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Landscaping on Slopes

The challenge of working with a sloped landscape cannot be understated. The soil on hills is not stable, so debris can end up in your yard when the soil starts to erode. Most people use retaining walls to deal with this problem, but this is not the only method available.

Take some time to learn about other ways you can work with a steep landscape to keep it stable and aesthetically pleasing.

Stabilize With Plants & Trees

Slope Plants

A smart way to stabilize the soil on a hill is by planting shrubs, trees, and flowers. This is because the developing roots of the plants will hold the soil in place. With the help of the roots, the soil will not erode and slide away. This is great for preventing runoff during storms, since the number of plants will lessen the force of the water.

Try to focus on native plants, since they will have an easier time adapting to your landscape. If the soil on your slope is deep, you will need plants that can develop deeper roots to compensate. You should cover sections of bare soil with mulch or rocks to lessen the impact of rainfall and erosion.

Install Stairs or a Path

Landscape Step Stones

If your slope is not too steep, installing a stone path or stairs in your landscape can be a good option. Depending on how steep they are, hills in your landscape can be hard to climb. By digging into the slope, you can develop a natural path that you can use to ascend the slope without any problems.

This type of installation requires a lot of work, so developing this with a professional landscaper is advised. Work with your landscaper to determine which types of pavers would suit your yard. Try building boxed-off gardens around the path to give your yard an eye-catching feature.

Build Up Tiers of Walls

bTecho Bloc Retaining Wall

Instead of implementing one retaining wall, why not design a few in escalation? By building several tiered walls into a hill, it becomes much harder for the soil on the hill to erode. Work with a professional landscaper to determine the best place to install each of the walls.

Once the walls are built, try digging into the hill in open spots on each tier. That way, you can plant different types of flowers in each one, creating a unified design for your landscape.

Like with regular retaining walls, you can also build a drainage system into this design. Be sure to ask your landscaper if building a weep hole would be ideal. Weep holes can drain water from the system in the case of an emergency.

Build a Deck

Home Stone Deck

Constructing a deck on the sloped landscape is another option at your disposal. One big issue with sloped landscapes is that they do not make good recreational areas. The land is not level, so it can be easy to lose your balance and fall over.

Building a deck into your landscape will provide a flat surface for you to set up furniture. This will give you a place to kick back when the sun is out and the weather is warm. You can even set up a grill so you can have BBQs when you have visitors over.

Develop Water Features

If you are looking to spruce up your sloped yard, try installing a beautiful water feature. Slopes provide a perfect path for water to flow down, making sloped yards perfect for features like waterfalls.

A landscaper can build a pond as well, giving the water a place to deposit into. After these features are built, set up your lawn furniture so you can sit down near them. The sound of running water will give ambience to your landscape, and will make your backyard more relaxing.

 

Looking to do some landscaping in your yard?
Hillsborough Irrigation and Landscape Services can help you deal with your steep slopes.