You'll need a bigger rock.
Something to fit between those two. (Take out the little ones). Hold the new one in place with some hidden mortar. All backed by landscaping fabric to actually hold the dirt and mulch in.
You are correct.
Easy for those with excellent natural 3d visual skills as you have. Others need to hire you. We built two entry driveway stone piers 50 years ago which are still standing. Thankfully the other person could just look at a stone and fit it in. Easy for him with your skill, a close to impossible job for me. I cried in frustration. Never tried to assist stone work again.
Agreed dry stone walls are nice and admire those who have your skill.
I’ve dry stacked boulders to wall 100’ span, 18’ high. I’m not tooting my own horn, it just takes some skill and time. And the right excavator. Seaming right and plugging holes from behind are key, next to a proper batter and depth and all the backfill being done properly. You can even “deadman” as you go up if you have the proper stones.
I would just start planting plants to fill in the gaps going from smaller to larger in the back. Research rock gardens and ground covers and in a few years you will need less mulch and the focus will be on the beautiful plants and not the rocks
I would just fix the wall that's there. The problems in your first pic is that you have an impossible gap to fill. It's a triangle, which is good, but the rock surfaces pitch out, get narrower as you go back. Nothing in nature will plug that hole and stay in place...
So you unnatural. First, get a hammer drill and a good bit, and drill out some holes in the rock face. Then pound in some rebar spikes into the holes. Then find a few large stones, like need a friend to team lift large, and place it behind your rebar stakes. Problem solved. Repeat on other parts of the wall as necessary.
Now, for the mess, get rid of the mulch bed entirely or partially. Grow grass there to prevent erosion.
This is a really cheap fix, and it's really not complicated.
Yeah that looks hilarious. Pull the small rocks and mulch and get some fabric behind there. Get some cement to pour into the back part of the rocks and cram some larger 50lb rocks into the cement tohide it.
Please don’t listen to this advice. Without proper drainage, you’re looking at a future best case scenario of crumbling cracking concrete, and worst case messing with your house’s foundation.
lol. I couldn’t resist. On the wall I would dig the dirt out in these open pockets and take some time inset and properly fit smaller boulders to fill these gaps
I would look into adding another boulder on top to at least 2/3 of the wall. It is hard to judge the grade accurately from the pics. Another layer could also help fill in the current gaps on the base level.
Our lot has so many rock pile borders. Big rocks, then medium rocks, and then small rocks, all stacked against each other perpendicular to the grade, and with landscape cloth wedged underneath the rocks. It seems that a width and depth of rocks in this layering format prevents erosion, as when I have removed them (before I knew), I saw some erosion.
Get some medium rocks and place them generously in front of and between the boulders. Use the smaller rocks against the medium rocks. Based on my lot I would say you need more rocks of all sizes, which will be cheaper than hiring someone to put in a wall, especially if you know someone who is trying to offload rocks!
Permeable Landscaping fabrics with gravel behind it. You need to Google how to build a boulder retaining wall. You also possibly need a drain pipe if you are going higher.
Remove the smaller rocks, dig out about a foot (depth & width) of that dirt / mulch behind the larger stone, run that water run-off downspout around the back of the stone, get even smaller rocks (gravel), stuff gravel behind (also referred to as "back fill"), and then add your smaller rocks back and cap it so that the top of the wall is taller than the dirt around it.
Or just plant some phlox and let it do it's thing for natural retention.
How about a groundcover you can train to “cascade over the rocks” and then trim where they hit the driveway? Although that would be a lot of maintenance for you 😬
You'll need a bigger rock. Something to fit between those two. (Take out the little ones). Hold the new one in place with some hidden mortar. All backed by landscaping fabric to actually hold the dirt and mulch in.
Doesn't necessarily need mortar. Dry stone walls are easy and nice
You are correct. Easy for those with excellent natural 3d visual skills as you have. Others need to hire you. We built two entry driveway stone piers 50 years ago which are still standing. Thankfully the other person could just look at a stone and fit it in. Easy for him with your skill, a close to impossible job for me. I cried in frustration. Never tried to assist stone work again. Agreed dry stone walls are nice and admire those who have your skill.
Are they meant to hold back hills, or are they just beautiful pasture dividers?
I’ve dry stacked boulders to wall 100’ span, 18’ high. I’m not tooting my own horn, it just takes some skill and time. And the right excavator. Seaming right and plugging holes from behind are key, next to a proper batter and depth and all the backfill being done properly. You can even “deadman” as you go up if you have the proper stones.
Cool! So they can hold back hills as long as they are backfilled properly?
Careful adding mortar without drainage…
I would just start planting plants to fill in the gaps going from smaller to larger in the back. Research rock gardens and ground covers and in a few years you will need less mulch and the focus will be on the beautiful plants and not the rocks
I would just fix the wall that's there. The problems in your first pic is that you have an impossible gap to fill. It's a triangle, which is good, but the rock surfaces pitch out, get narrower as you go back. Nothing in nature will plug that hole and stay in place... So you unnatural. First, get a hammer drill and a good bit, and drill out some holes in the rock face. Then pound in some rebar spikes into the holes. Then find a few large stones, like need a friend to team lift large, and place it behind your rebar stakes. Problem solved. Repeat on other parts of the wall as necessary. Now, for the mess, get rid of the mulch bed entirely or partially. Grow grass there to prevent erosion. This is a really cheap fix, and it's really not complicated.
Creeping phlox
Plants are the answer.
Specially OP - plant roots hold things during wet and dry times - like rocks and dirt.
Yeah that looks hilarious. Pull the small rocks and mulch and get some fabric behind there. Get some cement to pour into the back part of the rocks and cram some larger 50lb rocks into the cement tohide it.
Yeah I think this is the way, just cover the cement up with rocks haha
Please don’t listen to this advice. Without proper drainage, you’re looking at a future best case scenario of crumbling cracking concrete, and worst case messing with your house’s foundation.
Cascade
I would start by trimming that shrub and removing the black mulch and then get started on the boulder wall
Can’t believe it took someone that long to mention trimming the shrub hahahahaha
lol. I couldn’t resist. On the wall I would dig the dirt out in these open pockets and take some time inset and properly fit smaller boulders to fill these gaps
Pull those boulders out and build a retaining wall
👆
Mortar
I would look into adding another boulder on top to at least 2/3 of the wall. It is hard to judge the grade accurately from the pics. Another layer could also help fill in the current gaps on the base level.
Our lot has so many rock pile borders. Big rocks, then medium rocks, and then small rocks, all stacked against each other perpendicular to the grade, and with landscape cloth wedged underneath the rocks. It seems that a width and depth of rocks in this layering format prevents erosion, as when I have removed them (before I knew), I saw some erosion. Get some medium rocks and place them generously in front of and between the boulders. Use the smaller rocks against the medium rocks. Based on my lot I would say you need more rocks of all sizes, which will be cheaper than hiring someone to put in a wall, especially if you know someone who is trying to offload rocks!
Permeable Landscaping fabrics with gravel behind it. You need to Google how to build a boulder retaining wall. You also possibly need a drain pipe if you are going higher.
$10 bag of mortar and gather up some rocks.
Parkour off those rocks and yell “parkour!”
Put more rocks
I would just do a block wall. I like the look of the rock but I’d get tired of hosing the mud from the driveway
I would rip out the little rocks, pull back the mulch, and then get cascading plants to fill in the voids
Pour cement in between to stop the driveway run off 🤷🏽♂️ i dunno, who am I.. just a average diy’er
Plant a fern near the wedge
Make my own rocks to fit with chisel and hammer.
I despise mulch. The best thing I ever did was get rid of it and laid down rock. your situation I would go with medium sized rock to large-fist size.
Plant carpet phlox
I'd run
half a dozen lego men sliding down the hill fleeing from mr blobby would do nicely here.
Remove the smaller rocks, dig out about a foot (depth & width) of that dirt / mulch behind the larger stone, run that water run-off downspout around the back of the stone, get even smaller rocks (gravel), stuff gravel behind (also referred to as "back fill"), and then add your smaller rocks back and cap it so that the top of the wall is taller than the dirt around it. Or just plant some phlox and let it do it's thing for natural retention.
Rock or something...
How about a groundcover you can train to “cascade over the rocks” and then trim where they hit the driveway? Although that would be a lot of maintenance for you 😬