[John Thomas]

Hello all - This is my first post to the forum and I am looking forward to many more.

Any ideas for landscaping a slope? I live in the States, not far from Washington, DC. Winter temperatures here are roughly -7c to -12c.

The slope is about 30-40 long, and every 10 feet in length, it loses about 4 feet in height.

I would like to use evergreen flowering plants of a mounding nature.
Thank you. Your ideas would be most welcome!

[inishindie]

Hi John Thomas

Before you plant a steep slope there are a few considerations

How far is the bank from the house?
If the steep bank is close to the house then large shrubs shouldn’t be used as this will block off a lot of the light. Groundcover plants will be more suitable.

Which way does the bank face?
This will be an important factor when choosing plants for shade or sun. (Remember the house could shade even a south-facing bank)

What is the soil and drainage like?
If the soil is poor or the ground is very wet, this will limit the amount of plants you can choose for the site. The soil and drainage could be improved to enable a wider choice of plants to be used.

If the slope isn’t very steep:
Then a ground cover mesh could be used and this could be gravelled or wood bark used underneath the shrubs. The area could even be grassed if you can get the mower on it.

If the slope is very steep:
Then fast growing groundcover plants could be used to hold the soil in place and then plant the mounding shrubs into it. The slope could benefit by using rockery stones or even to tier the area into different levels using bricks or wood. This again will stop soil erosion.

The biggest problem slopes pose, especially while they are establishing, is maintenance. Access is usually only achieved by fearless people with the use of a rope and tackle who have no fear of falling from high places! So this has to be taken into serious consideration before any work is carried out.

Have you seen any good examples of mounding shrubs locally or in garden centres?

Have you a photo of the site?

Cheers

Ian
_________________
www.gardening.ie

[foamcutter]

Hi John,

I have a similar problem of sloping gradient and how to utilise it best, I came across this whilst doing a little searching.
Its from an Irish designer http://meadow.ali89.ion.ie/meadow_news/

(image from middle right hand side of the page)

(mod: no connection. just want to show what ideas are out there)