By Sharon Cohoon, Sunset senior garden writer

As I mentioned in a recent post, I have a real weakness for gabions.  Apparently I'm not alone.  Southern Caifornia garden designer Dustin Gimbel of Second Nature Garden Designs shares my fondness.  "I think they're great," he says.  "The material is cheap and installation is quick, so you save clients money two ways."   In addition, they have "industrial chic", the style everyone wants right now, says Gimbel.

Gimbel used gabions to create a combination retaining wall/garden bench in Lucy and David Mercer's garden in Laguna Beach.  Instead of the usual river rock filling, though, he used a combination:  cement block against the slope for more stability; inexpensive gravel in the middle where it doesn't show; and Oklahoma ledger stone as a facing on the exposed sides and top.  Besides giving the bench a more refined look, the ledger stone gives you a even, firm, and surprisingly comfortable surface to sit on.