What is a Gabion?

You might not be familiar with the word “gabion,” but you’ve almost certainly seen what they can do for your landscaping project or outdoor living space. A gabion is a type of wired basket filled with various rocks or soil that helps prevent erosion, retain a slope, or provide a landscape element. They are commonly used in streambanks and areas with steep slopes. In fact, gabions have been used for centuries for all sorts of purposes, ranging from landscaping, road building, to even military uses.

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Whether you need to use them as a barricade or a way to grow a few vegetables, gabions can be a great help to your landscaping or gardening needs. Here's what you need to know about gabions.

Types of Gabions

These days, most people associate gabions with a simple metal crate that has rocks in it (gabion baskets). However, there are various types of gabions that are designed for different uses.

Here is a list of the types of gabions:

• Gabion Baskets - Composed of welded or twisted steel wire mesh and varies in size. They are used in retaining walls and landscape applications.
• Mattresses - These are commonly referred to as reno mattresses. They are named mattresses because they are shaped similar to a bed mattress and primarily used to contain rip rap and fight erosion.
• Sacks - Gabion sacks are mostly common in hard to access areas such as along stream banks. They are available in various sizes and shapes

What type of gabion you’ll need depends on the problems that could potentially occur. In addition, your location will also determine the type of gabion you may need.

What are Some Common Applications of Gabions?

Gabions can be used for many things, but some are more common than others. The original purpose of gabions was to retain earth. But that’s not always the case. Gabions can be used to block out sounds and noises. They can be used to direct the flow of water, reduce water velocity, and prevent erosion. However, gabions can be used for so much more.

Gabions are commonly used in gardens as well. In fact, people can grow various types of plants and vegetation within one by turning them into a planter or utilizing them as walls to create a raised garden bed.

In other cases, people simply use gabions as a way to add a certain look to their homes. They have many residential uses that can be tailored to suit individual needs from landscape elements to architectural veneers and elements.

The Benefits of Having Gabions

Aside from erosion prevention and aesthetic uses, gabions do provide some pretty handy benefits. For starters, gabions are inexpensive and easy to use, so they are useful for those who need to accomplish a lot of landscaping or protection from soil erosion on a budget and can perform much of the work themselves as a novice.

Another great benefit of gabions is that they are better for the environment because they have a smaller carbon footprint. In fact, using gabions reduces the amount of carbon dioxide produced by 80 percent compared to the use of regular concrete walls and you can also utilize recycled or onsite fill to further reduce your impact.

Last but not least, gabions can be used in any kind of environment, whether it’s rural or urban. Even suburban areas can reap the benefits of gabions. In other words, gabions aren’t limited to just one type of environment. They can easily be used in residential and commercial settings. Gabion usage isn't limited to only large rock formations or in areas that aren't occupied.

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Gabions may not always be a main topic of conversation, but they have been a useful landscaping and engineering component for many years and are growing in popularity. We hope this guide has helped you discover some ways you can put gabions to work for you!

Gabion is an up-and-coming landscape trend that uses wire baskets filled with rocks to create a unique-looking retaining wall. Used for thousands of years all over the world, gabion is now gaining popularity in residential landscaping across the US. It’s an attractive, effective, and inexpensive addition to any yard. Find out more about gabion and how to use this ancient technology on your property.

What is Gabion?

Derived from the Italian word gabbione, gabion is any enclosure filled with inorganic material. Rocks are commonly used but other options include bricks and concrete debris. The idea is to fill the baskets with local, aesthetically pleasing materials. Wicker cages were once used, but wire is now preferred for its durability.

One of the very first uses of gabion-type structures dates back to ancient Egypt. About 7,000 years ago, people used gabion to protect the banks of the Nile from erosion. In medieval times, it served as a military fortification. Later, gabion was used in engineering projects, from the foundation of the San Marco Castle in Milan to highway stabilization and retaining walls in construction projects around the globe.

Gabion is praised for being both beautiful and environmentally friendly. It requires no concrete or mortar and can be made with discarded rubble from local excavation projects. Gabion is also extremely affordable, often costing nothing more than the price of the wire cages.

Once in place, gabion will last the lifetime of your garden. The loose stones are permeable, and the metal cages prevent the rocks from washing away. Gabion conforms to ground movement, helping it to remain beautiful for generations to come.

DIY Gabion Basket Ideas

Gabion can be reinvented for many different uses in the garden, including:

• Retaining walls: The original purpose of gabion walls—to retain slopes—remains a popular use for them in residential landscaping. The texture of the stone and wire baskets offers a rough, industrial look in the best possible way.
• Benches: Tucking gabion cages underneath a polished wooden board or stone slab is a simple way to create beautiful, modern benches on your property.
• Flower bed edging: Instead of a traditional raised stone border, you can edge your flower bed with gabion cages. This is an affordable DIY project that looks particularly pleasing with modern, rustic, or industrial home designs.
• Planters: It’s easy to make a gabion planter box. First, build the wire cage and situate a block of polystyrene in the center. Place a plastic flower pot on top, and fill in the area around it with stones. To complete the DIY gabion basket, fill the pot with soil and plant whatever flowers you want.
• Visual statements: Stone has a lovely color and texture that complements foliage quite well. This makes gabion the perfect garden accent, whether you use it as a decorative column, backdrop for landscape art, or privacy wall.

No matter how you choose to use this landscaping trend, gabion looks best if you keep the other parts of your yard tidy. Don’t want to tackle lawn care, pruning, flower bed maintenance, or tree work yourself? Choose The Grounds Guys® to keep your property looking great with our professional yard maintenance service.

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