Stones, concrete blocks, mortar, drain pipes!! Never thought I would be thrilled to research these. But, I think I am having fun! This is the fun step of designing a retaining wall or walls, as in my case. I am doing some serious landscaping this year, and serious work needs serious people..... and they get to have fun.

During my vacation week, I researched online and visited with my contractor bunch of specialized stores in and around my town and came away with pictures. I really wanted natural stone, since existing walls are in natural stone. The cost of stone and labor was not worth it. Besides, the newer wall blocks are equally elegant.

I visited Lowes and Home Depot first to find what they carry and sat in front of their retaining wall blocks for so long, that (a) I got sun-burnt and (b) people wandering about thought I worked there and started asking me questions. I sat and sat and more I looked and touched the block, the less I liked it. It felt very crumbly and not solid enough. Granted these appeared quite cost effective, but were they really cost effective in the long run? See the first image to the left. In the picture, the left hand side stack is granite gray and the right hand side is concrete white.

The lonesome one brick was in a more hoitty-toitty place. Earlier in the week, when I wandered into the place, I got shooeed away by their office, saying I had to bring my landscaper with me!! What nonsense! What if I am the landscaper? Well! I am, because I am doing the planning, research, and design and my 'landscaper' is really doing only the implementation. Besides, guess who is paying for their rocks.... me. So, what is the landscaper going to do, say look at this stone, do you like it? Damn, I can do that, that is look at a stone and see if I like it! Umph! So, in conclusion, we are not ordering from these guys. I did like the block. It definitely is more solid than the ones from Lowes and it comes with the pins and constructions looks more natural than the cookie cutter blocks.

The third from the left, was simply the best thus far.....  naturally dark granite almost charcoal color. I love this one!!

Now for the last set. !Ah! Thats my landscaper doing some measurements. This a ligher granite gray than the charcoal one, and is a larger block, almost 17in wide. and the picture on the right is the same stone, but 12 in wide and almost 8in in height.

By this time I am confused. Lowes too crumbly, the lonesome too hoitty-toitty, Charcoal love it and too expensive. That leave the bottom two. :) Looks like we are getting close to a decision. My money is on the 17in one. It is the one with my landscapers head, hand and measuring tape picture. He has promised to drop a sample on my doorstep for me to finalize it. Unfortunately, I saw all these in the Memorial weekend and so they were closed. I have to make a trip to these folks again and find out costs, delivery, who, what, when and co-ordinate that with the landscaper. Fun, Fun, Fun!!