Frankfort Retaining Wall Installation
Bret-Mar Landscape provides Frankfort retaining wall installation for raised planting beds, tiered gardens, and walls that frame the rest of your landscape. Because we design the planting and build the wall together, the finished product looks like one garden, not a wall with plants added later.
With over 40 years of experience, our second-generation, family-owned firm brings landscape design and hardscape construction to every one of our wall projects. We work with Frankfort homeowners and the surrounding southwest suburbs, with crews based nearby in Homer Glen.
Why Frankfort Gardens Benefit From a Retaining Wall
Retaining walls are not only for steep hills. In a garden, a wall gives plants better soil, adds height, and turns uneven ground into beds that look intentional. These are the situations we see most on residential properties:
Flat yards that need height. A raised bed or tiered garden adds layers to an otherwise flat landscape and gives plantings a stage.
Uneven terrain. A gentle slope or uneven ground can be stepped into level beds that are easier to plant and maintain.
Soil erosion in beds. Heavy rain washes mulch and soil out of sloped beds. A low wall holds them in place.
Soil conditions that hold water. Clay soils stay wet. Raised beds give roots better soil above the native ground.
Beds that blend into the lawn. A wall gives garden beds a clean edge and adds curb appeal from the street.
Every design starts with the site conditions and soil stability of your yard before any planting or wall material is chosen.
What Our Frankfort Retaining Wall Installation Includes
Every project starts with a personalized consultation to walk the yard, look at your existing landscape, and note property boundaries and sun and shade. From there, we design the walls and the planting as one plan.
What We Build:
Raised planting beds. Walls that lift garden beds for better soil, drainage, and visibility.
Tiered gardens. Two or more shorter walls that step plantings up a slope or create layers on flat ground.
Garden borders. Low walls that frame beds along a walkway, patio, or the front of the home.
Seating walls. Walls at the edge of a garden that double as built-in seating.
Walls with planting design. Plant selection chosen for the sun, soil, and height of each tier.
We build with stone, masonry, and custom block, including natural stone, and help you choose the right materials for the look of your home and the plants you want. For more wall styles, see our retaining walls.
How Our Frankfort Garden Wall Projects Come Together
Our process follows three steps, and the planting plan is part of the wall design from the first step.
Steps:
Design the wall and garden together. Our licensed landscape architects, Ashley, Kurt, and Sharon, plan the height of each tier, the plants it will hold, and how water will move through the beds.
Build on a solid base. Each wall starts with proper base preparation and proper drainage, with the structural supports needed to keep soil and plants in place for the long term. Good water management keeps the beds from staying soggy.
Plant and finish. Our own team builds the wall, fills the beds, and installs the plantings, so the finished garden is ready to grow.
Walls and planting designed as one landscape.
What Garden Retaining Walls Give Frankfort Homeowners
An attractive retaining wall does more than hold back a hill. Terracing turns sloped areas into different levels for living, gardening, and gathering, and it often becomes the starting point for larger landscape redesign projects. If you are still gathering design ideas, our Orland Park landscaping team can plan the planting around each level.
Visual Benefits
Stepped walls in stone, masonry, or block add depth and structure, turning a plain slope into the focal point of the yard.
More Usable Space
Each terrace adds flat ground you can use for a patio, a lawn, or garden beds, where before there was only a hill.
Increased
Property Value
High quality hardscapes contribute long-term value to your property, and walls that control erosion protect the landscape around them.
Built for
Longevity
Every hardscape is backed by our two-year hardscape warranty, so you can count on your terraces holding their shape.
Meet the Team
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![A man with a beard and a blue button-up shirt sitting outdoors next to tall green grass, with a red building in the background, wearing a black cap with 'BRET MAR LANDSCAPE' embroidered on it.]()
Adam
CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
Adam was raised in the landscape industry and developed an early fascination with heavy equipment and hands-on construction. From a young age, he was drawn to understanding how things work—spending hours building and rebuilding projects with Legos, which naturally evolved into a passion for operating equipment and constructing outdoor spaces. He joined the family business after studying Agriculture and Soil Science at South Dakota State University, where he was also a member of the FarmHouse Fraternity. Adam oversees the operations side of the business, managing project construction and field execution. Outside of work, he is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys spending time with his dog, Charlie, and ice fishing.
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![A woman with long brown hair wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans standing outdoors next to a small brown dog with black markings, in front of a garden with pink and green hydrangea flowers.]()
Ashley
PRESIDENT
Ashley grew up in the landscape industry and studied Landscape Architecture and Business at South Dakota State University, where she was also a NCAA Division I equestrian athlete. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Landscape Illinois and is a past president of the organization. Ashley is passionate about landscape design and the ability to thoughtfully design outdoor spaces to enrich people’s lives—creating environments that encourage gathering and reflect pride of ownership. Outside of work, Ashley and her husband, Tim, enjoy spending time outdoors with their three dogs, hiking and fishing. She also competes in jumper competitions with her horse, Stella.
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![A smiling older man with white hair and a mustache wearing a light green button-up shirt stands outdoors in front of lush green foliage and blooming hydrangea flowers.]()
Kurt
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
An avid outdoorsman, Kurt developed an early passion for land management. He studied Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he met his wife, Sharon. Kurt leads the development and care of the nursery grounds at Bret-Mar, taking great pride in growing and nurturing plants that go on to thrive in clients’ landscapes. Outside of work, he enjoys being outdoors and spending time with his family on fishing trips.
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![A woman with glasses and shoulder-length blonde hair sitting outdoors with a white dog. The woman is smiling, wearing a blue plaid shirt and white pants. The setting is a garden with green trees, purple flowers, and rocks.]()
Sharon
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
From an early age, Sharon knew she wanted to pursue a career in the landscape industry. Her first job, while in high school, was at a garden center, where she developed a strong passion for plants and horticulture. She studied Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she also met her husband, Kurt. The landscape industry remains a lifelong passion for Sharon, and she enjoys spending time in her garden harvesting vegetables and cut flowers alongside her dog, Elly.
Start Your Orland Park Retaining Wall Project
From one wall that levels a patio area to a fully terraced backyard, Bret-Mar Landscape builds retaining walls for Orland Park homes and properties across Chicago's southwest suburbs. Tell us about your slope and we'll help you plan the next step.