The path beside the retaining wall is a dark walk on a muddy, rainy or moonless night. While the pavement might be smooth, anyone can trip from the dark. For safety, add ornamental lighting with add lights or build it in with keeping wall lights. Low-voltage or solar lights keep the power expenditure low whilst lighting the way to your doorway.
Underneath the Edge
Pry up a capping stone each 6 to 8 feet and include a low-voltage wall light. The wiring runs through a notch cut into the block, and behind the wall into the transformer that converts 110 V to 12 V. After attaching the wall light to the upper row of blocks, then use masonry adhesive to reattach the capping stones into the wall. The lights may also be added between the retaining wall blocks from new setups.
In a Hole
Solar puck lights may be inserted into existing walls by drilling a round hole in the block or concrete. The unidirectional LED light is only put into the hole, with a dab of masonry adhesive to hold it in position. The unit is waterproof and based on the manufacturer, available in green, white, blue, red, orange, purple or yellow. The solar panel takes a few hours of sunlight or six to eight hours of muddy weather to recharge the light.
In the Wall
When building the retaining wall, add polymer blocks that contain 12-V or solar lights. The blocks vary in size, depending on the manufacturer. Solar units require some sunlight throughout the day to function at night, while low-voltage lights demand a 12-V transformer that plugs right into a ground-fault circuit interrupter outlet. Low-voltage lights may be placed on a timer that turns on the lights at dusk and turns them off when the sun comes up in the morning.
Sound and Light
In addition to the in-wall light blocks, then there are built-in speakers, allowing the homeowner to enjoy soft songs in addition to light emitting from the retaining wall. The units are made to match the surrounding blocks, becoming nearly unnoticeable during daytime hours. The speakers must be connected to the audio system with weatherproof cables. A number of speakers can be attached together to make a surround-sound system at the garden.