Dear James: I’m planning a veggie garden on my sloping lot so I need a retaining wall. I have used timbers before, but blocks might hold up better. Which method do you prefer? -- Steve W. Dear Steve: ...

Q. Can you tell me how to build a retaining wall? Are retaining wall blocks a good choice? What critical things do I need to know so that I don't have a collapse or other failure in the years to come?

Garden retaining walls should, it seems, be made out of stone. By its very nature, stone is at ease in the garden; stone walls have a strength and soft irregularity that embrace and guide a garden ...