Ideas For Landscaping A Sloped Yard
Now that you've bought your dream house on a hillside, it's time to design the landscape. Landscaping on a slope takes a lot of careful thought because you have to protect the soil to prevent erosion and soil shifting. Also, you have to think well into the future, because you don't want to plant trees that will block your panoramic view in a few years. Here are a few things for you to consider.
Choose The Best Plants
To hold soil in place on a slope, you could plant some bushes with deep roots and some flowers or ornamental plants that spread easily, so there is no bare soil exposed to the rain. Covering the soil protects it from erosion, so you'll want to cover as much as the slope as possible with plants, walkways, and stones.
Choosing the right plants is important because you not only want beautiful scenery, you also want something that is easy to maintain. If the area needs to be mowed, pruned, or weeded, the work will be difficult if you have to navigate a steep slope. A better option is to choose plants that don't need much care at all, and just let them grow wild. If you pick a good combination of colors and plant heights, you can create a stunning slope that protects your soil too. A landscaper can help you choose the best plants suitable for growing on a slope in your area, taking into account the amount of water, sun, and care each plant variety needs.
Install The Right Irrigation System
If you want your plants and flowers to be lush through all kinds of weather, you'll need an irrigation system. Watering a slope is a little different than watering a traditional flat lawn. If you run sprinklers, the water will start rolling down the hill before it has time to sink in. Instead, you can install a drip irrigation system that slowly leaks water into the soil. Since it drips out slowly, the water has time to sink down to the roots where it will nourish your plants.
Consider Installing A Terraced Garden
One way to avoid all the pitfalls associated with planting on a steep slope is to install a terraced garden. To do this, a landscaper needs to move earth around. Flat beds are cut into the hill in a stair-step fashion. This allows you to plant flowers and even a vegetable garden in the traditional way since the beds are flat. This gives you more useful space on the hill and allows for more interesting design elements too. A terraced garden is easy to access, so maintenance is much easier. This is a big advantage if you love to work with flowers and plants or grow a vegetable garden.
Designing a beautiful, sloped yard can be a challenge, but the end result is worth it when you have a yard that enhances the view from your spot on top of the hill. Keep in mind, the view you create will impact the value of your home in years to come, so investing in landscaping is money well spent.
For professional landscaping help, contact a company such as Outdoor Solutions Landscaping.
