Dry stone walls may be laid on a foundation of rubble or a concrete footing, and can be planted with alpines or trailing plants to create an attractive feature.

Method

1. Dig a trench and make a firm base of compacted hardcore or a concrete footing - the base of the wall should be one or two courses below ground level.
2. Maintain a level construction of each course by using a taut string line.
3. Build up the wall using broad tie-stones and smaller random stones to bond the wall together.
4. The wall should be wider at the bottom than at the top. To achieve a smooth slope, make a wooden frame (a batter board) in the shape of the required cross-section of the wall; an inward slope of about 1 cm in every 24 cm will usually sufficient. Use a spirit level to keep the batter board perpendicular.
5. Finish the wall off with large, flat stones or a row of vertical stones laid on edge as a decorative coping. The coping can be mortared if required.