Hillside Landscaping
Hillside landscapes are one of the largest challenges a property owner faces nowadays. Designing the landscape to look attracting while controlling erosion and drainage can be one of the hardest things to be done and one of the most expensive. With proper planning and research you can save money, control erosion and drainage and create a hillside landscape that will last for more years.
Some of the most common methods used for hillside landscaping incorporate rock walls, retaining walls and plants. In your design you can opt to use any number of these methods to create your perfect landscape. Follow the simple steps to maintain your hillside landscape.
First, prepare your area
Doing the preparations for the new landscape is the first obstacle in the hillside landscaping process. If there is any debris or growth that requires to be cleared, do that first. Make sure all the brush, rocks, and weeds are gone to make space for your new design.
Find ways to avoid erosion
To minimize the potential erosion problems, plant lots of shrubs and cover your ground with heavy mulch. The mulch will aid to insulate plants from the cold and it will also help keep them from sprouting too quickly when warm airs moves in unexpectly. In addition to fighting erosion, you may have to deal with the challenge of maintaining a good moisture level in the garden. This is due to the steep slope and it makes it difficult for the ground to retain water.
Keep your entrance in a good way
You have to make sure that your hillside is full of color. In designing the garden, make sure that it is an eye catcher. Also see that if you see from distance, it looks attractive. This way people who are passing by will be able to admire your garden from far away.
When you are designing, think in different ways
One of the best ways to get someone's attention is to bring good appealing features to your landscape. This can be accomplished by bringing fun and originality to your landscaped idea. This will be a reflection of your personality and what you need as a private getaway.
Retaining walls
Retaining walls are some of the most common methods of creating a pleasant landscape on a hillside that requires erosion control. Retaining walls can be made of brick, rock, wood and even PVC or plastic. The first thing you should do is research and to decide on how to place your retaining walls. You will need to understand whether the positions will help prevent and stop erosion or increase it. You will also need to keep in mind placing your retaining walls one way might stop erosion in that area but could cause increased erosion and damage in another area that otherwise would not be a problem. It is highly suggested that you consult a professional landscaper or engineer to assist you in the layout and design of your retaining walls. With their assistance you will be able to not only prevent or stop current erosion but also insure your design does not change or cause problems for other areas.
Plants are considered to be another method of creating an erosion free hillside landscape. Besides helping to hold the ground in place, plants can also help give beauty to an area that otherwise might be bare. With proper care and planning you can turn plain hillside or slope into the sunset of your dreams.