The Ha ha wall is famous not only because of its amusing name. This wall was a key element of the landscape movement in the past. The question is can it be a part of a contemporary garden layout?
The History of the Ha Ha wall
To put it simply, the ha ha wall is a ditch. But why that funny name? Well, the ha-ha comes as a surprise to unsuspecting visitors. The term describes the astonishment at a wide trench suddenly popping out into view. The ha-ha walls have been built during the 18th and 19th century throughout the UK. The wall is not hard to construct and at the same time is one of the most effective garden solutions.
The Ha-ha wall is designed to keep animals out of the formal areas of a garden. It can be seen as a replacement of a fence. Still, it creates the illusion of openness. It also enables unbroken views from the garden to the countryside or parkland beyond. This element is very typical for English landscape design. The Ha-ha wall merges the parkland and garden into one picturesque scene.
The Ha-has are not stuck in the history of garden design; they have made their way into the 21st century. To create such a wall you will need careful plant layout design and landscaping of your terrain.
Modern-day Gardens
Modern ha-has are not created to keep animals out, but the scene they are part of is invaluable today. They can be styled into attractive landforms that add variety and drama to a scene. In some modern gardens, we see an elegantly curved ha-ha in the shape of a wave or series of terraces which look beautiful.
The ha-ha wall can be used for gardens with special plant design where it is an invisible boundary between the planted parts of the garden and the countryside beyond. This type of wall is a modern-looking barrier that creates beautiful layers and levels adding variety and great visual effect to the garden.
The ha-ha wall is ideal for large spaces with surrounding Nature or countryside. This solution can still be used in areas where the garden is in danger of animals that can enter the front lawn.
Another good landscaping tip is to place a pool instead of a fence. In this case, the outer wall of the pool will serve as a Ha-ha wall and will create the infinity pool effect.
Whether you call it an invisible boundary or a Ha ha wall there’s no doubt that it should be part of any good landscaping designer’s toolkit. If you want your garden to connect seamlessly with Nature, there is no better way to do it than by adding such a wall. Modern ha-has might not be built to keep livestock out, but their use to create beautiful scenes is invaluable.
