Sloping garden, what to do with it, help please
Discussion
Adenauer said:
Silvanus said:
With regards to plants/shrubs, it depends on what effect you want to achieve.
You could go with native plants or go for something more formal, or something in-between.
What sort of hight do you want them to grow? Do you want a small hedge along the border?
There are a huge variety of possible planting options. Exactly the sort of job I like doing.
I'm really not fussed as long as I don't have to maintain it You could go with native plants or go for something more formal, or something in-between.
What sort of hight do you want them to grow? Do you want a small hedge along the border?
There are a huge variety of possible planting options. Exactly the sort of job I like doing.
I also don't think we'd need a hedge at the top, it's too high to see over and we live in a little private road with 5 houses in total, we don't actually use the front garden at all.
Although I'm not sure where you are. I'd suggest native wildflowers with possibly a couple of native fruit bearing shrubs like rowen, whitebeam or holly. This would require some basic maintenance a few times per year.
Another good option would be a bank of mixed heather's with a few other woody herbs like tyme, rosemary and lavender etc even things like blueberry or winterberry mixed in. A few shrubs like juniper and other small native conifers would work well with this option. Heather banks look amazing when in flower and are pretty low maintenance.
I do think a low native hedge along to road boundary at the bottom of the bank could look nice too and help add some structure. A boundary of rocks/low dry stone wall would look good.
I also agree with avoiding plants like cotoneaster, cherry laurel and some rhododendrons, as these can prove to be a problem, if not for you but others around you.
Silvanus said:
I'd eco Evanivitch.
Although I'm not sure where you are. I'd suggest native wildflowers with possibly a couple of native fruit bearing shrubs like rowen, whitebeam or holly. This would require some basic maintenance a few times per year.
Another good option would be a bank of mixed heather's with a few other woody herbs like tyme, rosemary and lavender etc even things like blueberry or winterberry mixed in. A few shrubs like juniper and other small native conifers would work well with this option. Heather banks look amazing when in flower and are pretty low maintenance.
I do think a low native hedge along to road boundary at the bottom of the bank could look nice too and help add some structure. A boundary of rocks/low dry stone wall would look good.
I also agree with avoiding plants like cotoneaster, cherry laurel and some rhododendrons, as these can prove to be a problem, if not for you but others around you.
Now that looks wonderful.Although I'm not sure where you are. I'd suggest native wildflowers with possibly a couple of native fruit bearing shrubs like rowen, whitebeam or holly. This would require some basic maintenance a few times per year.
Another good option would be a bank of mixed heather's with a few other woody herbs like tyme, rosemary and lavender etc even things like blueberry or winterberry mixed in. A few shrubs like juniper and other small native conifers would work well with this option. Heather banks look amazing when in flower and are pretty low maintenance.
I do think a low native hedge along to road boundary at the bottom of the bank could look nice too and help add some structure. A boundary of rocks/low dry stone wall would look good.
I also agree with avoiding plants like cotoneaster, cherry laurel and some rhododendrons, as these can prove to be a problem, if not for you but others around you.
We live right next door to the Nürburgring, so if any of you are actually gardeners and fancy being put up for a few days whilst you sort out my hang and make it look like that, drop me a PM.
Pic 2 with the stepped terracing is the way to go . If you’re brave enough hire yourself a mini digger and form the two levels yourself as well as digging out a foundation trench , you could even order or mix your own concrete depending on how brave you are or hard your hands are . You’ll only need a couple of brick layers after that to put the block work up so there should be a healthy saving .
Before you dismiss this idea I built this entire development by myself in France , house and landscaping on a sloping plot like your garden .
I scored by using the stone I dug out to face the terrace with so saved on removing waste . It’s really not that difficult once you’ve got your head around it . I did it and I’m just a daft builder .
Before you dismiss this idea I built this entire development by myself in France , house and landscaping on a sloping plot like your garden .
I scored by using the stone I dug out to face the terrace with so saved on removing waste . It’s really not that difficult once you’ve got your head around it . I did it and I’m just a daft builder .
Adenauer said:
Silvanus said:
I'd eco Evanivitch.
Although I'm not sure where you are. I'd suggest native wildflowers with possibly a couple of native fruit bearing shrubs like rowen, whitebeam or holly. This would require some basic maintenance a few times per year.
Another good option would be a bank of mixed heather's with a few other woody herbs like tyme, rosemary and lavender etc even things like blueberry or winterberry mixed in. A few shrubs like juniper and other small native conifers would work well with this option. Heather banks look amazing when in flower and are pretty low maintenance.
I do think a low native hedge along to road boundary at the bottom of the bank could look nice too and help add some structure. A boundary of rocks/low dry stone wall would look good.
I also agree with avoiding plants like cotoneaster, cherry laurel and some rhododendrons, as these can prove to be a problem, if not for you but others around you.
Now that looks wonderful.Although I'm not sure where you are. I'd suggest native wildflowers with possibly a couple of native fruit bearing shrubs like rowen, whitebeam or holly. This would require some basic maintenance a few times per year.
Another good option would be a bank of mixed heather's with a few other woody herbs like tyme, rosemary and lavender etc even things like blueberry or winterberry mixed in. A few shrubs like juniper and other small native conifers would work well with this option. Heather banks look amazing when in flower and are pretty low maintenance.
I do think a low native hedge along to road boundary at the bottom of the bank could look nice too and help add some structure. A boundary of rocks/low dry stone wall would look good.
I also agree with avoiding plants like cotoneaster, cherry laurel and some rhododendrons, as these can prove to be a problem, if not for you but others around you.
We live right next door to the Nürburgring, so if any of you are actually gardeners and fancy being put up for a few days whilst you sort out my hang and make it look like that, drop me a PM.
paulwirral said:
Pic 2 with the stepped terracing is the way to go . If you’re brave enough hire yourself a mini digger and form the two levels yourself as well as digging out a foundation trench , you could even order or mix your own concrete depending on how brave you are or hard your hands are . You’ll only need a couple of brick layers after that to put the block work up so there should be a healthy saving .
Before you dismiss this idea I built this entire development by myself in France , house and landscaping on a sloping plot like your garden .
I scored by using the stone I dug out to face the terrace with so saved on removing waste . It’s really not that difficult once you’ve got your head around it . I did it and I’m just a daft builder .
That looks fabulous. My manual labor skills just about extend to changing Mrs A's summer wheels to winter wheels on her car, there isn't a chance in hell that I'd come even close to managing anything like that. I sit on my arse all day in my office, just looking at that makes my back ache Before you dismiss this idea I built this entire development by myself in France , house and landscaping on a sloping plot like your garden .
I scored by using the stone I dug out to face the terrace with so saved on removing waste . It’s really not that difficult once you’ve got your head around it . I did it and I’m just a daft builder .
Silvanus said:
Adenauer said:
Silvanus said:
I'd eco Evanivitch.
Although I'm not sure where you are. I'd suggest native wildflowers with possibly a couple of native fruit bearing shrubs like rowen, whitebeam or holly. This would require some basic maintenance a few times per year.
Another good option would be a bank of mixed heather's with a few other woody herbs like tyme, rosemary and lavender etc even things like blueberry or winterberry mixed in. A few shrubs like juniper and other small native conifers would work well with this option. Heather banks look amazing when in flower and are pretty low maintenance.
I do think a low native hedge along to road boundary at the bottom of the bank could look nice too and help add some structure. A boundary of rocks/low dry stone wall would look good.
I also agree with avoiding plants like cotoneaster, cherry laurel and some rhododendrons, as these can prove to be a problem, if not for you but others around you.
Now that looks wonderful.Although I'm not sure where you are. I'd suggest native wildflowers with possibly a couple of native fruit bearing shrubs like rowen, whitebeam or holly. This would require some basic maintenance a few times per year.
Another good option would be a bank of mixed heather's with a few other woody herbs like tyme, rosemary and lavender etc even things like blueberry or winterberry mixed in. A few shrubs like juniper and other small native conifers would work well with this option. Heather banks look amazing when in flower and are pretty low maintenance.
I do think a low native hedge along to road boundary at the bottom of the bank could look nice too and help add some structure. A boundary of rocks/low dry stone wall would look good.
I also agree with avoiding plants like cotoneaster, cherry laurel and some rhododendrons, as these can prove to be a problem, if not for you but others around you.
We live right next door to the Nürburgring, so if any of you are actually gardeners and fancy being put up for a few days whilst you sort out my hang and make it look like that, drop me a PM.
I can feel the Germans sharpening their expensive pencils as we speak.
paulwirral said:
Pic 2 with the stepped terracing is the way to go . If you’re brave enough hire yourself a mini digger and form the two levels yourself as well as digging out a foundation trench , you could even order or mix your own concrete depending on how brave you are or hard your hands are . You’ll only need a couple of brick layers after that to put the block work up so there should be a healthy saving .
Before you dismiss this idea I built this entire development by myself in France , house and landscaping on a sloping plot like your garden .
I scored by using the stone I dug out to face the terrace with so saved on removing waste . It’s really not that difficult once you’ve got your head around it . I did it and I’m just a daft builder .
I like how the camera and fact it's just so well done, clean and professional looking makes it almost look like a miniature model.Before you dismiss this idea I built this entire development by myself in France , house and landscaping on a sloping plot like your garden .
I scored by using the stone I dug out to face the terrace with so saved on removing waste . It’s really not that difficult once you’ve got your head around it . I did it and I’m just a daft builder .
Very well done, inspired me for future projects.
Found this on one of the gardening sites I buy from:
Spacing
Spacing of heather plants is important to strike the right balance between allowing good air circulation between plants whilst also ensuring they are close enough for the growth of each plant to join up over time to provide complete ground coverage. A good trick is to multiply the square footage of your planting area by 0.44 to determine how many heather plants you need (e.g. for a 8 foot by 8 foot plot, you'll need 64 x 0.44 = 28 plants). If you work in metres not feet, plan on using 5 plants per square metre (4 per square yard), making allowances for other plants nearby that have not yet reached their mature spread. If planting heathers as part of a rock garden, use no more than 1 conifer or shrub per 5 square metres (50 square feet).
https://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/heathers-plant...
Spacing
Spacing of heather plants is important to strike the right balance between allowing good air circulation between plants whilst also ensuring they are close enough for the growth of each plant to join up over time to provide complete ground coverage. A good trick is to multiply the square footage of your planting area by 0.44 to determine how many heather plants you need (e.g. for a 8 foot by 8 foot plot, you'll need 64 x 0.44 = 28 plants). If you work in metres not feet, plan on using 5 plants per square metre (4 per square yard), making allowances for other plants nearby that have not yet reached their mature spread. If planting heathers as part of a rock garden, use no more than 1 conifer or shrub per 5 square metres (50 square feet).
https://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/heathers-plant...
Adenauer said:
If we wanted to go the mixed heathers route, any idea on how many plants we'd need if the area is 20 metres long x 4 metres high?
I'd have probably said 4 per SQM, but I would be happy to let it mature over a couple of years.I would also say that you might have to do a little bit of soil acidity improvement just to get the best of the plants. But TBH if they scrape the turf off and then spread an acidic fertiliser should be sufficient.
sinbaddio said:
Found this on one of the gardening sites I buy from:
Spacing
Spacing of heather plants is important to strike the right balance between allowing good air circulation between plants whilst also ensuring they are close enough for the growth of each plant to join up over time to provide complete ground coverage. A good trick is to multiply the square footage of your planting area by 0.44 to determine how many heather plants you need (e.g. for a 8 foot by 8 foot plot, you'll need 64 x 0.44 = 28 plants). If you work in metres not feet, plan on using 5 plants per square metre (4 per square yard), making allowances for other plants nearby that have not yet reached their mature spread. If planting heathers as part of a rock garden, use no more than 1 conifer or shrub per 5 square metres (50 square feet).
https://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/heathers-plant...
That's only about 70 plants unless my maths is incorrect (which it may well be).Spacing
Spacing of heather plants is important to strike the right balance between allowing good air circulation between plants whilst also ensuring they are close enough for the growth of each plant to join up over time to provide complete ground coverage. A good trick is to multiply the square footage of your planting area by 0.44 to determine how many heather plants you need (e.g. for a 8 foot by 8 foot plot, you'll need 64 x 0.44 = 28 plants). If you work in metres not feet, plan on using 5 plants per square metre (4 per square yard), making allowances for other plants nearby that have not yet reached their mature spread. If planting heathers as part of a rock garden, use no more than 1 conifer or shrub per 5 square metres (50 square feet).
https://www.jacksonsnurseries.co.uk/heathers-plant...
I shan't be doing it myself, I'll get a man in, so hopefully he'll know about the acidity etc.
sinbaddio said:
Adenauer said:
That's only about 70 plants unless my maths is incorrect (which it may well be).
I shan't be doing it myself, I'll get a man in, so hopefully he'll know about the acidity etc.
400 by my calcs - 80 sq m plot (20x4), with 5 plants per sq m.I shan't be doing it myself, I'll get a man in, so hopefully he'll know about the acidity etc.
Great looking house btw!
Thanks
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