Landscaping A Slope

The first thing you should think of when landscaping a slope is how you are going to access the area. Your slope could do with a network of steps if it hasn't got one already. Building steps, using chippings and local timber can help you achieve a natural look. A zigzag pattern up the slope will blend in well and minimize the gradient.

As for choosing vegetation let's start with trees - conifers can tolerate slopes and poor soil conditions better than many varieties, and evergreens will provide year-round color.

Try Mediterranean cypress or Lawson cypress in order to break up the slope's shape. Plants that normally grow on north facing slopes should also be protected from hot, dry, summer winds in the valleys. Protection from wind can help low water use plants survive without frequent irrigation

You have two major options with shrubs, either plant directly into the ground, using shrub varieties such as cotoneaster or berberis that tolerate most conditions or dig level platforms into your slope and place pots and containers on them. This way you can plant almost any shrubs and perennials you want.

Some good shrubs for this are spiraea snowmound, dogwood, fuschia, and hydrangea. Surround the shrubs with astilbes, geraniums, rudbeckias, foxgloves, ivy and nepetas. Just remember to keep a coordinated color scheme, and you'll have the slope of your dreams.

Consider the following guidelines for landscaping slopes:

1. Always contact your local building department before embarking on any landscape construction project and leave larger earth moving jobs to a professional, such as landscape architect or civil engineer. It's too easy to create flooded landscape, or an accidental pond in a neighbor's yard.

2. Consider installing terraced gardens on slopes to allow heavy rains to soak in rather than to runoff and cause erosion.

3. When designing plant placement on slopes, place lower-water demand plants at the tops of slopes and higher-demand plants at the bottom.

4. Consider using groundcovers with lower water requirements for slopes and hard-to-mow locations.

5. Avoid using turf in areas less than 10 feet wide and on slopes steeper than 4:1. Although turf provides effective erosion-control, maintaining regularly mowed turf on a steep slope can be difficult and dangerous.

6. Sun and shade are critical to plant growth. Some plants will only grow in sun and others only survive in shade. If an area is in shade for half of the day or more, plant shade tolerant plants there. As plants grow they will shade lower plants, particularly on their north side, so it is important to consider where plant shadows will be, and plant accordingly.