Choosing Plants For Sloping Areas – What Plants Grow On Slopes.
Elevating your beds eliminates the need to lean over in the garden
Gardeners run up against what seems to be a challenging obstacle in their quest to maintain a beautiful and functional garden space. For gardeners, problems with sloping sites include things like soil and nutrient loss, as well as overexposure of plants to wind and sun, which can easily damage or kill them. Both entertainers and gardeners, however, can overcome these problems with a bit of planning, landscaping, and dedication. We can find a solution for your sloping plot that really works for your lifestyle, and then discuss how to build a garden around it.
1. Build a retaining wall
A retaining wall is an obvious solution and one that makes sense if you need a level terrace for entertaining friends or playing sports with the kids. Its impact on the land is significant, since it involves reshaping the land. Retaining walls are generally made of stone, timber, concrete blocks or poured concrete. Be sure to check your local guidelines for wall height, as you may need to install a railing for safety. Retaining walls may also be fabricated from metal. This is generally a more expensive option, but the final product can be a stunning pivotal point. Be advised that metal can absorb and retain heat in full sun, so choose your plants accordingly to prevent extra scorching.
2. Create terraced steps
Terraced steps leave a lighter footprint since they can follow the contour of the land. If they’re designed with a minimum width of 4 feet and landings between steps, the garden visitor is invited to stop and enjoy garden beauties along the way. A staggered zigzag design can create a relaxed or philosophical mood for those who walk through the garden.
3. Consider a boardwalk
A boardwalk creates a unique experience with little impact on the land, since it carries visitors over the space. Construction is similar to that of a deck. A boardwalk can spark a relaxed and adventurous experience for the garden visitor meandering at their own leisure while the birds chirp.
4. Placing of boulders strategically
Well-placed boulders can stabilise the grade as well as create atmospheric conditions for a variety of plants. By deliberately placing large boulders parallel to the top of the bed, you can create water-retentive plant pockets for moisture-hungry species. By placing smaller boulders perpendicular to the top of the bed, you can create well-drained areas for those plants seeking those conditions. Conventional soil mixes that retain or release water can further aid you in the creation of a unique mixed bed.
5. Designing Your Hillside Garden
Creativity is the order of the day when it comes to planting a garden on a slope. If your garden is contemporary, with clean lines, a block planting of a single species or cultivar may be in order. If your aesthetic is traditional, you may opt for a design emphasising green foliage or white flowers. The rest of you can dare to mix things up and have some fun. Crafting a blend of plants high and low in size, loud and subtle in colour and texture, plants that move at the slightest breeze and those that don’t. The comparison will add another level of interest to your garden.
6. Copycat the shape of your wall
If your sloping garden contains a long, narrow stone wall, consider using low, creeping plants like the Japanese garden juniper. If you are working with a slope held back by boulders, consider mounding or spiky plants that copy the shape of your stones.
Use grasses and succulents. Grasses and succulents are good choices for sloping gardens, since they thrive in dry, well-drained conditions. Notice how the plants in this garden add depth and texture to the space.
Think Mediterranean. Many plants of Mediterranean origin make perfect entrants for growing on sunny, dry, rocky slopes. Rosemary, lavender and sage are all good choices.
