Decorating Stone Walls

There can be many reasons why you have a stone wall in your yard, whether it’s to block off the pool area, to protect a budding garden, or maybe it was already standing when you moved into your home. 

Often times, these walls are beautiful, no matter the style or age. Stone walls can bring an ‘Old World’ feel or cottage-like charm to a backyard, no matter what the style of your house and surrounding area is.

However, sometimes these stone walls are less than pleasing to the eye. Instead of spending a ton of money to tear an undesirable wall down and re-landscape the area, we’ve come up with a few ways you can work with your stone wall.

Use Lighting

While it might seem like lighting the area you want to hide is counterproductive, it isn’t. Installing small lights along your wall, every two feet or so, will not only give your backyard some nice mood lighting, but can change the appearance of the stone. The “up lighting” effect bounces off the stone to give it a warm, glowing look. If you want, go the extra step and make the lights solar-powered. Now your stone wall looks pretty and won’t cost you any extra money. 

Grow, Grow, Gow! 

Possibly one of the easiest ways to cover up an unsightly stone wall is to literally cover it up. Plant creeping vines along the wall, and the greenery will do the rest. Creeping plants are trained to grow upwards on whatever material they’re planted alongside, and can turn an old or cracked stone wall into a beautiful, leafy area in your backyard. There are a variety of different vines and flowers that you can buy at plant nurseries that will attract attention, and in a good way. 

Another popular idea is to plant flower and herb gardens around your stone wall. The wall will not only serve as a protective element against wind, but it will also add a pop of color and greenery to the area. This will make your unfortunate stone wall the centerpiece of a happy place in your yard. The possibilities when it comes to what to planet are endless. From rosemary to thyme and oregano, not only will you forget that you don’t like that wall at all, but you’ll never have to spend money for herbs or decorative flowers again. 

Attract Attention Elsewhere

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of planting and maintaining a garden or installing an electric system for lights in your yard, the best thing you can do is build something close to your stone wall that will attract all the attention. For instance, a natural stone path can provide access throughout your yard without disturbing plant life. It can also be a beautiful way to connect the separate areas of your backyard while providing a nice flow to your space, tying it all together. You can use stones of various colors and shapes that will be sure to detract from anything you don’t want your guests looking at, like the stone wall. 

Not every backyard design is a hit. Sometimes we buy a home with an eyesore or construct our own masterpieces, only to discover we shouldn’t have. Instead of spending lots of time and money to remove these backyard biffs, use these ideas. You’ll fall in love with your yard all over again.