Natural Stone Retaining Wall and Perennial Garden Taking Shape in Cicero

Here's what most people don't think about when they picture a finished retaining wall or a beautiful perennial garden - the work that happens before a single stone gets set or a plant goes in the ground. The excavation and grading phase is where everything is decided. Get it wrong here, and problems show up later. We don't cut corners on this part.

We're currently on-site in Cicero, Indiana working through the groundwork phase for a natural stone retaining wall paired with a perennial garden bed. The skid steer is doing the heavy lifting, moving material and establishing grade, while the crew works alongside handling the detail work by hand. It takes both to get the base exactly where it needs to be.

Natural stone retaining walls require a solid, well-graded foundation. If the ground isn't prepped properly, the wall shifts. Water doesn't drain right. Plants in the garden bed suffer. This is why we treat the prep work with the same care we give the finished product - because one depends entirely on the other.

The perennial garden component adds another layer of planning. The grading has to account for drainage, soil depth, and how the planting beds will interact with the wall structurally and visually. We're building something that's meant to look great and hold up for years, not just through one season.

Stay tuned - we'll be sharing the finished result once the natural stone is set and the perennial beds are planted. Projects like this one are some of our favorite work to do, and the before-and-after difference speaks for itself.