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There is a near-infinite number of ways we can build a brick garden wall, and a near-infinite number of applications and locations within a landscape design plan where it can be put to good use.
One of their main uses is to enclose gardens. The most common example is an entry garden. An entry garden is a courtyard that is normally be built on one side of the home. It functions as both a transitional space that connects the front yard and back yard with walkways, and it represents a gathering place where a central courtyard provides an area for eating, drinking, and conversation.
The reason that brick is used so much to build these structures is because so many houses are brick, and brick provides a ready and natural compliment to home architecture. It also works remarkably well with so many different landscaping styles and types of garden design. Even modern landscape design and contemporary landscape design can be augmented by certain types of brick.
This is only one application for a brick garden wall. There are countless others. Bricklaying is one of the key elements of masonry, so anywhere drama and interest are needed on the landscape, a brick structure can be used to add vertical impact. Softscape elements contained within these structures enjoy a special position of prominence in comparison to other landscape elements.
This often proves the key to the success of a challenging custom garden design where a blend of design styles is used to create something highly unique for the homeowner. Simply adding a masonry-enclosed focal point within the clipped boundaries of linear hedges can raise the energy level of such a scene.
Brick garden walls do not have to be very tall. We have to all get past this preconception of the wall as a towering edifice that looms over us. This is only true for houses and public buildings.
In landscape architecture, walls can be as tall or as low to the ground as we like. This is due to the fact that the primary purpose of walls is not to shelter us, but to provide us with unique environments that give us unique points of view.
As such, many of the most interesting brick garden walls that we design are only inches in height. These small structures are used to create aesthetic borders around such landscape elements as ponds, swimming pools, seating areas, custom patios, and contemporary gardens.
In courtyard design, varying levels of brickwork creates environments within the enclosure that magnify the apparent space within and dispel any sense of claustrophobia that might afflict the sensitive nerves of some.
Landscape lighting of some sort is always used to illuminate brick garden walls so that they can be enjoyed as much in the evening as they are in the daytime. Uplighting is the most common form of lighting we use here because it is the preferred method of highlight focal points in landscape design.
If the wall is tall enough, we can also use wall lights. If it is connected directly to stairs, we can also create accents on its borders with step lights.
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