Retaining in a creative way

We are hoping to renovate part of our front garden during the Easter-ANZAC Day break. See the driveway? See the semi-circular curve? All that lies between the curve and the driveway is under consideration. Here is what we are hoping to achieve: Remove the Lily-Pily (Cascade) that is closest to the driveway. Remove the letter box, and replant it from where the Lily-pily was removed. Dig out the soil between the driveway and the curve. There are many large, twisted roots beneath this soil. Place the soil on plastic sheets in the centre of the oval. The length of the driveway (the bit under consideration) is 7.100 metres.The depth to be dug out - at its deepest -is 0.850 mm. Pare back the soil, all the way along the top to the point below the two white porceleine animals sculptures. Dislodge each of the large stones that currently define the shape of the oval. They are cemented into the line of the curve, so care will be necessary. See the scatter of large white rocks halfway down the driveway (at the 4.200m mark actually? That is the point from which the jumping podium will be constructed. Go into this in a later post, as this post is about the digging out, and especially the "retaining".

Here is the area to be dug out in more detail. Along the front, below the Lily-pily "Cascade" hedge, is a brick retaining wall. In the centre front, this brick retaining wall is 9 courses deep. However, over to the left, below the letter box, only 4 courses are visible. Darren suggests that there are 9 courses all along the front. What I want is a retaining wall to go from the top of the driveway down to the scatter of white rocks, and continue down incorporating the rocks. It goes from 850mm at the top (just to the left of the letterbox) to 100mm at the bottom. It will be pinned into the soil beneath the driveway, and be totally visible from the front porch. It must look "decorative". Here are some examples that I have sourced from the www.

Here is a retaining wall built by Alastair. He has done a few more since. Ours will be a feature on display so he will take that into account, too. Next, I will look at the rock sculpture for the girls.