Advice Needed: Retainer wall decoration

[borvishal]

Thank you all for your suggestions ! I will look at the options and see what works/looks best

[victimofGM]

First find out if you’re allowed to drill into the wall for mounting items. Doing so may weaken the wall. A shelving with planters, a lattice for vining plants, a false wall with a gap between the retaining wall and false wall for inspection and maintenance of retaining wall are some options.

[LAB6120]

Since that's a community wall, I wouldn't attach anything to it. If you want to do the string lights, install a couple of posts and do so. I'd get some tall potted plants and place in front also.

[.sparrow.]

Originally Posted by Rickcin

What about some decorative landscaping?

Some planting beds at the base of the wall with a two foot deep trellis where you could grow some flowering vines to grow on the inner section close to the wall and then some decorative lighting on the section further away from the wall. The trellis could also have different heights on the left and right hand side of the center.

You could also add a fountain to the center area or a waterfall with a small pond and lights The design possibles are endless and perhaps something you could do yourself, if desired.

Greenery would definitely add lots of interest as well as serving to camouflage the masonry wall.

I think all of those are great ideas, especially the fountain. There are so many different types of fountains to suit anyone's taste. Formal, rustic, whatever. You could do a lot of things with that space. If it were me, I'd turn it into a secret garden room and plant a dense hedge (like cherry laurel maybe) on both sides and have gates. Pic below. Then a nice fountain against the wall and a bunch of plantings, and a nice table and chair set or whatever.

I know someone else called the wall a "monstrosity", but I like it. I think it's kind of cool, actually. I'd rather look out my window and see that, rather than another house. I'd honestly love to work with that space. Since you said you have other expenses since you just moved in, that's understandable, but just know that later on down the line, there's lots of things you could do. Congrats on the new house!

[L00k4ward]

Originally Posted by borvishal

Hello Friends,
I recently purchased a resale home that has a huge Retainer wall (its stretches all the way behind 15 houses in total). The distance between my back wall and the retainer wall is 18 ft.

What can I do to decorate the wall? I was thinking of putting some lights between the house wall and retainer wall to create a nice pattern but I am not sure if its worth having so much light bulb and wiring around.
If that sounds too much, how about having just 4-5 layers of decorative lights to cover smaller portion (may be just above the patio section)?

are there any other suggestions you all can make?
I dont want to spend too much money on this as I am new to the house and still doing a lot of other essential shopping.

I am adding a photo of the wall to get an idea.

Thank you!

Plant a narrow evergreen hedge in front of the wall- if you can provide a climate zone - we can advice which ones to plant.

More pleasant to look at the trees than concrete blocks- the trees will help to reduce noise, heat effect, create a pleasant atmosphere, low maintenance or none.

Again- depending on the climate we can suggest a native evergreen vine- you could pretend that you never planted it to avoid any restrictions, prohibitions
The only help a native vine need from you is to plant 1 tiny root stock or a piece of stem- in 1 season it would cover 30-50 feet and come back and spread every year - very inexpensive