Landscape Design Tricks: How to use a slope in your garden
The gardener is incredibly lucky if they have a perfectly flat area without any incline. However, this is not a typical occurrence. What should be done if the cottage is situated on a hillside? Don't worry, there's a solution.
It's worth noting that some gardeners dream of having a summer house located on a slope. This allows them to implement multi-level design solutions that most people would never even consider. What makes this seemingly disadvantageous land so attractive to ingenious landscape designers?
The reason is that on a plot with varying levels, several types of landscapes can be combined and recreated successfully. For instance, a waterfall with a pond, rockeries or rock gardens, steps and terraces, paths, and fountains. The beauty of such solutions lies in their ability to blend the incongruous in nature.
Guidelines for landscape design on a sloped site
An alpine landscape design, specifically created for mountainous terrain, is ideal for an uneven area. The main characteristic of this style is the extensive use of boulders and large stones (both artificial and natural), as well as planting a wide variety of plants in different sizes and colors.
By using such a straightforward approach, several objectives are achieved simultaneously:
The slope is reinforced; Snow is retained, which helps to naturally moisten the soil in spring, when active sap flow and increased green mass require a large amount of water in the soil; The garden plot acquires a stunning and refined appearance. When designing terraces and separate zones, it's essential to consider their purpose and the slope's direction relative to the cardinal points. The general principle is that the terrace width can range from 0.8 to 6 meters, and the height from 0.7 to 2 meters. For beds with low-growing vegetation, it's better to create narrower terraces with small drops, as they are easier to reinforce.
However, for a gazebo, relaxation area, summer kitchen, or residential building, a larger space is required. Regarding the slope's direction, it is crucial for determining the zone's illumination. For example, on the eastern slope, plant crops that require protection from bright sunlight, whereas on the southern slope, plant the most sun-loving and drought-resistant plants. The northern slope is ideal for creating a shaded composition of tall trees, under which a bench or children's playground can be placed.
Additionally, when organizing an uneven land plot, adhere to the following rules:
Stones can be arranged in bulk or using a binding solution. The first option is more affordable but less reliable, so when using it, ensure all voids are densely filled with a mixture of soil and lawn grass seeds to further reinforce the structure. Wood is not well-suited for uneven areas since it doesn't withstand loads effectively and requires constant maintenance, which is challenging to provide on difficult terrain. Choose the retaining material for reinforcing the terraces based on the height difference: a concrete wall can support up to 3 meters, while using bricks limits this to 0.7 meters. Brick is also a popular choice. Clinker masonry can be porous or solid. This material allows for the construction of walls in any configuration, including winding and zigzag shapes.
This video is educational in nature! Author of the channel "100 Ideas!" demonstrates garden and backyard landscape design ideas and explains their merits. We made significant changes to our content using Movavi Video Suite 18 video editor, we edited several ideas (image) in a specific order to reveal the video creator's creative intent, and added audio track with our instructions and free music YouTube.
