Jim, I have a fried who had a Tuscan themed garden built for her. As part of the garden she wanted raised (high enough to pick and plant without bending over) beds with herbs and vegetables. She has a very visionary and talented gentleman working for her, he built the walls for the raised beds out of cinderblock, then "mudded" over the walls and either stained or painted them. In the end they looked like weathered stone or plaster, and once they were planted and had creepers and spillers to help with the look it was a work of art! Erin Grace Thomasville, Georgia, USA