The culvert facing at the entrance to the nursery.

This is a cemented retaining wall about three foot tall.Here are some pictures of garden walls and steps up them.

Vitis californica is very effective at softening a garden wall This dry stack wall was done by a guy living in a tree, if he can do it, so can you.
If cement  will stick to it, you can use it in your garden wall. Now wood doesn't stick, but if you leave the screws sticking out an inch, they do stick.Any rock, concrete, brick, bottle can be used to make a garden wallIf you leave a few screws sticking out of the supports for wooden steps, cement the wooden steps in. Build a barbacue into your garden wall. You can buy fancy ones or cheap ones that drop in.
Rocks stacked against a dirt face. This wall was again rocks stacked against a dirt face.
If you need a small wall to hold that patio, frame out the concrete with rocksA step made up to a concrete patio. Form  patio like your would normally, set rocks against the form with flat side against form, after you've popped the form(cement not cured but holding together) carefully wash out the cement between rocks. Build a bird bath into the wal. This one cracked and we had to use a plate. Classy ain't it?Bird bath with pool on bottom.
This was a pretty good sized Coast Live oak. Beatiful wall, dead tree. Do not change grade around trees. Leave the  area under the tree alone. If you look up and see leaves, you are under the drip line.Remember NOT to change grade around trees. Don't be afraid to plat with steps. Railroad ties work well. Use some nails or screws hanging out the back to anchor the steps, or drill two holes through them and drive rebar into the ground.
Remember NOT to change grade around trees.The one tree died, the one by the bird house is dying. I didn't do it! The combined iq of the people that did this is lower than our average daily temperature, inCelsius.   Broken concrete steps.
Use broken concrete, It's CHEAP!Broken concrete or  rocks both work for steps.How about rock steps in your garden wall.I had to use a dolly to move these around.Broken concrete steps.
This old wall was probably build in the 1930's.The other end of an old wall  probably build in the 1930's.
To see more how to build stuff go to our How to build garden stuff