Because of its character, the wall can do wonderful things for the design of your garden. It need not be built always on straight lines, although this may be the easiest and safest course for the amateur builder to follow. It may flow in sweeping curves, be built in geometric arcs or semi-circles, angle off the straight line to make a compelling pointer to the focus of interest of the garden. High walls or low ones that are merely raised edges to define flower beds or terraces-all have then- places in the garden picture today.

. . . practical walls
The easiest walls to build, quite naturally, are low ones. Blocks or bricks are the best materials to use because they are of even size and thus are easy to fit together into a trim structure. But because of their smaller size and lesser weight, bricks are easier to manage than blocks, a factor to remember if you plan to build a high wall. Hoisting heavy blocks to shoulder height consumes energy and is tiring to the muscles. On the other hand, a block wall goes much faster because of the size of the units.

Bricks have many tones and textures, mostly warm, and our preference is for the smooth finishes rather than the wire-cut ones. The former, when laid with a raked joint, make a most beautiful texture in sunlight. Blocks are larger and clumsier looking, and not always so pleasant in color, although both bricks and blocks may be painted. (See Chapter XI.) Where a long, low line is wanted, a wall built of 2- or 3-inch solid concrete or cinder blocks will achieve this effect. Where a fairly smooth texture is desired, the wall of blocks with no emphasis on the joints will be a good answer, the texture of the blocks being rather pleasant, especially when painted. Such a wall will be cheaper to build than a brick one, too.

Where walls must be built on a hillside, step them down gracefully from level to level, with posts or piers forming logical points at which to break and lower them when the grade lowers sufficiently to make it necessary. Similarly, a wall may start out high on level plots where concealment is needed, drop by degrees to a seat wall, and dip to form a 6-inch parapet around a pool. It may rise again to make a seat or a privacy wall, to frame a good view, or to blot out an undesirable one.