13 Garden Wall Cladding Stone Ideas

Garden walls made of rustic bricks have a very special charm. But not every garden owner is blessed with such a property boundary. Gray, clunky concrete walls diminish the look and give a drab appearance. Ideally, the gardener would like to hide the brickwork. Not a bad idea at all. Because, to disguise a dreary garden wall, often only a few materials and hardly any craftsmanship are required. These x options will help DIYers be on the lookout for creative wall cladding.

Clad garden wall with natural stone

A clad garden wall made of natural stone creates a lot of impressions because at first glance it is not visible that it is only a narrow layer of the high-quality material. The do-it-yourselfer applies this approximately 2 to 3 cm thick. The following natural stones are wonderfully suitable for cladding.

Note: When cladding with natural stone, the focus is on an elegant look. A rustic appearance is undesirable in this style. Therefore, the do-it-yourselfer must apply the coating very evenly to avoid any unevenness later on.

In general, natural stones are very expensive. Among the different types exist once again significant price variations. The wide selection not only offers the customer the opportunity to choose a fairly affordable stone after all but also allows the visual adaptation to the rest of the garden design. Below are the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the suitability of the different types of stone:

Granite

Although the disadvantages outweigh the disadvantages in the above list, granite is well suited as a wall cladding due to its extreme hardness. In addition, the natural stone has a beautiful shine that DIYers can always renew with simple polishing. With this characteristic, granite fits perfectly into modern, sophisticated-looking gardens.

Advantages

• unbeatable hardness
• very durable
• insensitive to weather conditions
• withstands strong temperature fluctuations

Disadvantages

• high dead weight
• susceptible to frost
• not resistant to moisture penetration
• not fireproof
• very expensive
• susceptible to scratch marks

Quartz stone

Quartz stone has a homogeneous, fine-pored structure and can therefore be ideally ground into shape. At the same time, however, this property also ensures high abrasion. With its metallic gray sheen, quartz stone has a very elegant appearance and is an inexpensive alternative to expensive granite in modern gardens.

Advantages:

• velvety surface with a glossy feel
• can be processed well
• fits to block steps and stelae
• largely frost resistant
• slip-resistant

Disadvantages:

• susceptible to scratches
• high risk of wear

Tip: Light granite or quartz stone creates a Mediterranean look.

Marble

Many people know marble more from interior design, for example as a window sill or kitchen counter. Just as noble as the shiny natural stone looks indoors, however, it also unfolds a high-quality look like a garden wall. Marble harmonizes very well with noble plants such as roses.

Advantages:

• attractive shades and countless color variations
• waterproof
• easy to clean

Disadvantages:

• requires regular polishing
• expensive
• sensitive to acid

Slate

The dark, anthracite-colored slate has a slight shimmer. Many people associate the material with upscale requirements. Slate harmonizes especially well with elements made of concrete, metal, or glass.

Advantages

• weather resistant
• appears noble
• good splitting properties
• water-repellent

Disadvantages

• susceptible to corrosion
• susceptible to scratches

Tip: To maintain the shine, DIYers are best to rub their slate wall with linseed oil regularly.

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Greening the garden wall

If you want to save yourself work and costs, go for the natural look and green your garden wall. This does not necessarily have to be the classic ivy. Tree nurseries and specialty stores offer numerous plants, some of the exotic, that feel at home on a wall. The only disadvantages of this method are the pruning required, depending on the choice of plant, and the length of time it takes to grow a view-proof wall.

Planting a hedge

Particularly unstable garden walls, which are unlikely to withstand vigorous growth, it is a good idea to plant a hedge on both sides. The plants already have a certain height (unless the do-it-yourselfer raises his plants), so the latter disadvantage does not apply.

Suitable plants are, for example:

• Yew (Taxus)
• Thuja (thuja)
• Cypress (Chamaecyparis)
• Privet (Ligustrum)
• Holly (Ilex)
• Glossy medlar (Photinia)
• Boxwood (Buxus)
• European beech (Fagus sylvatica)

Tip: To break up the garden hedge, it is advisable to plant a woody plant or colorful blooming flowers in isolated places.

Let the wall be covered with vines

Planting a border on a wall provides variety, especially in rock gardens. It is important to ensure that the plants can tolerate drought and do not “eat” into the rock. The do-it-yourselfer should also consider the location requirements (sunny or shady).

Here is a small selection of worthwhile climbing plants:

• Climbing Roses (Rosa)
• Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)
• Clematis (Wood Vine)
• Blue rain (Wisteria)
• Trumpet flower (Campsis)
• Vine (Vitis vinifera)

Planting joints

A third option, which requires a little more effort, is to widen the joints. The do-it-yourselfer then fills them with humus soil and allows green plants to sprout out of them. Ferns are very suitable for this variant.

Cladding garden wall with wood

With a wooden cladding, the unsightly rock garden wall is transformed into a natural wooden fence in no time. The design options here are very versatile. Whether vertical or horizontal, filigree or rustic. Particularly suitable are these types of wood, whose advantages and disadvantages are shown below:

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

Advantages

• good durability
• weather resistant
• resistant to fungi
• good strength and elasticity properties

Disadvantages

• light, reddish wood darkens quickly

Oak (Quercus)

Advantages

• many color shades
• optionally with grain
• good elasticity
• easy to split
• water-repellent
• durable

Disadvantages

• heavy and hard
• darkens quickly

Note: Grayish oak wood indicates high hardness.

Tropical wood

Tropical woods include species such as teak, bangkirai, meranti, ebony, and bongossi.

Advantages

• attractive grain
• durable

Disadvantages

• environmentally harmful extraction methods
• susceptible to fungal diseases
• expensive

Larch (Larix)

Advantages

• acid-resistant
• pleasant resin odor
• low risk of cracking
• resistant to insects and fungi

Disadvantages

• resin removal is necessary before staining or varnishing
• darkens quickly
• differences in quality depending on the origin

Processing of wood

To install the wooden cladding, it is first necessary to screw sturdy wooden panels to the stone wall as load-bearing elements. The choice of orientation (vertical or horizontal) should depend on the weather side.

Cladding garden wall with bamboo

Probably one of the easiest methods is to get bamboo mats from the hardware store and attach them to the garden wall. Even for several meters, the do-it-yourselfer pays here only a little money. The look spreads an Asian flair. However, the do-it-yourselfer must replace the bamboo mats after a few years, as wind and precipitation wear the material.

Note: If you want to save money, you can also get plastic imitations in DIY stores that can be attached to the garden wall in just a few steps. Although most of these products look deceptively genuine from a distance, closer inspection ultimately reveals them to be fake. Those who choose this option should pay attention to high-quality workmanship. Otherwise, the cladding will quickly look cheap. Expensive plastic also has a high purchase price.