Curvy garden stone retaining wall and steps – Livingston, West Lothian

This was meant to be a straight-forward garden stone wall project but coming behind another landscaper, who’s work left something to be desired, added a layer of unwanted complexity.

It’s never fun coming behind another landscape contactor and fixing their mistakes. I was originally asked to build a low, curvy retaining wall, fix two sets of steps and lay some paving. I ended up doing the original work plus a chunk more paving too. I was asked to tie into their paving and rain gutter, but their paving levels, the construction of the gutter, a rodding eye and a half dozen other half-done things meant I had to fix their mess.  It was all easily avoidable if they’d done their job.  Instead the clients paid for a poor job and another contractor – me- had to sort it.

The drystone retaining wall was originally meant be a normally built level coursed wall with a large flat cap stone.  After playing with the stones on the first day, and after building a large vertically laid wall in Fife earlier in the year, we decided to get creative.

There’s something very pleasing about laying stone vertically, and in a big curve too.

There was a load of paving to do – tieing into someone elses work is a challenge.

And the steps to rebuild.

One garden stone wall completed.  And steps. And paving! I think it looks pretty good.

You can see more examples of garden landscaping works on the projects page.

The stone and paving materials were supplied by Border Aggregates in Kelso.