Although they can be immensely beautiful, hillside gardens can be challenging. Hills and slopes are often difficult to landscape due to water run-off, soil erosion, and sliding rock. Simply planting turfgrass is often the solution, but the maintenance for mowing on a hillside can be dangerous and difficult. Finding a smart solution is simplified when you study the primary goal: to hold soil in place via erosion control. When you control erosion, you prevent the slope from slipping and plants can help soil stay in place as well as look gorgeous.
3 Hillside Landscaping Solutions That Work:
Erosion Control Plants – Some plants are fantastic for erosion control. Their roots dig down deep and hold hillsides together. This can enable you to create a fabulous hillside garden without special tiers or terracing cut into the slope because the plants use their super power to keep the hillside in place. Examples of erosion control plants include groundcovers such as ivy, vinca, creeping juniper, weeping forsythia, fragrant sumac, or ornamental clumping grasses. Perennials such as stonecrop, creeping phlox, cotoneaster, daylilies, or lamb’s ears also work. Trees include the Douglas fir, Monterey pine, sugar maple, white oak, California live oak, hickory, and black walnut.
Stairs and Hardscaping – Stone staircases that are naturalized are a great way to start the process of erosion control. Create a pathway from the top to the bottom of a hillside. The stairs added weight can often help to anchor the hillside in place. Once the hardscaped stairs are installed, then you can gradually work to landscape the rest of the hillside. The stairs will blend into the hillside much better if plants surround the hardscape.
Anchor with Terraced Tiers – One of the best ways to hold a hillside together is to incorporate tiers or terraces into the hillside. No matter the material; stone pavers, cement blocks, railroad ties, or other material, locking the hillside in place by terraces looks fabulous and also solves a difficult problem. Terraces often have a beautiful and dramatic impact on the look of the property. Another advantage of terracing is that you can then plant most any plant that the growing conditions allow. Want to plant an ornamental edible vegetable garden on the terraces? Do it! Want to plant a Japanese evergreen garden on the hillside terraces? You got it! Terraces enable you to have far more freedom of design once they are installed.
In the before and after photos shown on this page of a tiered garden, you can see how easy it is to utilize iScape as a tool to plant a terraced garden. You can place plants, replace plants, and move plants around digitally in the app before you ever dig a hole. Once you have the set garden design, you can have the team plant it up and away you go!
Download iScape now and build smart landscape designs. So simple, so easy. iScape it!
