Summer is often the time when people take on major tasks in their gardens. After all, with the days being longer and warmer it is possible to spend much more time outside and get more done, especially if the sun shines and the rain stays away.

Building a garden wall can certainly come into that category. It might be installed at the perimeter of the garden as an alternative to a fence or hedge, or it could be utilised to divide an outdoor space into sections, such as between a patio and the lawn.

A key question to consider is what material you might want to use. Issues will include your budget, whether you want it to match your house or outbuildings, or fit with their local environment or a specific theme in the garden itself.

While brick is a practical option, using garden walling stones will help create a much more aesthetic and natural look. Indeed, with some clever landscape gardening design it can be an important feature in a broader overall scheme, rather than simply an ad hoc addition.

Limestone can be a good example of a material that fits with the local environment and also a theme, especially if this is a dominant stone in the area where you live. Alternatively, slate or sandstone might similarly fit the local environment and architectural styles.

It is also worth considering innovative methods of using a wall to make your garden look truly exceptional. For example, your garden need not just be about what is growing in the ground; it can also be vertical, with creeping plants such as ivy and hanging baskets.

Should you have a patio and/or garden paving, you may also want to consider whether your wall should have the same materials or colour scheme as the flagstones, or perhaps contrast with it in a two-tone colour scheme.

The key point in any of these instances is that if you want or need a wall for your garden, you don’t need to settle for something that is merely functional. With some thought and good design, it can be part of something beautiful.