Landscaping On A Slope – Yards with hills and slopes can present challenges to landscapers. Here are some suggestions for working with them. You may even discover that your problem is hiding an opportunity to make your yard even more interesting. Slopes can present challenges to landscapers. But a good landscaper can find a way to turn those challenges into opportunities to showcase their yard.
Shallow to moderate slopes. If shallow to moderate slopes are putting you in a landscaping conundrum, adding the right plants can be a simple solution. What the right plants for your area are varies by location and your preferences. Solutions range from low-growing grasses to certain trees.
Grass may not be the most creative thing you have ever planted and it may not be the most visually exciting, but the right grass has many upsides. Foremost, it can do wonders to prevent the erosion of topsoil. If the slopes are not severe, it can also be easy to maintain.
Flowers are also good for similar reasons, plus they add color and textural variety.
Trees are for preventing long-term problems. Their deeper and layered root systems help prevent fallout erosion that happens in the layers beneath the topsoil. Think of it as preventing small earth-slides in your yard.
Consult your local nursery for suggestions on plants that thrive in your area.
Steep slopes present more challenges, but they also present more opportunities to be creative in your solutions.
The biggest challenge with a steep slope is rapid erosion. One solution can go a long way to eliminating the problem while adding high visual interest and opportunities to be creative: terraces.
Terracing your yard can be a lot of work, but it is a long-term solution. In addition to preventing erosion, it also preserves any views (whereas planting trees could obscure them). Considering that many people buy a home on a hill because of the view, you also preserve the value of your home.
Aesthetically, terracing itself is pleasing to many people. It also gives you flat surfaces which can be planted with flowers, bushes, or nearly anything you would enjoy looking at. You can also add walking paths and/or steps to your terrace. These will both increase accessibility and improve your yard’s look.
If terracing and adding steps or walkways seems like too much work or is just not visually appealing, consider adding a retaining wall. This is the most popular solution for steep slopes. Retaining walls are not nearly as labor intensive and they still do a good job with reducing erosion. Also, there are plenty of options for building the wall, from various forms of wood to rough boulders and fancy stonework. There is bound to something to suit your aesthetic needs.
