Today’s Garden Ideas | Ideas for a Garden on a Slope

Ideas for a Garden on a Slope

If you live on a hill one of your greatest worries is erosion. The rain falling on your hillside causes mudslides, washing away topsoil, and perhaps most frustrating, the inability to grow anything in that hilly area. Plants cannot grow in this type of landscape because the water travels so quickly it does not have time to become absorbed by the soil hence roots get no water. Over watering to compensate for such quick water loss can cause subsurface erosion. This happens when the soil under the surface becomes saturated with so much water it becomes slippery and causes a mudslide. There is a solution. By planting the correct slope sustaining plants; those that have a vast root system to prevent subsurface erosion and leaves that spread out over the ground to stop surface erosion, you too can have a lovely thriving garden on what was once a desolate hill side.

Best Plant Variety

The best type of plant for these sloped gardens is a woody shrub. Not only do they have an extensive root system but they quickly spread out over the topsoil preventing surface erosion. In addition, once they take root, there is little maintenance to be done for their upkeep.

Planting Your Garden

To plant on a slope make a large hole with all the spare dirt going on the downhill side of the slope. Place your plant in this hole and refill using the downhill dirt you scooped out. When replacing and packing the soil around the newly planted slope shrub or plant build a half moon shaped mound of earth on the downhill side of the slope next to the plant. In the back or uphill side of the shrub leave a trench that connects to the mound in the front of the plant. This forms a little cistern to catch water, which allows the plant to obtain the moisture it needs.

Another effective tool for a hillside slope garden is terracing a garden slope. Simply dig into the hill until you have a flat surface. Plant your plant in this flat area as your would in any level garden.

Walls are another way to keep water and soil from disappearing on your sloped garden hillside. Simply build a decorative retaining wall to stop water run off. Brick, stone or cement are all effective materials for a retaining wall.

Finally, to plant a garden on a slope you want to consider which plants will work best in this slope garden’s climate. Is the slope in a sunny or windy area? Is the slope easily accessible for yearly pruning or upkeep?

Do you want hardy and simple shrubs and plants or a more elaborate flowering hillside? One of my favorite sloping plants in Lady’s Mantle. It has gold flowers in summer that will cascade down the hill as it grows, creating a carpet of yellow. You can also try miniature roses, giant fennel, basket of gold, or campion. All are effective slope plants that help keep the water in the soil and the earth from washing away.

PLANTS FOR A GARDEN ON A SLOPE

TYPE	PLANT	DESCRIPTION
	Azalea	H: 2-10ft; S: 2-4ft; leathery leaves; round, compact form; red, pink or white flowers cover the shrub in spring; acidic soil; zones 3-9
	Clematis ‘Lincoln Star’	H: 6-10ft., S: 3ft; pink flowers with raspberry stripes appear in summer; zones 4-9
	Siberian Iris	H: 1-4ft., S: 3ft; purple blossoms in early summer; zones 4-9
	Sisyrinchium Striatum	H: 1-2ft., S: 1ft; gray-green foliage; creamy yellow summer flowers; zones 7-8
	Geranium ‘Johnson’s Blue’	H: 12in., S: 24in; dense, ruffled foliage; deep blue flowers all summer; zones 4-8
	Wallflower ‘Bowles Mauve’	H: 30in., S: 18in; mauve flowers in spring and summer; zones 7-10
	Catmint	H and S: 18in; gray-green foliage; violet flowers in summer; zones 4-8
	Bergenia Cordifolia ‘Purpurea’	H and S: 20in; purple tinted foliage; pink flowers in early spring; zones 3-8
	Achillea	H and S: 2ft; flat-topped, gold or red flowers in summer; zones 4-8
	Lady’s Mantle	H: 1ft. S: 2ft; pale green leaves; gold summer flowers; zones 4-8
	Geranium Endressii	H: 18in., S: 2ft; pale green leaves; gold summer flowers; zones 4-8
	Lamb’s Ears	H and S: 1-2ft; fuzzy, silver leaves; mauve flowers in summer; zones 4-9
	Wild Cherry (Prunus)	H and S: 15-25ft; pink blooms in late spring; colorful fall foliage; zones 6-8