Gabion pillows are the most versatile of the gabions, essentially being large cylinders filled with whatever material you want. It’s a great way to hold everything together. The use of pillows in landscaping is not a novel concept. Pillows were used by ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians to elevate their sleeping surfaces and can be seen in Roman mosaics.
Gabion pillows are the new, eco-friendly kid on the block. The term “gabion” is derived from an old Italian word for the basket and describes wire cages filled with rocks capable of retaining soil or holding backwater. Gabions were once used in construction to make walls and retaining structures, but the same design is effective when making a landscape pillow.
Gabion pillows are used to make stone walls or similar structures. The pillows themselves look like large tubes made out of stone and wire mesh that is filled with smaller rocks. Once the rocks are in place, the whole pillow is wrapped in chicken wire fencing to form a nice rectangular shape before being buried.
1. Stabilize an Uneven Area
If there is a slope in your yard that is becoming a nuisance for your kids or just getting in the way, you could simply use a gabion pillow to stabilize it. Not only will it help keep things from sliding down the hill, but it has the bonus of being nicer looking than an earthen mound!
2. Create a New Area
If there’s a certain area you’d like to turn into a garden or some other kind of planting, you could use gabion pillows to create that new area. They’re an easy way to hold back the soil and keep it from eroding as well as keep everything in its place!
3. Create a Wall
Gabion pillows can be used as walls. If you have some kind of retaining wall around your yard, a gabion pillow might be the perfect addition to it! It will look nice and blend in nicely with your existing wall.
4. Make a Fire Pit
Gabion pillows are also great for making fire pits. Just fill them up with some stones, charcoal, paper, and lighter fluid, then light it up! It’s a great way to have a bonfire that won’t damage the grass or soil.
Gabion Pillow Benefits
Erosion Control: Gabions are a kind of facility that stabilizes the soil, thus preventing it from being washed away by rain or any other natural phenomena. By using these pillows as landscaping elements, you help your garden stay as beautiful as possible even in cases when there are heavy rains.
Energy: Since their pillows are made of gabions, they can serve as very good reflectors of solar energy. The reason for this is that the gabion surface area reflects light in a way that turns it into heat. Thus, it benefits both the environment and your wallet since you won’t have to use as much electricity to heat your house during the cold months.
Environment: Gabion pillow benefits both the garden and the environment because it benefits one by being a great landscaping element, thus turning the garden into something beautiful, and benefits the other since this element prevents soil erosion.
