Features

• Easily recognized, mortarless stone retaining walls have been part of cottage garden landscaping for centuries. In days gone by, money was scarce and garden walls had to be built with items that were plentiful and inexpensive. Rocks were usually in plentiful supply. However, there was no money for mortar; therefore mortarless stone retaining walls were popular with country folk. A wide, shallow trench was dug and wide, flat stones lain as a bottom course. Other flat stone courses followed tightly interlocking the course beneath, rather like a bricklayer would lay bricks. Mortarless stone retaining walls slant backwards keeping the earth from moving forward during heavy rains or flooding.
  
  

Geography

• Mortarless stone retaining walls are found all over the world especially where trees aren't present such as areas of open range land or miles of open fields. Rocks are usually plentiful where trees don't grow due to poor soils inadequate to support tree growth. These areas are perfect to run sheep or graze cattle as evident with land divisions made from mortarless stone retaining walls. These walls not only divided land; they served as windbreaks for the animals grazing the land as well as providing them shelter from blustery winds and driving snow.
  
  

Benefits

• Once a mortarless stone retaining wall is built, it will stand for many years--even centuries, with little effort on the homeowner's part in way of maintenance. A beautiful addition to any property, stone walls add character and value to an otherwise unremarkable piece of real estate. Mortarless stone retaining walls may be built in a serpentine fashion, snaking around the property highlighting key features such as lily ponds and gazebos, rock barbecue areas and children's playgrounds.
  
  

Function

• Mortarless stone retaining walls may be built in squares, filled with soil and planted with flowers or vegetables to accent key points on the property. Colored lighting placed in strategic points to accent the texture of the stone wall enhances the appearance of any home and increases its value.
  
  

Considerations

• A lower version of mortarless stone retaining wall may be built as a perimeter wall to form a cohesive tie-in with other stone work on the property. Enhancing the property's appeal, mortarless stone retaining walls may be a major selling point if placing the real estate on the market.