Last year I added about 500 square feet to my front yard by excavating out an old stone garage foundation, landscaping, and other overgrowth. I'm now pouring a footing and building a retaining wall in order to control erosion and to provide a convenient herb garden patch.
The wall stands 35 inches in height and spans from an existing retaining wall to my driveway. After installing proper drainage, I filled the cores with concrete for strength, capped the wall, and applied a sealer. Finally, I was able to plant grass in the new yard area. The space definitely feels much more open and we can't wait to be able to use all of the new gardening space in the springtime.