slope management

Slippery Slopes
Everyone knows that hanging a pool, pond, or spa off a slope can make quite a dramatic statement, which is probably why so many great watershapers love working on hillsides.   But the project doesn't begin and end with the vessel:  In fact, placing a watershape on an incline also presents a range of landscape-related issues that must be addressed, whether it's a matter of aesthetics, code or safety requirements or simple
The Making of a Great Wall
Retaining walls are used for one simple reason:  to hold something back.  Whether you need to terrace down to a lower yard, hold up a house on a hillside lot or provide a level area for watershape installation, these walls are indispensable when you lack the room needed to grade a sloped area gradually. Of course, this notion of holding back the forces of ground movement is no small challenge, and proper engineering and construction are critical.  Do the job well, and a retaining wall will hold up indefinitely.  But if you cut corners or