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Small Retaining Wall Installation
(0 - 3' In Height)
Printable Brochure
Whether you're a "Weekend Warrior" that lives for the next project, or a first time do-it-yourselfer, Verdura® plantable blocks allow you to build retaining walls, lawn borders, and planting beds with the look of a professional. View our Frequently Asked Questions page for common solutions to most questions concerning do-it-yourself projects and the Verdura® system.
One of the benefits of constructing with the Verdura® system is that you can build a little at a time or, for the more serious "Weekend Warriors," knock a project out in a weekend - it's your choice.
Here's what you'll need to get started:
- Shovel
- Leveling Stakes
- Tamper
- Hammer
- String Line
- Planting Soil
- 6' Long 2x
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Diggin' It
Grab a shovel and a glass of your favorite beverage. The first course, or row, of block that you lay will need to be buried below the earth so it acts as a support or "footing" for the wall.
Dig a trench that is the "RH" (lip is exposed above the trench) and "D" plus a few inches on each side of the block you are using.
Then you'll want to set the stakes at either end of the trench along its center line and run a string between them. Adjust the footing grade to be parallel with the string line. |
Laying Down the Line
Lay the blocks, lip side out, along the trench. Blocks should be uniformly placed in the trench at a spacing consistent with the block you are using.(see product detail page for your block). To build a straight wall, you can use a string line if you prefer.
TIP: To make equal spacing of blocks easier, cut a spacer from your 2 X 4 the length needed between blocks. |
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Fill 'er Up
Backfill with soil within, between and behind each block ensuring the entire row is covered. Compact the soil with the tamper all along the row so you have a firm base upon which to place the next course. |
Push Me-Pull Me
Even out the surface of the soil by using a "rod board" to smooth the earth. Place a six-foot-long 2 X 4 board just behind the lip of the block. Exerting some even pressure on the board, push or pull (depending on what side of the blocks you're on) the excess soil from the top of the block's rails. This will provide you with a flat surface on which to lay your next row of blocks. |
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Repeat After Me
Each additional row of blocks should be centered over the space between the blocks in each row below to allow for planting. Repeat Steps 1 - 4 until you have attained the desired wall height.
TIP: wall can be irrigated with mist, drip or sprinkler system.
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Relax & Enjoy
After planting with the foliage of your choice, you can sit back, put your feet up, sip on your favorite beverage, and enjoy the beauty of your Verdura® retaining wall for years to come. |
Wall Design Options |
Half Blocks |
| Wearing protective eyewear, use a circular saw with masonry blade. To score the block, cut approximately 1/4" deep at the halfway point on the front and back of the block face. Also score at the halfway point along the inside and bottom of block. Tap lightly with a hammer along the cuts and the block will split. |
Curved Walls |
| For a concave curve, simply make the spacing between the blocks narrower at the lip side (front) of the block, so it is angled like a fan. For a convex curve, make the spacing between blocks wider at the front of the block than the back. |
Corners |
 Turn the end block in Row 2 at a 90° angle and place the lower block as shown in the figure below. The spacing between the first corner block that you lay and the next corner block that makes up the adjoining wall should be about 6" for Row 2. Repeat the turned block for even rows until you have reached the desired wall height.
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