a large gabion as a retaining wall for the curved driveway. The stone’s texture and natural color variation add far more interest to the entrance than a retaining wall made of concrete. The wall could be softened further by tucking succulents or other low-water plants into the crevices between the stones.
In the backyard of the same property, the landscape architects used a second gabion wall to retain the backyard slope and establish a level terrace for a patio and no-mow lawn.
9. Water element. In this garden in Orange County, California, four gabion walls equipped with water fountains create a dramatic feature in the landscape. Using rock gabions as part of a water feature, rather than in the form of a large-scale wall, is a great way to incorporate a gabion into a garden of any size.
10. Carport. Gabion walls used as part of the siding of this carport in Germany help transform an often-overlooked space into one that enhances the landscape. The charcoal stones filling the gabions even relate in size and color to the tiles on the home, tying both spaces together.
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This article has nothing on maintenance or how it works in different climates and conditions. How is it buried below ground in areas of frost heave? Wire cage rusting out? Cost comparisons to other fencing?
@markandmegan: My Landscape architect recommended gabion walls to shore up my pond where I was wanting a bridge. This was to prevent erosion due to the weight of the bridge. After much research I nixed it for several reasons. Yes, gabion walls are cheaper to build than a normal stone wall. They've been around for centuries including along the River Nile and can be a DIY without any fancy machinery and can be filled with local rock, broken concrete or other fill material that is durable and hard. And yes, it works in all climates and conditions.
It is said PVC coated galvanized barons MAY POSSIBLY last up to 60 years. Some gabion manufacturers will guarantee a structural consistency of 50 years. Of course, you'll pay a little bit more for the coatings, heavier mesh and wire diameter and stronger welds. Size of the gabion baskets also make a price difference. The mesh and spacing need to fit the type of material that is going to be used.
Now, the reason why I nixed them. The wire baskets to rust out eventually depending on climate and where located. The ones more protected last longer. They do NOT require a foundation BUT they DO NEED some work under the surface level. If they are just placed on top, their heaviness makes it easy to topple over. So, the type of foundation required depends onmany factors in which you'll need to investigate.
The main reason why I nixed them was they do not look natural, as if nature placed them there on the property. The wire can be seen. When the sire decays - average decay for an average type of gabion is 20 years or less - you have to get a new basket and refill it. If it breaks in a spot, the rocks/material will tumble out. Yes, you can mend the broken area and refill it, But it doesn't last forever unless you spend the money for the top grade gabion.
There is a green link to one article about gabion walls and fences. There are others including a few studies which were very eye-opening for me and my usage. Just use your browser to search for history, pros and cons as well as studies of gabion walls.
Hence I decided I'd rather use nature's stone and I did. Pond was completed this past fall. See photos below.
Gabions are like all other materials. They have life span issues, durability issues, and your taste for design (expense). I bought a fixer upper that had pretty much dirt everywhere. I wanted a raised bed near the entry by a wall that still needs to be "reimagined." My budget was small as the house needed my attention more. So I went to a local Tractor Supply or you can go to a feed store and I purchased animal fencing. For this project I used hog panels. I also wanted curves. So I knew putting a top on the gabion would be more than I wanted to tackle, so I reinforced the connection between the two sides down in the rock fill. The rocks I purchased at a local rock supply. The hog panels and all other animal fencing panels are very strong and galvanized. Horse panels are far stronger and the gaps much closer together and more money. But not terrible. I went with larger stones knowing my panel gaps were larger than typical. But that was fine. I have had no issues and it has been installed for two years. I live in rattlesnake country and never a problem. Snakes rattlesnakes don't like open ground so keep the brush down and it helps tremendously. I submit this image for anyone with DIY projects in mind. Totally doable and it didn't require that much knowledge. Since them I have installed another larger one and I changed my technique a bit, and it went even faster.
(Yes I know the wall behind this is hideous. Time and money...)