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7 Green Thumb Tips for Landscaping a Sloping Garden | Service Seeking

Written by Oliver Pennington | Apr 8, 2019 10:00:33 AM

Many property owners may think that a sloping garden poses a challenge to landscape design more than a flat garden.

The art of landscaping means to make a garden or piece of land more attractive. This is achieved by altering the existing design, adding ornamental features, and planting trees and shrubs.

Having a sloping garden means that the landscaping job may be a challenging one, but if done right, the garden will turn out stunning.

How exactly can you create a stunning and beautiful sloping garden?

Several methods can be implemented to make better use of your sloping garden. Below are ways of how to effectively landscape a sloping garden.

Tip 1: Consider a Sloping Garden as an opportunity to make a plain space breathtaking

You may think that a sloping garden is harder to transform.

On the contrary, such a garden gives you an opportunity to play around with walls, plants, stones, waterfalls, steps, and many other creative ornamental features that can be blended naturally into a sloped garden, making the space breathtaking.

So, why not create an enjoyable opportunity to turn a boring space into something beautiful?

Tip 2: Have a visual idea of the sloping garden you would like to have

Having a visual idea of how you would like your sloping garden to look will give you an easy time when working with a designer and also enable you to enjoy your space once the project has been completed.

The designer will take your ideas and blend them with their experience and skill to come up with something that is functional, practical, and beautiful.

A good designer can even help you to work within your means and give the landscapers an easy time in creating a concept for the project.

Tip 3: Have proper landscaping planning

According to Dream Yard, having proper landscaping planning has its own important benefits. These include;

  • Allowing you to figure out your costs and help you estimate the time required to complete the task.
  • It enables you to be able to understand the scope and size of the task to know if you can do it yourself or if you will require an experienced landscaper/contractor.
  • It will increase the value of your home and make it sell faster when you decide to sell.
  • It will make your design far easier to maintain.
  • The growth of grass and plants will flourish naturally.

The most important benefit is that the more planning that is done, the less time and money you will spend on modifications that should have been caught in the planning stages.

Tip 4: Be aware of the various landscaping options available

There are various ways to make a sloping garden more functional.

One way is to use retaining walls. These create level areas above the wall.

Additionally, consider terracing. This is using more than one retaining wall to create a series of levels. One way of achieving this is by using stairs.

Also, one can create beautiful rock gardens and incorporate gravel pathways.

Another option is to use waterfalls in areas where waterfalls are available. Consider keeping fish or putting benches where people can easily relax and read a book.

While landscaping, plan for the various types of weather available in the area.

In instances where it gets too sunny, what are the shade options? Where it gets too windy, how can it be contained? Will the garden be adversely affected when it snows? Such needs to be put into consideration.

Tip 5: Ensure to factor in proper drainage

Ensure that your sloping garden gets proper drainage.

Water is a good binding agent when it flows properly and in small amounts. If not well managed, it can cause more harm than good. Good drainage prevents surface erosion and hidden slide planes.

For dry regions, you need to plan to install irrigation because slopes do not usually hold moisture very well.

Alternatively, find plants that require little or no water to maintain.

In planning for drainage, also plan ahead for situations where heavy rains could occur. Even desert areas experience rain once in a while, and it can cause damage.

Rock gardens set in gravel beds and dry creek beds are great ways to control heavy rainwater.

Tip 6: Understand the costs involved in landscaping

Knowing the costs involved in landscaping will enable you to fully plan for your landscaping project and ensure it gets completed on schedule.

As expected, the costs of landscaping your garden will vary depending on your location, your garden size and the features you want. Hiring a landscaper can cost from $44 to $88 per hour.*

Refer to the landscaping garden for more information on the costs involved, especially in landscaping a sloping garden.

Tip 7: Hire a professional landscaper

Once you know the costs involved, it is important to hire a good landscaper.

This is someone who has a wealth of experience not only in landscaping but, most importantly, in landscaping a sloping garden.

A few factors to consider when hiring a landscaper include;

  • What is your time frame?

The time frame in which you want your project to be completed. This will enable you to decide the kind of landscaper you need to achieve results.

  • You need the job completed professionally the first time.

A professional landscaper already has the experience required to successfully complete the project the first time around.

  • Are you able to communicate with them as they work in your garden?

Most landscapers would welcome the opportunity to advise you on what is happening, and this can alleviate any concerns you may have about how the project is progressing and what your final garden will look like.

  • Always ask for a concept or design.

Along with your cost estimate, a reputable landscaper should provide you with a hand-drawn or computer-generated design concept in order to give you a basic understanding of what will be going into your garden.

There are many more factors to consider when hiring a landscaper courtesy of grounded landscaping;

In a nutshell, the Benefits of landscaping a sloping garden include;

Image from dream-yard.com

  • The garden will be easier to work on and get around.
  • Landscaping stops soil erosion and rainwater, washing the nutrients and seedlings away.
  • You can design the slope to be practical and functional and make sure you can access and maintain the area frequently.
  • It gives you the luxury of selecting plants/trees/shrubs carefully for their root systems as well as their ability to handle drought in dry climates.
  • The end result is a beautiful, stunning and breathtaking space that you can enjoy using for various activities.

Landscaping a sloping garden may as well be a DIY project full of adventure. However, one need not bite off more than you can chew.

Therefore, it is important to work with professional landscapers to be able to achieve the desired outcome on your sloping garden.

If you are looking for ideas on how to landscape your sloping garden, please visit Dreamyard Hillside Landscaping to view their gallery of various landscaping options.

To fully utilise your sloping garden space and reap its benefits, get in touch with Service Seeking to find high-quality landscaping garden services.

*Pricing data updated on 14 December 2023.