Building a Rock Wall

Last fall we started work on a rock retaining wall nestled into the sloping hillside by our kitchen door. Once the wall has been built, we'll fill in the hillside with dirt and manure to create a level plot for a kitchen garden. Work stopped during the winter, but we are back at it now that spring has arrived, and making slow but steady progress.

We are gathering the rocks by hand from the woods and river beds behind our house, piling them in the back of the truck as we go, then driving them back to the retaining wall site for careful placement on the wall. Every time we complete a round of gathering/placing, we take a step back and realize just how long the process is going to take for a couple of amateurs like us. On the bright side we are really going to appreciate that wall when it's done!

↓ The wall is looking like this right now.

The nice flat rocks are stacked in the front in a two over one fashion, then the irregular rocks are tossed in the back for more support. Josh has also been digging up sod from a south facing portion of our yard where he plans to plant more food this summer. The dug up sod is being tossed behind the retaining wall to help fill in the hillside. ↓

↓ Josh started digging the second gardening plot earlier this week.

↓ And by today it looks like this. The plot will be about 80' x 20' when complete.

↓ From above the whole mess looks like this.

The wall will be about 4' tall in the front when complete, and we'll continue it around on the sides of the garden and taper it off toward the top of the hill. At the rate we're going now, which is a few hours every day collecting a placing rocks, we're probably looking at mid-summer before this thing is done.

It will be imperfect and probably lopsided in a few places, but judging from how it's come along so far, I think it is going to look very cool when complete. Can't wait to share the finished pics!