There’s a common misconception that gardening and landscaping on a slope is particularly tricky – but you’ll be pleased to hear that this is far from the actual case.
You can still achieve the garden of your dreams if you are dealing with an incline, but you will need to make a few little changes here and there… and accept that the process will be different to gardening on a flat surface.
Firstly, you may find that access poses a bit of a problem when working with a slope and use of mechanical diggers may be hindered, depending on the gradient of the slope in question. This means that a lot of the work may have to be done by hand – which can drive costs up a little.
Other issues you might experience include erosion and dry soil, so consider your planting to help stabilise the earth. If you have a particularly steep slope on your hands, consider using some coconut matting or similar before planting to help strengthen and consolidate the earth.
Also consider not using lawn on a slope as this can be difficult to maintain. A good alternative here is to use less formal grasses, wildflowers and meadow mixes, all of which will help you create something beautiful that’s easy to look after and great for local biodiversity.
One top priority for sloped gardens, however, is drainage. While the slope will support good drainage to a certain extent, you may need to lend a helping hand if you see lingering water building up. Popular solutions include channel drains positioned at the bottom of the slope or French drains, where you have a layer of grass or moss on top of the drainage system.
Of course, these are only a few ideas – so if you need any further help or advice, get in touch with the LW Landscapes team today.