Retaining wall blocks and retaining walls constructed from such blocks

A planter block for use in a retaining wall formed from tiers of blocks, said planter block having a textured front face having an upper edge, two sides, a rear, a top and a bottom, a trough recessed in said top to extend substantially parallel to said front face and to extend the rear of and below said upper edge, said trough having a size and shape adapted to receive soil and plants, and at least one projection on said top spaced to the rear of said trough and adapted to be received by a bottom recess in a block which is to be placed in an adjacent upper tier of a wall, and wherein said at least one projection has a sufficiently greater spacing from said front face of said planter block than the bottom recess in a block which is to be used in an adjacent upper tier of a wall to position at least a portion of said trough forward from the front face of such in an adjacent upper tier of such wall.

A planter block for use in a retaining wall formed from at least two tiers of blocks, said planter block having a textured front face having an upper edge, two sides, a rear, a top and a bottom, a trough formed in said top to extend substantially parallel to said front face adjacent and below said upper edge, said trough having a size and shape adapted to receive soil and plants, and at least one top projection on said planter block spaced to the rear of said trough and adapted to be received by a bottom recess in at least one block placed in an adjacent upper tier of a wall, and wherein said at least one top projections when received by a recess in at least one block in an adjacent upper tier of blocks locate the front face of such at least one block sufficiently behind said front face of said planter block to permit growing plants in soil placed in said trough.

A top block for use in a retaining wall formed from at least two tiers of blocks, said top block having a textured front face having an upper edge, two sides, a rear having an upper edge, a top and a bottom, a bottom recess adapted for receiving at least one projection on an adjacent lower block whereby said front face of said top block is positioned relative to such adjacent lower block, said top having a recessed trough extending parallel to said front face between and extending below said upper edges of said front face and said rear, whereby when a retaining wall is constructed with a plurality of said top blocks forming an upper tier the troughs in said top blocks form a drainage ditch extending along the top of the retaining wall.

A retaining wall comprising a plurality of blocks arranged in tiers, each block having a textured front face, a top, two sides and a rear, wherein some of said plurality of blocks are top blocks, said retaining wall having a top formed by a plurality of said top blocks arranged in a top tier, at least one lower tier of a plurality of said blocks below said top tier, wherein each of said blocks in said at least one lower tier of blocks has at least one top projection which is received in a bottom recess in a block in an adjacent upper tier of blocks, wherein said blocks are trapezoidal in plan having said rear substantially parallel to and shorter than said front face, and means on each of said blocks adapted to be engaged by a lifting mechanism for lifting said blocks in a generally horizontal attitude.