If your site is located on a slope, then there is no need to worry, since there are many ways to arrange it. Any landscape designer gives preference not to flat areas, but to reliefs of various hills. Your house on a slope, together with the garden area, can be completely transformed by using spectacular compositions, while this DIY site design involves focusing on water, stones, and small architectural forms.
Retaining walls
The easiest way to have a beautiful front lawn
You've certainly seen the perfect lawn in a movie, on an alley, or perhaps on your neighbor's lawn. Those who have ever tried to grow a green area on their site will no doubt say that it is a huge amount of work. The lawn requires careful planting, care, fertilization, and watering. However, only inexperienced gardeners think this way; professionals have long known about the innovative product - liquid lawn AquaGrazz.
When choosing this or that landscape design, for example, as in the photo, for your own garden, you need to take into account a huge number of factors, carefully consider all the details, since the house and the entire surrounding area, like a mirror, will reflect all the preferences of the owner of the house.
Design option for a site with a slope
One of the methods of making changes to the appearance of a slope with your own hands is terracing, which is the creation of terraces strengthened with the help of retaining walls. The height and number of terraces directly depends on several important points - the area with height differences and its size. Terraces can be connected to each other using steps made from the same materials as retaining walls.
Retaining walls on a sloped area
Retaining walls, which are designed in accordance with the stylistic design of the entire garden area, are a bright decorative element. Therefore, it is necessary to focus your attention on small details, techniques and materials characteristic of any specific stylistic decision.
Stairs for garden decoration
Retaining walls made of wooden logs are well suited to the rustic style. A site in the Art Nouveau style can be supplemented with retaining walls and steps, which can be made with your own hands from brick, and they can be supplemented with wrought iron railings. A house with a garden in a natural style is best complemented with a retaining wall made of natural stones. A terrace with retaining walls, which can be supplemented with multi-level flower beds, looks advantageous. On one of the terraces you can build a viewing area with your own hands, where you and your guests will be able to admire the beauty of your favorite home.
Decorative pond with gazebo
In some cases, when the site has a relief with a more complex structure - ravines, the bank of a river or a pond, it is very difficult to create a picturesque picture with your own hands. However, all these seemingly disadvantages, with the right choice of materials and design methods, can be turned into the highlight of your unusual slope, creating its special flavor. From the ravine you can get a decorative pond with a gazebo, and it will be located on the shore. You can plant various shrubs and weeping willows with your own hands on the banks. Thanks to this approach to design, the area will be transformed: the pond will get a romantic look, willow roots will strengthen the bank, thereby preventing it from sliding.
Decorative pond
A collection of aquatic and moisture-loving plants will be the final moment in the composition. Wooden or forged bridges that connect the banks of a ravine-pond will also look great in the overall stylistic solution. The river bank can be decorated using exactly the same method. You can build a small pier with your own hands if your site matches the size of the river. From all of the above, we can conclude that although the relief adds work and hassle, it is, however, what can make the image of the slope unique and, thus, transform the house.
The nuances of gardening on a slope
If the house is built on the upper area of the slope, then tall types of trees should be planted there. For trees you can choose:
- Lombardy poplar,
- linden,
- oak,
- spruce,
- Tuyu.
It would also be an excellent solution to incorporate ornamental shrubs such as barberry, forsythia and lilac into the landscape design of such a garden. Compositions of trees and shrubs must be created symmetrical or asymmetrical, however, only in such a way that they do not cover the house. In areas below the slope, low-growing shrubs can be planted in groups, and small flower beds and rockeries can be created. Low growing plants should be planted at the bottom of the garden. Look good:
- evergreen boxwood,
- juniper,
- Mahonia.
In the spring, as soon as the snow melts, hyacinths, tulips, crocuses and hazel grouse will delight the first owners of their own home. They will be replaced by decorative onions, marigolds, Californian esholtia and rudbeckia. And in the fall the chrysanthemums will bloom.
Path in the decor of a slope
The landscape design of any garden involves the use of such an important decorative element as paths. If you build it like a serpentine, such a path will emphasize the steepness of the slope.
Path in the decor of a slope
To design a path, a good solution would be different:
- breccia,
- stone slabs,
- brick,
- tree.
Landscape design also involves adding various compositions of stone and plants to the winding path. For example, rockery. Along with it, Cossack juniper, young, saxifrage or sedum are perfect. If the site has a slope that goes down to the house, then such a landscape design requires a completely different placement of plants. In this case, tall trees should be planted at the top, near the entrance to the estate, and the house should be surrounded by dense clumps of bushes or small ornamental trees such as cypress, lilac, viburnum or rowan.
The crowns of fairly tall trees, if they are located directly in front of the house, are formed to the height of a person. In this case, the trees will not cover the display of other, lower plants. Slopes are an excellent solution for forming streams with cascades and waterfalls. Such a landscape design will come to life, it will receive natural outlines.
Usually, when choosing a plot of land for building a country house, we give preference to more level landscapes and look at hills and slopes with distrust. Many people find such a site inconvenient both for building a house and for creating decorative plantings.
For an experienced landscape architect, a site with a slope or several small hills is just a gift. There are many options for beautifully and concisely using uneven terrain. The slope can be terraced and decorated with natural stone, you can create stairs and organize canopies for viewing platforms or gazebos. From a design point of view, uneven areas provide much more room for creativity.
Despite the wide range of landscape techniques applicable to areas on a slope, the range of plants used for landscaping such areas is still somewhat limited.
You should not use fast-growing large trees - they can fall under their own weight or cause landslides. Fruit plants, such as an apple tree or a pear, will feel more confident on a flat surface, and will not give the effect we need when located on an uneven surface.
But there are plants that, on the contrary, will show themselves in completely unexpected ways only when they are planted on a slope.
Let's look at the trees and shrubs that can be used to decorate the site if we decide not to make even terraces and leave a natural slope. The choice of plants in this case is dictated to us by nature itself.
It has long been noticed that some plants grow faster and larger if they are planted on a small hill. Such conditions partially imitate the natural growing conditions of these species: good air circulation in the crown, stimulation of active root formation (after all, you need to hold on to the slope more strongly if the wind blows or snow falls). These trees and shrubs form a powerful, highly branched root system to hold onto the soil and thereby help strengthen the slope. They are relatively tolerant of soil fertility and are quite winter-hardy.
In terms of illumination, I would like to divide the range into two groups:
- shade-tolerant
- photophilous.
It is also important to note that shade-tolerant plants will do well in the light, while light-loving plants often not only grow poorly, but also die in conditions of heavy shading.
SHADOW-TOlerant PLANTS
To create a full-fledged tree and shrub community on a slope, which is in the shade most of the day( shade can be formed by large trees on the top of a hill or the walls of buildings) the following woody plants are recommended :
Common spruce. We are, of course, talking about many decorative dwarf forms.
Mountain pine. Although it is considered a fairly light-loving plant, many cushion-shaped and low-growing decorative forms show themselves to their advantage when located in partial shade.
Cossack juniper. Suitable for both wet and shaded places and well-lit and warmed slopes. When using it on a shaded slope, you should choose the shortest possible decorative forms.
The microbiota is cross-paired. A very important coniferous shrub for the slope. This plant is especially sensitive to location on a hill and responds very gratefully to moisture and shading. This small shrub, when purchased, grows 5 meters in diameter in 5-6 years, densely covering the soil. It feels great surrounded by stones and is perfect for decorating the lowest tier of our tree and shrub composition.
Cypress pea fruit. Wild cypress trees are fairly light-loving plants, but their spherical and weeping decorative forms grow well in the shade. Thanks to the short needles, these trees look very exotic and delicate.
Canadian hemlock. This North American tree is one of the most shade-tolerant in the world. Regarding it, I would even like to say that it is shade-loving. It grows very slowly and retains its crown shape for a very long time, which makes it an indispensable part of the coniferous composition. Few plants can retain the shape that a specialist put into his design for so long.
Common hornbeam. It is advisable to plant together with other trees and large shrubs in order to maintain high humidity in the plantings. Autumn colors are especially decorative.
Common hazel. It strengthens the surface of slopes very well.
There are attractive red-leaved and purple-leaved forms.
Holly willow, whole-leaved willow, purple willow. In fact, there are many more species of the Willow genus suitable for the role of slope holders. And even more of these trees will help create an incredible garden. There are even landscaped areas that use exclusively willows, the so-called salicetums. Norway willow is an ideal plant for strengthening slopes and slopes. Willow wholeleaf is an amazing fountain of long shoots with silvery foliage. Purple willow is well cut with a not tall, dense ball.
Euonymus common, European and winged. It is quite possible to combine these three into one position, at least in terms of environmental qualities. Ideal for shaded slope conditions.
Euonymus is a very delicate and light shrub that is brightly colored in autumn. The European euonymus is taller, sometimes looking like a small multi-stemmed tree. In autumn, it is decorative not only with bright red foliage with various shades, but also with a lot of equally bright pink-red fruit boxes. The winged euonymus has a slightly spherical (emphasized when pruned) crown shape with rich crimson-red foliage in the autumn.
Derain is white. One of the most important shrubs for creating decorative green spaces.
It has a wide variety of decorative forms aimed at changing the color of the leaves (from lemon yellow to white-green). The red or bronze coloring of the shoots of these shrubs is also a very valuable decorative accent, which is especially noted in winter.
White snowberry. A low, up to 1 meter, shrub with bright white fruits that ripen in autumn.
The composition of their European euonymus lined with snowberry looks very impressive. The effect is achieved through a combination of bright red and white fruits.
Rowan-leaved fieldfare. One of the most shade-tolerant shrubs. It produces abundant root shoots and quickly spreads along the slope. In autumn, its long, lacy, rowan-like leaves turn pleasant yellow-red tones.
Light-loving plants
If the landscaped area the slope is well lit and warmed by the sun, then our range is even richer:
Tatarian maple. Not a tall tree, often multi-stemmed, with bright autumn color. Often the trunks are beautifully curved.
Ginnala Maple. Bushy tree. The three-lobed leaves give the tree a graceful shape.
Hawthorn. There is a huge variety of hawthorns. For us, it is best to use Hawthorn monopistillate, Siberian Hawthorn, Fan-shaped Hawthorn, Plum-leaved Hawthorn, Aronia Hawthorn. One of the decorative forms of Pauls Scarlet has incredibly beautiful double creamy pink blooms.
Caragana shrubby. Drought-resistant multi-stemmed tall shrub. The flowers are yellow and bloom profusely.
Irga common. A tall shrub with very strong shoots and powerful roots. The fruits are violet-blue and edible.
For a landscape designer, this project is very interesting. A garden in relief, and in a modern style too! We set to work with enthusiasm.
Design was carried out in winter, and in the spring landscaping work began, which lasted two months. First of all, several zones were allocated in the garden:
- Entrance and entry area.
- Vegetable garden and orchard.
- Place for a children's playground (for the future).
- Shadow garden.
- Picturesque slope.
- Lower lawn and chillout.
LAYOUT
The general concept of the garden: strict straight lines that are smoothed out by the soft contours of the plants. That is, rigid structure and lush vegetation. Because of this, a feeling of harmony is obtained, as in the balance of Yin and Yang.
We worked with the relief - we applied geoplastics. Several levels were created on an awkward slope, separated by retaining walls and connected by stairs. All lines of paths and retaining walls are parallel and perpendicular. The longest axis runs through the garden from the garage, down the steps, continues with a path along the retaining wall and ends with a “steps on water” bridge that separates the swimming area from the bioplateau.
START
Entrance and entry area we see every day when we leave home and return. In this garden it is not used functionally in any way, but only pleases the eye. We proposed making an unusual bench the center of the composition, but during the landscaping process the customers abandoned it in favor of green grass. Convenient paths consisting of large rectangles lead to the entrance to the house from the gate and from the garage. There is additional gravel parking in the corner. It is also a table tennis court.
In the entrance area we planted several pine trees, three maples with purple leaves, and linden trees. The accent was the umbrella-shaped serviceberry. The fence is hidden by bushes. In the foreground there are flower beds in which plants are sure to bloom without interruption from early spring to late autumn.
PLANTS
Planting- a very important stage of work when creating any garden. The very first trees were Scots pines. There were 10 large ones, 2.5-3 meters high. We planted them in winter. In the spring of 2012, the remaining trees and shrubs were brought to the site. After the ground leveling was completed, they took their places.
Closer to the completion of all the work, it was the turn of perennial flowers and flower beds. When planting, we used growth and root formation stimulants. In the first year, planted plants require special attention and care. Then, having taken root, they are no longer so demanding, but the garden still needs constant care.
Along the paths We used an unusual technique for planting small shrubs - phytoplasty. The bushes are planted in a group, grow and close together into a single array, which is easy to give the desired shape. This planting is protected from weeds and provides beautiful volume all year round. You can select different shrubs, for example, in our case we used Japanese spirea in varieties.
GARDEN
There was also room in the garden for a small vegetable garden. and several fruit trees. The owners - Artem and Lisa - are already trying the harvest of their gooseberries, currants, apples, pears, and eating greens from the garden beds. This year a baby was born into their family. So a reserved place for a children's playground will also be needed soon. It will be possible to choose and install a nice and practical complex for games and physical development.
Behind the house is the richest part of the garden.. It is clearly visible from the house, especially from the terrace. Going down, you can get to the swing sofa. Or you can go down the wide steps. These steps go along the slope, on which a mixborder is laid out, flowers and several dwarf shrubs are planted: mountain pine “Pug”, Japanese larch “Pendula”, prickly spruce “Glauca globoza” and others. This place is very bright and beautiful throughout the year, even in winter.
RESTING-PLACE
The lowest point of the garden is chillout. That’s what Lisa and Artem themselves called this most attractive place with a pond, wooden decking and pergola. The pond is intended both for growing aquatic plants and for swimming. Moreover, plants planted in a special way on the bioplato take care of maintaining the purity of the water. How they do this is the topic of a separate article.
A large reservoir is a special pride of customers. It has a swimming bowl and places to plant aquatic plants. The depth of the bathing bowl is 160 cm. In places where aquatic plants are located, the depth is 40−60 cm. The walls of the reservoir are made of reinforced concrete. This was necessary, since with vertical walls it would otherwise be impossible to avoid soil shedding. When constructing ponds with sloping banks, such bottom reinforcement is not required.
Waterproofing in the reservoir is made using the liquid rubber method. There is no need to drain the water for the winter: you just need to lower it a little. Aquatic plants overwinter right in place, only the water lilies should be moved to a deeper place.
At the edge of the reservoir there is an unusual waterfall - a weeping wall. The water is pumped to a height of more than two meters and flows down the stones. To ensure that water flows evenly over the entire width, a special tray is installed at the top, clearly leveled.
In addition to the main body of water, located on the same level as the wooden deck, there is also a small raised pond. Its walls are wide, 50 cm high. This is done so that you can sit on the sides of the reservoir. The pergola is covered with polycarbonate, which protects from rain. Willows of the Ural selection are planted around the wooden structure.
In order to compositionally support our large chill-out complex, on the opposite side we added a wooden corner wall, made in the same style, and planted an unusual niwaki tree (garden bonsai), formed from the “Globular Dwarf” willow variety. She is very unpretentious and easy to care for.
WALLS
Retaining walls in this garden were carried out using the dry masonry method. This is a good and reliable method that does not require foundation construction, concreting or waterproofing. The stones are simply stacked on top of each other, and the wall is supported by gravity. Flat stones are best for this. We used flagstone sandstone 10 cm thick.
When laying the wall using the dry masonry method The stones must be laid in such a way that a backward slope of about five degrees is obtained. This will ensure the strength of the structure. When building retaining walls, we immediately left space for recessed lamps and routed cables there.
TRACKS
Paths and platforms we made it from crushed sandstone. This is by far the most accessible and inexpensive material. To give the paving a more formal look, we framed the crushed sandstone with sawn stone.
The paths are built on a concrete base. Although this is an expensive and labor-intensive method, it is the most reliable and durable. There are also walking paths in the garden - separate stone squares with lawn grass growing between them. In the garden between the beds we used gravel screening.
LIGHTING
Garden lighting is carefully thought out. These are modern garden lanterns about a meter high, lamps built into retaining walls, lighting for plants and pergolas, and lighting for steps. When designing garden lighting, it is necessary to provide light on the stairs. This not only beautifully emphasizes the multi-level structure, but is also necessary for safe movement around the garden in the evening and at night. And at night the garden takes on a fabulous look.
Lighting fixtures are placed on several lines, which are turned on by separate switches. The electrical circuit provides sockets for waterfall pumps and an automatic watering system, which is very helpful in maintaining the garden.
CARE
Garden care is to prevent disease, treatment of plants against a complex of pests, fertilizing, which is carried out according to a special schedule throughout the season. And, of course, in mowing the lawn and controlling weeds, pruning bushes and trees, preparing the garden for winter and other activities. We have been helping Lisa and Artem for the third season. During this time, their garden became very beautiful, the plants grew, the flowers grew. And every time, walking along the paths, going down to the shore of the reservoir, I am convinced again and again: the work of a landscape designer is a very positive occupation!
It is quite possible to arrange complex terrain, no matter how overwhelming this task may seem. The uneven terrain and hilly terrain will allow you to use the rarest, most interesting solutions in the design of the site, and you will definitely create your own piece of paradise.
First steps in arranging a site on a slope
First, assess the degree of slope of the site; the financial component of future work directly depends on this. If the slope is too steep, you can go the simple route: plant it with unpretentious ground cover shrubs and perennials. But it is unlikely that you yourself will be delighted with such contemplation of a wild corner.
Therefore, in this case, prepare for additional time spent on changing the terrain of the site.
Secondly, we build terraces. In order to secure the terraces, we build retaining walls. We make them from the material you like, but preference should still be given to natural stone.
If the slope is small, you can strengthen the soil by planting trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. But still, do not refuse to build retaining walls due to their extraordinary picturesqueness.
Thirdly, take care of the stairs, because on such an area with terraces they are simply necessary. But be creative in how you organize them. Let it be separately embedded steps, ladders or serpentine.
The main thing is to ensure your safety when walking on stairs. Therefore, make them from durable, strong materials that have a rough, rough surface. It's better if it's a stone. If the choice is on wood, then make its surface corrugated.
To make climbing the stairs less boring, consider a scheme of green spaces along the paths. Use the most attractive ornamental foliage plants. Select crops so that their flowering dates do not coincide, pleasing the eye from spring to autumn.
Populating a garden on a slope with green inhabitants
So, the work on designing the ornate paths and paths has been completed, the territory of the site is zoned with retaining walls and is unique. Now it’s time to think about landscaping the landscape so that all the architectural delights do not catch the eye.
When choosing plants for a site on a slope, first of all take into account their practical function - protecting the soil from erosion. Therefore, plants with a well-branched root system are needed: barberry, viburnum, privet, lilac, white dogwood, lilac, ground cover roses.
Remember that any plant, even an adult one, needs time to take root, so immediately relying on their protective qualities is wrong. At first, be sure to use cellular materials on terraced areas.
Many ornamental crops will do well on a sunny slope, but they must also be drought-resistant, because water does not stay on the slope for long, and the temperature is higher than on level ground.
Various types of garden geraniums, bells, sunflowers, wormwood, sage, yarrow and mantle, and various grasses are ideal for such areas.
Fill the spaces between the stones of the retaining walls with ground cover crops suitable for alpine hills. These are young plants, saxifrage, sedum, thyme, alyssum, and cloves.
Low shrubs will feel good: barberry, cotoneaster, spirea, which also strengthen the slope from shedding. Creeping and dwarf forms of conifers will help to dilute the leafy picture: junipers, pines, spruces.
Of course, do not forget that a garden on a slope requires maintenance. Water and feed the plants from time to time, just not in such quantities as many garden crops.
We decorate the slope with ornamental plants
Ground cover roses are suitable for decorating natural sunny slopes. Today their choice is huge. Almost all varieties are winter-hardy, hardy, grow well, bloom throughout the season and delight owners with lush, bright flowers.
Roses need nutritious and moist soil, so they must be properly cared for if you want stunning blooms and strong, healthy bushes. Just place them in terraced areas so that the soil underneath is level, otherwise both water and nutrients will be washed away and the roses will not survive.
An effective combination will be roses and decorative deciduous shrubs or conifers. The combination of roses with lavender, sage, geraniums, and herbs looks advantageous. Junipers, pines and spruces will highlight the fragile beauty of roses, and in winter they will play the first violin.
To decorate the western, northern and northeastern slopes, you will need shade-loving, shade-tolerant, cold-resistant plants, such as heuchera, astrantia, hosta, and ferns. Among the shrubs, you can choose mahonia, euonymus, elderberry, bladderwort, hydrangea, and rhododendron.
In addition, the surface of the retaining walls themselves can be beautifully decorated with potted crops, the first of which will be geranium.
And the impossible is possible...
On a well-equipped, fortified slope it is quite possible to place a lawn. But provided that it fits into the style of the broken area and you are able to provide the lawn with care.
A garden on a slope is perfect for constructing the most unpredictable, most winding streams and waterfalls flowing into an artificially created reservoir at the bottom of the site.
So, a garden on a slope is a wonderful option to create a unique landscape in which ornamental and wild plants, natural and man-made cascades can coexist. This is a chance to let your creativity fly!
Owners of a plot on a slope are in an ambiguous position. Standard methods for placing beds are unacceptable here, and the arrangement of such a site involves significant material costs. However, after studying existing approaches to design, the owner most often comes to the conclusion about the advantages of such a situation. Landscape design for a site on a slope will be developed and implemented by specialists. The ideas presented can transform the territory, making it unique, immersing it in the beauty of mountain landscapes.
Strengthening the slopes on the site with your own hands
Landscaping begins with work to strengthen the slopes on the site. This will prevent further destructive processes that can damage buildings and landscape design.
Preparatory actions
When strengthening slopes, various methods and designs are used. Landscape design allows the use of stones and concrete blocks, biomats and gabions, logs and lawn gratings in site preparation. To properly strengthen the slopes, it is necessary to study and calculate the following points:
- how close the groundwater is;
- what slope is the slope at;
- geological features of the soil;
- is there a danger of the area being washed away if a body of water is nearby;
- take into account the soil pressure on the slope;
- decide on the material for strengthening;
- identify the area in need of strengthening.
With a slight slope, it allows you to solve the problem of fixing the soil by planting trees and shrubs with a developed root system. If the slope is significant, terracing or the use of geotextiles will be required.
Ways to strengthen slopes
The simplest and most inexpensive option for landscape design when strengthening a slope on a site is planting plants with a developed root system. This solution is acceptable provided that the slope and its area are small. Plants are planted in cells, which act as a reinforcing structure. In the future, the developed root system is intertwined with the fastening elements and prevents landslides or soil erosion. Juniper is the leader in this method of strengthening the soil; it is also recommended to plant Chinese blackberry, lilac and hawthorn.
Slopes in a summer cottage are often reinforced with fences made of concrete slabs, sandstone, brick or limestone. The advantage of this method of landscape design is as follows:
high level of resistance to external destructive factors;
- does not require significant care efforts;
- does not interfere with the growth of green spaces;
- durability of the structure.
Such fences are erected subject to certain conditions:
- a solid foundation is laid;
- minimum height of the fence – 1 m;
- the thickness of the fence is 1/3 of the height;
- mandatory equipment for a drainage system (water flowing down the slope should not wash away the structure)
- fences are built from the bottom up;
- it is recommended to build a cascade structure;
- it is necessary to provide a slight slope towards the slope.
The landscape design of the site provides the opportunity to decorate such a structure with flower beds, decorative stairs, and lanterns.
Another option for strengthening the slope on the site is the use of stones and logs. They are dug into the ground after first studying the type of soil and the condition of the surface. At the same time, do not forget about the aesthetic appearance of the site and take care of the presence of drainage. This inexpensive method of landscape design is acceptable on both small and large slopes.
Modern developments in landscape design suggest using geotextiles in arranging a site on a slope. This product in rolls, consisting of polyester and polypropylene fibers, has the following advantages:
- waterproof;
- protection of soil from freezing;
- when water converges, it prevents the mixing of soil layers;
- plastic;
- has high resistance to damage;
- ease of installation on the ground.
Another option acceptable when developing landscape design on a slope is laying geomats. This waterproof material consists of polypropylene grids, superimposed on each other and connected by exposure to high temperatures. Geomats have the following features:
- do not contain toxic substances;
- UV resistance;
- maintaining the natural beauty of the landscape;
- are not afraid of aggressive substances;
- resistant to low and high temperatures;
- easy to install.
The presented methods of landscape design when strengthening a slope can be done with your own hands or with the help of professionals. Their choice depends on the preferences of the owner and further plans for the development of the site.
Design options
The landscape design of a site on a slope opens up wide prospects for the realization of bright fantasies and bold ideas. Considering the need for serious financial investments in landscaping, the approach to planning a site on a slope requires special care and thoughtfulness. The development of landscape design work is necessarily preceded by a study of the technical indicators of water supply and soil characteristics. The location of future outbuildings and recreation areas deserves special attention. Based on their location, they plan the construction of future terraces, flights of stairs, retaining walls and other elements of landscape design. When landscaping a site on a slope, its location relative to the cardinal points must be taken into account.
Terracing
Having decided to use terracing in the landscape design of a site on a slope, avoid excessively long retaining walls in a straight line. This design will create the impression of a huge staircase. Landscape design experts recommend arranging terraces randomly with ledges or cascades. This will create a picturesque picture of the overall view.
Winding paths or paths are provided between the terraces, and several steps are designed on steep slopes. Retaining walls on the site are made of various materials: natural stone and brick, wood and concrete. It is better to equip a steep slope with retaining walls using cement mortar; on a flat site, dry masonry will be sufficient.
Original ideas in the design of retaining walls on the site are welcome. Avoid straight lines; rounded shapes will ensure smooth relief transitions and visually make them less conspicuous. Terraces with different functional purposes will allow you to move away from standard approaches. Landscape design allows you to place vegetable beds and shrub plantings in separate areas. Combining them with winding paths will visually create a single picture of incompatible things.
The location of the terrace on wet ground requires the presence of drainage fill made of crushed stone. It is located between the wall and the ground with a width of 10-15 cm. It is recommended to supplement the masonry with pipe scraps, which will ensure the release of moisture to the outside and will not allow it to accumulate behind the retaining wall. The absence of such protective measures will provoke rapid destruction of the structure.
Arrangement of paths and stairs
An indispensable attribute of landscape design are neat paths that help achieve an organic connection between the terraces. To ensure compatibility, it is better to make them from similar material.
Important ! Large decorative elements, be it stones, tiles or circles of wood, can create good visibility and a bright perception of the path.
The winding shape of the path hides the steepness of the slope, while the serpentine layout, on the contrary, emphasizes it. Following the rules of landscape design for a site on a slope, it is better to emphasize the bends of paths with low trees, shrubs or evergreens. A staircase is a must on a steep slope. In width it can correspond to the path that continues it or be slightly narrower, but not less than 60 cm. If the staircase has many steps, it is better to separate them with landings. It is advisable to equip them in places where the direction of movement changes. If the size is sufficient, the area is decorated with a bench, an elegant statue or an original flowerpot. Landscape design specialists recommend that stairs located in a shady place be made from building materials of a lighter shade.
Remember! The beauty of landscape design must be combined with safety; choose non-slip material for paths and stairs.
Thoughtful landscape design will provide comfort during evening walks with the help of proper lighting. There are many ways to design it, and choosing an option that matches the overall style will not be difficult.
Floristry of the site
When choosing a floristry concept, the best option for landscape design would be the style of a mountainous area. In this case, the location of the territory relative to the cardinal directions must be taken into account. In this aspect, a site on the northern slope has its advantages, due to the possibility of decorating it with moisture-loving plants that are accustomed to a shady location. For the south side, herbs and flowers that can withstand high temperatures and drought are more suitable.
Landscape design is developed in such a way that the planted plants have different flowering periods. Tulips, hyacinths and crocuses will be the first to delight owners in early spring. They may be replaced by decorative onions, California poppies and marigolds, and autumn will delight with the bright colors of asters and chrysanthemums. Planting perennials will make gardening easier.
Trees on a site with a slope, according to the rules of landscape design, are planted in a special way. If the house is located at the top, tall plantings in the form of thuja, spruce or pyramidal poplar are located next to it. Barberry or lilac will help create an interesting composition.
Please note! Planted trees and shrubs should not cover the house.
The shorter plants are found further down the slope. Evergreen shrubs and colorful flower beds can add nobility and sophistication. Juniper, magnolia, and boxwood would be appropriate here. The region in which the site is located also plays a role. Therefore, when choosing green spaces, take into account the climatic conditions of your area.
The basic rules for landscape design of a site on a slope are as follows:
- correctly organize the division into zones;
- build strong retaining walls;
- protect the site from soil erosion with the help of a competent drainage system;