Randy Meyers, Coachella Valley's premier tree nurseryman has expanded his growing grounds oasis in Sky Valley. Formerly private, it has been expanded by this skilled landscaper into The Well, a huge party venue way out there in Sky Valley away from city lights. Randy has expanded his hot-water well property into an expansive outdoor event venue. But what amazed me above all the beauty here were the gabions built by Randy and his sons out of their own rocks. It is so sustainable here — instead of building expensive, resource-intensive concrete or block-retaining walls with hauled in material.
Gabion is a very ancient structure. This curious name is derived from Italian for "cage," which describes the primary structure of the wall. The cage is constructed of welded wire or wire mesh. This "box" is filled with rock or rubble, or whatever suitable material is available locally. That's what makes gabions so regionally specific, and valuable to desert folks who are already overwhelmed with rock and on a budget.
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The first gabion cages were made of woven willow wattle, which more resembles a giant basket. These were created by Roman armies and continued to be used up to the Civil War. Woven gabion field structures protect soldiers on open ground or raise artillery higher for distance. Afterwards the rocks, earth and wattle decomposes back into the battlefield.
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Structurally, gabion walls are different because they require no footings. Most are built right on top of packed, leveled ground so you need not do excavations into bedrock or hardpan. Originally they came to be used as retaining walls in association with shorelines and river banks to control high water damage and keep from scouring. Where there is risk of high water, the gabion wall acts to hold banks and soil layers with a single, somewhat flexible mass of great weight. Unlike block or concrete, which is a solid structure, a gabion retaining wall can move with the earth. These are far less prone to undermining by flood water. Recycled concrete makes gabion retaining walls a green solution to bank erosion.
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The only weakness is in the longevity of the wire basket which may eventually rust away. This is slowed by our minimal rainfall that slows rusting. With increased popularity and color options of powder-coated wire grids, you can count on a long life for gabion structures in wetter climates. When our galvanized coating finally turns rusty brown, they take on an aged quality, fading into the natural landscape.
A gabion retaining wall is a porous structure through which runoff can travel rather than being forced around to the end or over the top of a solid wall. Over time, soil particles work their way into the gaps between pieces of rubble making them more solid with every year. The buildup of soil in surface gaps makes them excellent for landscapes because they can support plant life. Older gabions can host a whole community of native plant volunteers that find the gabions an alternative to cliff-face nooks and crannies. Over time, a gabion left to colonization or nicely planted can become a gardening opportunity.
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Gabions can also be designed with succulents for a living retaining wall that is less oppressive looking than block or concrete. Plant roots can help the wall hold together decades into the future, and may one day hold it in place when the cage rusts out.
Gabion walls can be any size you want: from a curb-to-seat wall height, to a four-foot partition or six-foot barrier. They sell prefabricated cages locally at Southwest Boulder and Stone or online for smaller applications. For big projects like that of The Gabions, prefab cages were not suitable so Randy fabricated his own with welded wire mesh and angle iron.
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To see these fabulous gabion walls in the flesh, visit The Well at 21100 Hot Springs Road in Sky Valley, www.TheWellVenue.com. This is one of the best sustainable gardening and landscaping ideas I've seen in the Coachella Valley because it solves so many of our chronic problems: too many rocks, unstable sandy soils, high winds, increasing expense of concrete masonry and the skyrocketing gas prices of hauling rocks anywhere. Above all, it provides a great means of construction where there are a million rocks existing on site. You'll save a fortune not hauling them off.