Dear James: I want a patio, butterfly garden and a sitting wall by a slope. I think a simple no-mortar wall would look nice. What is the best way to build a stable wall this way? — Catherine T.
Dear Catherine: Butterfly, and pollinator in general, gardens are very popular today and really needed. With the sloping ground by your garden, a no-mortar, often also called dry stacked, wall can be built into the slope for support. It can easily be stable enough to support a few people sitting on it.
The natural appearance of a no-mortar wall is attractive and complements natural landscaping. Keep in mind though, depending upon the type of patio you build, water from the ground will flow between the stones and come out on the patio. If the patio is made of pavers, this is not a problem. On the other hand, if it is concrete, the water and mud may collect there.
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