ᐅ Building a Garden Wall – Materials and Procedures?

Good evening everyone!

A while ago, I already shared my frustration about the unsatisfactory view facing our neighbor’s garden, where they have placed a metal shed right on the boundary. We’re now thinking about how to improve our side of the garden to avoid looking at that shed for years to come.

My latest idea: I’d like to build something like a ruined wall. I have a strong urge to do some masonry work. The problem: I’ve never laid bricks or stones before in my life.
I’ve attached an example picture. (Please ignore the window—I think I would skip that.)

What do you think—how difficult would this be? Could I just buy a few square meters of facing bricks / veneer bricks from Röben and some mortar and start building? Are there better or cheaper stones for this? I’d like the look to be as rustic as possible. Unfortunately, there’s nothing available on local online marketplaces right now—I’m also not a big fan of picking up large loads, since I’d have to rent a vehicle to transport them because they won’t fit in my A1.

How would you anchor something like this in the ground? Can I just dig a shallow trench (20cm (8 inches)?) and set the first stone in the earth, then build on top of that? Or do I need concrete underneath?
Would something like this stand up to strong winds? How far would I need to set this back onto my property (setback distance) so it’s not considered a fence? If it stays under 180cm (6 ft) high, I assume it wouldn’t require a building permit / planning permission? (Sorry if these are region-specific questions—feel free to ignore them.)

Best regards,
the creatively minded Kati

In principle: yes, concrete needs to be used underneath, and a frost-free foundation should be established. We plan to build a retaining wall with stones that mimic natural stone. There are many products available, for example, EHL CITYANTIK-MAUER. You should follow the manufacturer's specifications. For instance, EHL specifies a maximum height of 0.98 m (3.22 ft) for a freestanding wall in wind zone 1.

If a higher wall is needed, this can easily be done with a gabion wall.

Stefan890 schrieb:

Basically: yes, there needs to be concrete underneath, and a frost-protected foundation should be installed. We want to build a retaining wall using stones that imitate natural stone. There are many products available, for example, EHL CITYANTIK-WALL. You should follow the manufacturer’s specifications. For instance, EHL specifies a maximum height of 0.98 m (3.2 feet) for a free-standing wall in wind zone 1.

If it needs to be higher, a gabion wall would be a simple option.

Thank you. I’ll have to look up frost-protected foundation first. Does it really have to be that precise? The wall doesn’t have to bear any load; it’s just for a bit of ivy to grow up it.
I’m not aiming for a clean look either; it should definitely be rustic, and the wall doesn’t have to be straight or end on a level plane. The ruined look in the photo is the style I want. It will be planted heavily with greenery in front and should grow over time in a cottage garden style.
That’s why gabions are not an option—they don’t fit the style I want for the cottage garden.

kati1337 schrieb:

I would like to build some kind of wall ruin.

There are such building kits, but they are quite expensive... in theory, you could use old stones, but you already mentioned the transport issue.

kati1337 schrieb:

I have a strong urge to do some masonry work.

😀

kati1337 schrieb:

How would you anchor this into the ground? Can I just dig for a while (20cm (8 inches)?) and then set the first stone into the soil and build on top of that?

Frost protection means digging down 80cm (31.5 inches), then a concrete footing (with gravel if the wall is higher).
If that weren’t necessary, I would have built one already 😉

kati1337 schrieb:

How far inside my property do I have to place something like this (setback) so it’s not considered a boundary wall?

Like the setback rules for trees under Lower Saxony (NDS) neighbor law, as far as I know.

kati1337 schrieb:

Thanks. I’ll have to look up frost-protected shallow foundation first. Does it really have to be that precise?

Not necessarily as strict as Google suggests. The issue is that after several winters, the wall could simply collapse because the ground becomes damp and frost can cause damage. For our wall, which is about 10m (33 feet) long, it took three people a weekend. We borrowed a cement mixer from a neighbor, and the cement arrived together with the stones. Then we got two small trailer loads of gravel and started.

kati1337 schrieb:

The ruin look in the photo is intentionally desired. It will be planted with lush greenery in front and allowed to overgrow in a country style.

There are kits available. For example, search for "EHL Antikmur Ruine."
At our hardware stores, there are often individual rustic stones that are reasonably priced. For example, "iBrixx" is the house brand at Hornbach.

danixf schrieb:

Not necessarily as precise as Google suggests.

I don’t know what Google says, but for a 150mm (6 inches) wall thickness or more (and not just knee-high), I would follow the frost-free 80cm (31.5 inches) foundation depth. Otherwise, they could easily topple over.