>> I can get landscape timbers for $1 each at the annual sale
Oh, DROOL! At 8' long and 3" tall, that's half the price of my 8x16 or 12x12" paver for an 8" or 12" tall wall. And they sure look tidier.
I guess mine are handier for tiny beds and weird shapes. And nothing could be as easy to "install" (i.e., drop in place and lean against a pile of soil).