A Tiled Garden Wall

A low wall defines an area, provides a comforting sense of enclosure and is a gentle transition to other areas. Arthur sited the wall at the edge of the upper patio to draw people to the edge to overlook the lower garden. He used materials that complement the rest of the patio.

Arthur estimates that a professional would charge about $2,500 to custom-build a stucco and tile wall, but do-it-yourselfers can buy the materials for about $650 ($300 for the wall and $350 for the tiles). This project is rated a 3 on a difficulty scale of 1 (easy) to 5 (difficult) and can be completed in two weekends.

For this project, the crew centers the wall in the middle of the site, set back five feet from the patio, leaving room for a patio extension and planting beds on each side of the wall. This wall will be about 3-1/2 feet high and 12 feet long, so the footing needs to be 18 inches deep and about one foot wide.

Clear an open space, removing any plants and landscaping. Gently curve a piece of flexible PVC pipe where you want the wall, and mark along it with landscapers' spray paint. Following the curve, dig out a trench for the footing.

Step Two: Pouring the Concrete

Landscape contractor Efren Herrera of Summer Rain Landscaping pours concrete for the wall footing and the patio extension at the same time.

Start with a two-inch layer of road base (about $30/ton) in the trench and patio extension area. To lay a 3/8-inch rebar grid for the patio extension, first drill holes about 18 inches apart into the edge of the patio and hammer in rebar to span the area between the patio and the trench. Lay more rebar across to form a grid.

Build a simple frame, held in place with stakes, to hold in the concrete for the patio extension. Frame the trench with 2x4 bender board and stake it in place.

Step Three: Building Up the Wall

Continue with the first course and then stagger the second course on top of the first course. Make sure that the edges and sides line up to maintain the curved shape of the wall. After all five courses have been set, partially fill the cells of the top cinderblocks with mortar to help fortify the wall.

Step Four: Applying the Stucco

Step Five: Laying the Tiles

Arthur chose colorful Spanish tiles (figure H) to complement existing tiles in the patio. When ordering tiles, be sure to order about 10 percent extra in case of breakage.

To mount the tiles, first snap a chalk line against the wall at an even height. Hammer in some temporary nails two inches below the chalk line to hold temporary framing or a level. Smooth a thin layer of mortar onto the stucco above the framing and begin placing the tiles firmly against the mortar, using the framing to keep them in line.

Grout the joints with quick-setting sanded tile grout. Spread it over the tiles with a sponge trowel and work it into the gaps.

While the grout dries, apply a second layer of stucco on the rest of the wall, mixed thinner than the first coat so that it can fill in the cracks and crevices. Use a trowel to texturize the stucco for a rough adobe look. Don't worry if you drip stucco onto the tiles; just clean the tiles with a damp sponge.

Planting: Around a Tiled Garden

To accent and contrast with the earth-tone wall, Arthur chose colorful plants that repeat the colors of the Spanish tiles. He mixed low flowering shrubs, upright plants, and a variety of vibrant hues. His planting plan includes:

• Florists' cineraria (Pericallis hybrida), Zone 11
• Primrose (Primula polyanthus 'Pacific Giant'), Zones 6-8
• Penstemon 'Navigator Mix', Zones 7-8