I live in an area where there is a lot of cinder block construction, including one home that was rebuilt with the outside being bare cinder blocks.
I even have a backyard wall someone constructed out of cinder blocks.
If you do any of the projects in the tape or decide to build a cinder block wall, I suggest you do the following:
1. check your local building and safety code. where I live, a retaining wall over 4 feet high needs engineering and reinforcement. this cautionary advice also applies to building a cinder block wall. the unreinforced ones in my neighborhood fail during earthquakes.
2. research adding a surface so the ugly bareness can be transformed into adobe appearing construction or can be painted.
3. do not construct a planter so close to the house (termite danger) or above the interior floor of the house (like someone did before me and I had to have the floor replaced by the insurance company, complete with deductible).