It can sometimes be tricky to come up with ideas for landscaping a sloping garden. However, gardens that have a slope or are on a hill have some opportunities that you wouldn’t get with a completely flat outdoor space. Some additional planning is involved and you may want to get professional help with drainage and calculating retaining walls.
Once you have the basics covered, there are lots of ideas that you might want to use to turn your garden into a lush contemporary space that you can enjoy. There is an endless choice of hard landscaping materials to choose from with various characteristics depending on your desired final look, and even practical necessities for your garden such as steps and safety railings can be turned into stunning features.
Levelled Borders
Levelling borders can be a good way to hide sloping sections of a garden. One of the best ways to do this is to add level planters and use a variety of plants for texture and height to create the illusion of more level areas. Some sloping gardens may be too steep to flatten out, so sloping flowerbeds with a level top can be a great way to create a border that can add a sense of drama to the zone and can be filled with your favourite plants.
Brighten The Space
Using pale walls to brighten the space can be an ideal way to add a modern, contemporary feel to a sloping garden. Adding walls provides the opportunity to create a tiered plot, with plenty of ideas to consider such as a wooden deck or a paved seating area that can be surrounded by planters. Using hardwood or composite decking in darker colours can be an ideal way to contrast with the pale walls to work with the slope of the space rather than against it. This will open up the space and create an elegant vibe with clean lines.
Curved Features
Sloping gardens don’t have to be flattened as this could mean missing out on an opportunity for adding character with unique and interesting designs. Curved features are an ideal way to soften sloping gardens and once again work with the unique land that you have rather than working against it. Curved pathways or gently curving borders and flower beds can add unique interest and turn your garden into a relaxing, comforting space.
Small Terraces
While flattening a sloped garden may be possible, this can often leave you with big height differences at either end. When this happens, a retaining wall may be necessary, which can come with its own set of problems. Instead, an alternative option is to use a series of small terraces that can also be used to divide your garden into different sections for seating, eating, and growing.
Steps
Statement steps are both a practical and aesthetic addition to your sloped garden. Build a simple stairway using deck boards, timber sleepers or blocks, or use prefabricated metal steps to work with the slope of your garden by dividing it into sections of different heights that are easy to reach.
Sunken Seating
Tiered garden areas are a great way to work with a steep, sloping garden plot, enabling you to effectively manage the space and create a variety of different garden areas that can be used for different things. Retaining walls will add contrast to each area and they can also easily be used as built-in, sunken garden seating, so consider how you will be using your garden and how many people you will want to accommodate.
If you have a sloping garden and need help with landscaping, get in touch – we’re always happy to help at Town & Country Gardens.
