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Garden design ideas sloping site


Sloping garden ideas: 20 landscaping and styling solutions for plots on a hill

(Image credit: Amanda Broughton Garden Design)

Finding sloping garden ideas can seem tricky at first. But it turns out that gardens on a hill can offer plenty of opportunities that a flat site simply can't. Yes, a bit more planning is involved, and some professional input when it comes to calculating retaining walls and drainage. Plus, plenty of muscle power is needed when it comes to re-shaping the plot. But, the end results are often some of the most breathtaking and interesting outdoor spaces out there.

Choose from super-chic, contemporary plans that include neat tiers, smartly rendered retaining walls, and slick water features, or go for wilder and more relaxed plant-packed borders, informal mown paths and rippling streams. The choice of hard landscaping materials is endless, with each offering distinct characteristics. Even practical necessities such as safety railings, steps and drainage channels can become eye-catching design features, that add personality to the final look.  

So, sit back, take a look at our favorite ideas, and then start dreaming up your masterplan for your sloping garden ideas. And if you want even more inspiration for your outdoor space, head over to our garden layout ideas feature. 

1. Surround a seating spot with levelled borders

Sloping garden ideas can help to show off your borders

(Image credit: Polly Eltes/Future)

Sloping garden ideas can be used to create show-stopping impact, as seen in this plot. The eye is drawn upwards by the wooden-cladded flowerbeds, which cocoon a verdant lawn. Curved steps add to the rustic feel.

Meanwhile, the seating space is given plenty of shelter, positioned on a decked area at the same level as the house. The result is a breathtaking view where all aspects of the garden can be appreciated at once.

Take a look at our outdoor seating ideas for more stunning designs.

2. Brighten the space with pale walls

Garden designed by Living Gardens

(Image credit: Living Gardens)

This tiered plot designed by Living Gardens demonstrates how sloping garden ideas can be used to create a modern, attractive space that all the family can enjoy.

There's plenty of room to entertain on the hardwood deck. Above, a paved seating area is surrounded by a curved planter, which softens the design and provides soothing visual interest. A lush lawn takes up the lower level of the plot.

One of our favorite things about this scene, however, is the choice of materials and colors. The pale hues bounce light around, helping to open up the space and adding to the clean, elegant vibe. The resulting look feels airy and relaxed, and makes a wonderful backdrop to the verdant planting and dazzling agapanthus.

Need more family garden ideas? Take a look at our feature.

3. Add a soothing vibe with curved features

Garden designed by CITYSCAPERS

(Image credit: CITYSCAPERS)

Slopes don't have to be flattened – they can provide character and opportunity for interesting design. This garden has a gentle slope, most of which was kept and turfed, explains Nigel Gomme, Landscape Designer of CITYSCAPERS .  

On one side, a series of tiered level beds cuts into the area. These step up in sync with the slope, with a stepped path snaking through them. We love the gentle curves, which are mirrored by the wooden bench. Together, they offer an organic, pleasing vibe.

'On the other side of the lawn, we created a small stream that uses the natural fall in the land to meander down to a pond set into the patio by the house,' Nigel says. 'So in a single garden, the sloping topography of the site is expressed in three contrasting yet complementary ways and mostly, in fact, by keeping the slope.'

4. Try a series of small terraces

Garden designed by Fenton Roberts Garden Design

(Image credit: Fenton Roberts Garden Design)

'You can sometimes flatten a whole garden but you will often be left with a large height difference on one side or at the end,' explains Jo Fenton of Fenton Roberts Garden Design . 'This will require a retaining wall which can be very costly and can introduce issues with overlooking your neighbors. '

Jo demonstrates an alternative approach to sloping garden ideas in this gorgeous plot. 'In this garden we worked with the slope by designing a series of small terraces. The slope across the garden is dealt with by introducing two sets of raised beds where the clients grow their vegetables and herbs.' It's functional, stylish, and the shallow levels add visual interest to the garden.

Don't forget to check out our guide to raised garden beds if you want to get started on your own.

5. Plant billowing borders

Garden designed by Fenton Roberts Garden Design

(Image credit: Fenton Roberts Garden Design)

'Sloping sections of a garden can be hidden within the planted areas enabling other areas to be flattened for practical use,' says Jo Fenton of Fenton Roberts Garden Design.

'This steeply sloping garden was too extreme to flatten out entirely. Here, we mixed sloping flowerbeds with two paved terraces and a lawn. A narrow access path bisects this large planted area enabling the maintenance to be carried out. '

Adding plenty of height with textural plants adds a sense of romance and drama to the zone. This look would work perfectly as part of our cottage garden ideas.

These Corten Steel garden stairs by Adezz at Flora Select make a striking feature for sloping garden ideas

(Image credit: Flora Select)

Whether you are linking terraces or adding definition to a steep slope, a set of practical and eye-catching steps will help define and add structure to the outside space. 

A simple stairway built from blocks, timber sleepers or deckboards will of course do the job but can take up valuable floorspace. Instead, opt for some prefabricated metal steps – such as Corten steel designs – for your sloping garden ideas. Not only do they look rather chic and introduce a gravity-defying edge to any design, but they can hover over borders and have a minimal footprint too. 

They make a great choice if you love our modern garden ideas.

7.

Mix smart steps and sloping beds

Hardwood decking steps link different areas of this garden designed by Andy Sturgeon and built by Construction Garden Builders

(Image credit: Ben Robert/Blooming Photography/Garden design by Andy Sturgeon/Construction by Garden Builders)

Graceful and easy on the eye – setting steps flush into a planted slope is not just practical but an elegant solution for sloping garden ideas. Solid and distinct, the secret is to make sure the size of each step is right for comfortably strolling up and down and that the width is generous enough to make a bold statement, especially when surrounded with lush planting. 

Think carefully about choosing materials and the finished look. In this design, the dark hardwood steps echo the bold windows of the house but keep the look smart, yet organic too.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our garden steps ideas feature.

8. Use gabions as a retaining wall

This gabion wall is a striking garden feature. Designed by Andy Sturgeon and built by Construction Garden Builders

(Image credit: Ben Robert/Blooming Photography/Garden design by Andy Sturgeon/Construction by Garden Builders)

Retaining walls are key to terracing sloping garden ideas and can become striking garden wall ideas too. There are plenty of options available and these vary widely in cost, planning and installation.  

Blockwork walls – rendered or left bare – will require careful planning and preparation, as well as meticulously calculated drainage channels. Stone-filled gabions – such as these pictured – are a handy solution as not only are they strong enough to support hefty banks of soil, they look attractive and crucially let rainwater filter through. 

Gabion sizes range from 0.5m to 2m wide baskets and can be made from rigid welded mesh or flexible woven wire.

9. Make room for sunken seating

These black-blue slate walling slips from Bradstone are a smart choice for modern sloping garden ideas

(Image credit: Bradstone)

Introducing tiered garden ideas to a steeply sloping plot is an effective way to manage the space and create a series of small but useable areas too. You will need to call in the professionals to calculate the best layout and the size and load of any retaining walls, but the result will be well worth it. 

Use your sloping garden ideas to look for clever ways to make the most of limited space. Retaining walls can easily double up as built-in lounge seating and planters so think carefully about the number of guests you wish to accommodate. Keep the decor simple and opt for a super chic stone and timber combo.

10. Build in steps and borders

Keep it sleek and modern with these Casarta slate steps from Marshalls

(Image credit: Marshalls)

Adding return walls to a retaining wall and flight of steps can create a striking feature in steep gardens on a slope. A bold combination of materials – such as this pairing of slate and white rendered walls – adds drama to the finished result. 

As well as being supremely practical, it also helps to visually link two contrasting styles of gardening – smart and contemporary on the lower level and soft and wilder at the top. The short return walls also help to showcase the carefully selected border plants.

11. Go for tiered planters

Jura Beige Limestone Step Treads from London Stone are a timeless choice for any garden scheme

(Image credit: London Stone/Construction by Oakley Landscapes)

Dividing a steeply sloping garden into tiers doesn't have to result in a space that's split up by hard, straight lines. There are plenty of clever ways to soften and blur these divisions, particularly if you're searching for small garden ideas.

One way is to use stepped, angular planters. Or, go for fewer, larger planting pockets for your sloping garden ideas – these could be built into your new landscaping or added as freestanding containers. Fill with tall, airy, year-round planting that will soften the harsh, straight lines without casting heavy shade. There's lots of expert advice on designing flowerbeds in our guide to garden borders. 

12. Divide with sweeping curves

This beautiful garden designed by Amanda Broughton Garden Design uses sweeping paths and stone walls as part of its sloping garden ideas

(Image credit: Amanda Broughton Garden Design)

Disguise a steep but sizeable plot by introducing sweeping garden path ideas and an equally curvy retaining wall to your sloping garden ideas. Not only does this subtly divide up the sloping site into a series of terraces, but it also adds a sense of horizontal movement too. 

In this beautiful design, a snaking stone wall creates a cozy seating area and also provides the opportunity for a falling water feature. 

13. Add character with railings

This garden on a slope was designed by Lindsey Evans Garden Design

(Image credit: Linsey Evans Garden Design)

Steep, terraced gardens on a slope must comply with building and safety regs but it's also a great excuse to invest in some super stylish railings. Choose from off-the-peg or handcrafted, bespoke designs to complement your garden's style and setting. 

With so many different materials and finishes to choose from, it's worth researching the options before committing for your sloping garden ideas. Polished stainless steel and aluminium tubular designs give off a truly contemporary and nautical feel whereas wrought iron is much more traditional and ornate in its possibilities.  

Fancy a pop of color? Then go for powder-coated steel railings that can be finished in one of hundreds of RAL shades. Wood, tension wire between wood and metal posts and even toughened glass are also stunning options. We have lots more inspiration in our decking railing ideas feature.

14. Use sloping garden ideas to showcase planting

Large flowerbeds and varied planting are key features of this sloping garden by Acres Wild Garden Design

(Image credit: Acres Wild)

A garden that slopes up from the house or patio is the perfect opportunity to show off beautiful planting. Keep your landscaping ideas to a minimum – a flight of timber steps or duckboards leading from A to B will link and punctuate the space without taking away from the planting. 

When it comes to planning borders for your sloping garden ideas, introduce layers of shrubs and trees for year-round form and structure. Then, fill in the gaps with vibrant and textural perennials and ornamental grasses.

Encourage low-growing evergreens and foliage to spill over and soften the hard edges of any steps, patios or retaining walls, and use climbers over fences to complete the abundant look.

15. Terrace with easy-care decking

Cladco’s Hollow Stone Grey and Black Charcoal Solid Bullnose Decking Boards were installed in this garden by Gull Rock Decking

(Image credit: Gull Rock Decking)

The best composite decking is a smart, no-fuss and versatile material – perfect for creating steps and usable levels in a sloping garden. 

Needing less upkeep than timber deck boards, these vinyl-wrapped planks come in a wide variety of finishes and profiles and can be easily installed to suit your individual site. 

Head over to our decking ideas feature for more inspiration. 

16. Take a soft approach

This large garden by Acres Wild Garden Design has a beautiful, natural feel to its landscaping design

(Image credit: Acres Wild)

Gardens on a slope can be given a wild touch by playing it simple and keeping hard landscaping to a minimum.  

If you have a gentle slope, a neatly mown path leading through a flower-laden meadow is an elegant solution that puts nature and natural form centre stage. Add some drama to the look by keeping the layout symmetrical. Then, place a striking sculpture or one of the best garden benches at the far end of the path – a perfect solution for long garden ideas on a slope.

17. Dig out a sunken patio

Designed by Nordland Landscapes , this garden makes the most of its sloping plot

(Image credit: Krisztian Sipos Photography/Garden design by Nordland Landscapes)

Maximise your garden's usable space by digging out the base of the slope to create a sunken patio. An enclosed seating area instantly creates a cozy feel and offers an extra degree of shelter and warmth, so is perfect for those cooler months. 

A retaining wall will have to be planned and constructed by a garden designer or landscaping professional to ensure it can support the weight of soil behind it and deal with any resulting drainage issues. This smart, urban design involved installing a hidden slot drain to handle any sudden downpours. 

Find more patio ideas in our guide. 

18. Include falling water

A modern water feature links different areas of this garden designed by Susan Dunstall

(Image credit: Susan Dunstall Landscape and Garden Design)

Gardens on a slope – whether they're terraced or left angled – provide the ideal opportunity to bring in flowing water. It could be a gently babbling stream that meanders down through rocks and is niftily recycled back to the top by a hidden pump and water reservoir, or something decidedly more contemporary. 

In this eye-catching garden, the very steep site is divided into two distinct levels with a pair of stunning water chutes and a raised pond built into the lower wall. If you want to incorporate something similar in your garden design, you'll find plenty of inspiration in our water feature ideas gallery. 

19.  Reinvent the rockery

This modern take on a rockery was designed by Wildroof Landscapes

(Image credit: Jo Crompton Photography/Garden design by Wildroof Landscapes)

Let the beauty of natural stone and Japanese gardens inspire you to transform a dull, sloping site. Fine gravel paths weaving through rocky borders planted with low-growing sedums, alpines, azaleas and statuesque conifers provides beautiful year-round color and interest. And, it creates an instantly calming mood, too. 

This Japanese inspired tea garden by Wildroof Landscapes is a crevice garden full of character and texture. Local stone laid side on and packed close together makes a bold contrast with laid dry-stone walls and boulder-edged planting areas.

If you love the look, be sure to check out our small Japanese garden ideas, too.

20. Go on – add a slide!

This family garden designed by Eldridge London turns the sloping nature of the plot into a fun garden feature for the kids

(Image credit: Lyndon Douglas/Garden design by Eldridge London)

There's no need for an excuse – every sloping garden surely has to have a slide built in! It could be a colorful moulded or aluminium children's version that you bed neatly into a grassy bank, but why not go all out and choose a beautifully-crafted design that everyone can enjoy? 

This gorgeous garden includes intricate cedar-clad planters, a lawn, and angled steps. The stainless-steel slide is extra wide and adds a minimal but striking feature for uber-modern gardens on a slope.

We've got plenty of ways to keep kids entertained outdoors in our garden activities for kids feature – head on over to take a look. 

How do you drain a sloping garden?

When it comes to providing drainage for your sloping garden ideas, 'Soakaways (essentially a hole in the ground filled with rubble) are a brilliant, sustainable option,' says Garden Designer Jonathan Martin of Living Gardens. 

This is because, 'You're not sending excess water into drainage but taking it away from the surface to soak into the soil below.'

Can you flatten a sloped garden? 

Sloping garden ideas can be brought to life with gorgeous garden lighting, like in this garden designed by Living Gardens

(Image credit: Living Gardens)

Completely flattening a significant slope is difficult (and generally, expensive). But instead, you can opt for multiple levels, as Garden Designer Jonathan Martin of Living Gardens explains. ..

'You can't easily change the difference in height between the top and the bottom of your garden, so what we usually opt for is a tiered design,' he says.

'In the pictured garden, the gradient was so steep that we needed to step down three steps straight out of the house. This is followed by two tiers down to the lawn. Even then the lawn slopes, so to deal with drainage we dug two soakaways, one a third of a way down the lawn, and one two thirds of the way down, to take the excess water away from the surface.' We adore the use of garden lighting ideas here, too.

Nigel Gomme, Landscape Designer of CITYSCAPERS adds, 'A sloping garden is typically viewed as problematic but as a designer I love slopes as they embody a kind of three dimensional potential that can lead to unique and really engaging spaces.'

'You can cut into a slope, you can cantilever out over it, you can add a rubber liner and rocks and pebbles and run water down it to create a stream – there's so much latent potential to explore. So my advice would be don't rush to flatten it – think of a slope as a resource rather than a problem and be inventive in how you engage with it.'

Do I need permission to level my garden? 

Clever sloping garden ideas can include fabulous terraced structures, like in this garden designed by CITYSCAPERS

(Image credit: CITYSCAPERS)

In general, you don't need permission to level your garden as part of your sloping garden ideas. 'But there are caveats,' says Nigel Gomme, Landscape Designer of CITYSPACERS. 'The first thing you need to consider are trees within the garden. Changing soil levels within their root zones, which are generally twice as wide as the canopy, can damage or even kill trees,' he explains. 'If there are tree protection orders on any trees within your garden you could be breaking the law. So, it is well worth seeking professional advice before you start.'

'Other things to consider include boundary walls and fences. How will level changes within the garden affect your neighbor's wall or fence, for example? If you’re dropping the ground level quite a bit, boundary walls may need underpinning which is an expensive undertaking. '

'However, with thought, there can be ways around some of these problems. We recently landscaped a garden [see above] that steeply sloped away from the house and was also pitched to the side, with protected trees throughout,' Nigel continues. We couldn't change soil levels, build walls or lay paving within the root zones of the trees and the client wanted level surfaces. So, we built raised platforms, decks and walkways that appear to float over the sloping landscape: the trees were unharmed, attractive practical level areas were created for entertainment and outdoor dining, and the sloping terrain was basically left untouched. The point here is that to level a garden you don't necessarily have to level the ground itself, you can build level structures above it instead.'

Looking for more inspiration? Head over to our guide on landscaping around trees.

Garden Designer Jo Fenton of Fenton Roberts Garden Design adds, 'We often encounter the problem of a steep drop from the house into the garden leaving people feeling disconnected from their outdoor space. This can be solved by adding a raised terrace to the back of the house. However, if this raised area is over 30cm above ground level you will often have to apply for planning permission. This is because the terrace may overlook your neighbors.'

Jill puts her love of plants and all things garden related down to the hours spent pottering around with her Nan and Grandad when she was little. Today she is lucky enough to have a garden of her own in Surrey, England, and spends much of her time writing about them too. 

10 Sloping Garden Ideas: Landscaping tips for a tricky space

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton )

Looking for sloping garden ideas?

No garden is completely flat, unless a digger has been in and levelled the site. Many gardens are on a slope, which, when initially viewed, can be a little daunting.

Many questions are raised, such as what happens if it rains heavily? Will there be erosion of soil? Will the soil dry out? What plants can I grow? What is the easiest solution for getting from the bottom to the top? And, of course, many more.  

But a slope can add real interest to a garden and create a character all of its own. 

Here are some great garden ideas to inspire your next project on a slope.

Sloping garden ideas

1. Add stone walls for interest

(Image credit: Future / Polly Eltes)

Garden wall ideas can provide interest by creating terraces with steps built in. The walls will create small pockets to grow alpines and drought-resistant plants, and will provide a backdrop to the plants.

2. Create a defined route

(Image credit: Future / Mel Yates)

Position steps at alternate ends of each terrace to create a defined route or pathway through the garden. Clever garden path ideas will add interest and tease you on to the next level. 

3. Create a unique garden path with edged borders

(Image credit: Future / Annaick Guitteny)

Define the edges of borders with a metal or plastic border edger, or a line of gravel setts. This will outline the spaces, and, depending on the material chosen for the pathways, will contrast beautifully for a unique garden decor idea, too.

4. Don't be afraid to experiment

(Image credit: Future)

Mix up the planting, with vertical spires and mounds for a more dynamic effect, and don’t be afraid to place a taller, fuller plant towards the front of a border.

5. Plant ornamental grasses

(Image credit: Future / Annaick Guitteny)

Ornamental grasses are perfect for slopes. If you're wondering how to grow ornamental grasses, most prefer well-drained soils, and the added angle of the slope will provide a cascade effect when the wind blows them.

6. Plant according to your space

(Image credit: Future)

When you think about how to plan a garden, it's important to consider the soil. 

Towards the top of the slope the soil will inevitably be drier than at the bottom, and a simple soil test will help identify the soil texture, which will influence the range of plants. The soil could even be acidic towards the top and more alkaline towards the bottom, or vice versa.

7. Consider the cost of terracing

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton )

Work within your budget and be realistic. Creating terraces is a lot of work and can be expensive to achieve. But cheaper options, such as retaining walls from sleepers rather than stone, will help keep down the costs.

8. Avoid a perfect lawn

(Image credit: Future)

It just isn’t achievable to keep the perfect lawn on a slope. It is difficult and can be dangerous, especially when dealing with machinery, such as strimmers and lawn mowers.

9. Go for the simplest solution 

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

Sometimes the simplest solution is the best. Marking out borders on a slope can be tricky, but it can be done. 

Plant these up with a good mix of self-naturalising bulbs, such as Narcissus, Scilla and Galanthus; groundcover plants with fibrous root systems, such as Geranium, Calluna; herbaceous perennials like Pachysandra, Lamium, creeping Phlox and shrubs such as Cotoneaster, Forsythia and Ceanothus.

10. Be cautious of laying lawn on a slope

(Image credit: Future)

'To mow a lawn on a slope is very difficult indeed, so why not opt for leaving the grass to grow longer, which is brilliant for wildlife or perhaps sow a wildflower meadow mix onto bare soil,' advises TV Gardening Presenter, Landscape Designer and Writer, Mark Lane . 

'In no time at all the flowers will be up and the slope will look incredible. For the steeper slope consider laying wildflower turf, which already has the wildflowers growing within it'.

What do you do with a garden on a slope?

(Image credit: Future / Annaick Guitteny)

There are numerous way you can plan, plant and design a garden on a slope. Use clever design to transform an awkward space into an ideal outdoor area, even if it is not level.

Sloping gardens present lots of different opportunities for planting schemes, from whimsical and wild, to formal and regimented. 

Whichever style you choose, do bear in mind that a sloping garden always benefits from experimenting with plants of different heights. If you're looking for garden shade ideas, a few mature trees or even palm trees offer coverage and look great in combination with ornamental grasses, shrubs, and border plants. 

How do you make a garden on a slope?

(Image credit: Future / Veronica Rodriguez)

First and foremost, you must think about materials. This is purely down to personal choice, but consider hard standing materials such as a riven paving or a slab with a rough finish or gravel for level pathways. 

With a slope, there will be more rainwater run-off, so provide adequate slip-resistance underfoot. Of course, flower bed ideas such as borders filled with glorious plants will soak up the majority of the water, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

What can you plant on a steep slope?

You may think you are limited to what you can plant on a steep slope, but in fact, you have an abundance of options, according to Mark Lane.

'If a slope is not seen as a problem, then many plants can be grown on an angle, while at the same time stabilising the soil. Of course, plants will always grow upwards and outwards, so even a plant with a vertical spire, such as foxglove or Digitalis, will grow straight and not at an angle (in most cases). 

'Groundcover plants such as the greater periwinkle or Vinca major, or climbing plants like ivy Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Varegata’ are perfect for stabilising the soil. 

For very steep slopes, coconut matting can be pegged down on top of the soil and then planted up through the matting. Over time, the matting will decay, but the plants will still be there.'

Should a garden slope be terraced?

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton )

According to Mark Lane, there should be level areas (terraces) cut into the slope with steps or ramps linking each terrace, with retaining walls to hold back the soil. 

'By introducing these level areas, borders can be created on the flat, and depending on how often and how many terraces are put in (which is a personal choice at the end of the day) can create a tiered garden to great effect.  

It also means that gardening on these terraces is easier as there is no awkward bending or leaning to get the right angle or the right standing or sitting position.'

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.

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For home

Explore landscaping ideas for a sloping garden and turn a sophisticated backyard into a beautiful and functional space.

Daria Antonova

• 5 min read

Finding sloping garden ideas may seem daunting at first. But it turns out that gardens on a hill can be not only beautiful, but also functional. Such a landscape can offer you many opportunities that simply do not exist on a flat site. Yes, it will take a little more planning and a professional approach when it comes to retaining wall and drainage calculations. But as a result, you can become the owner of one of the most amazing sites.

Choose from modern plans that include tiered levels, retaining walls and water features. Or opt for more plant beds, sloping paths and babbling streams. Even safety essentials such as safety railings, steps and drains can be unique design elements that will add a special touch to your backyard.

Do-it-yourself slope strengthening

Don't despair if you get a plot on a slope. Just properly strengthen the slopes, and your site will be transformed. To strengthen sloping earthen surfaces with your own hands, use our tips:

A slope ready for reinforcement can be planted with small fruit trees and shrubs, thus creating a garden where space saving is required.

Important: never plant tall trees on an unstable slope, in strong winds they can be pulled out of the ground along with the roots.

If the percentage of inclination of the uneven place exceeds 8-10 degrees, you can dig in the base of the reinforcing material deeper. For large slopes, the recess for fortifications can reach one meter.

Place to relax

A sloping garden can offer many functional ideas. For example, you can arrange a place to rest in a "shelter". If you prefer to admire the views from a height, a terrace for relaxation is best done at the top of the site. If it is supposed to rest in the shade, then the lowland and the northern slope are an excellent option for arrangement.

The terrace can be formed with retaining walls. They will create a natural boundary and help with zoning. Even small walls will give backstage and isolation to the zones, protect them from wind, noise and fuss. A recreation or barbecue area becomes very cozy, limited by a smooth arc of the retaining wall, which can be immediately supplemented with a stationary bench.

Retaining walls can easily be used as built-in lounge chairs and flower pots, so consider the number of guests carefully. Decor can be as simple as possible: try a combination of stone and wood.

Curved elements

Slopes do not need to be leveled - they can give you an opportunity for interesting design. If the garden has a gentle slope, most of it can be covered with turf. On one side of the slope, you can create many multi-level flower beds. They will rise in sync with the slope, and a ladder will pass through them. The geometric severity of the cascade of flower beds can be diluted by the smooth bends of the bench. Together they create an organic, pleasant atmosphere.

Series of small terraces

Sometimes you can level the entire garden, but you end up with a big difference in height on one side or at the end of the plot. There is an alternative approach. In the garden, you can design a series of small terraces.

The slope is removed by installing raised bed sets, where you can grow not only flowers, but also vegetables or herbs. It will look functional, stylish, and small levels add visual appeal to the garden.


Add steps

A simple staircase built from blocks, wooden sleepers or decking is fine, but can take up valuable ground space. Instead, opt for some prefabricated metal steps. Not only can they look original, but they are also a great choice if you like our modern garden ideas.

Elegant and pleasing to the eye can also be obtained by installing steps close to a slope planted with plants. This is a practical and elegant solution for a sloped garden. The secret is to make sure that each step is the right size for comfortable ascent and descent. Think carefully about the choice of materials and how they will affect the final look.


Use gabions

Retaining walls are the key to sloping garden terrace ideas and can be bright garden wall ideas. There are many options available and they vary greatly in cost and installation. Block walls, plastered or uncoated, will require careful planning and preparation, as well as carefully dimensioned drainage channels.

Stone-filled gabions such as the one pictured are a convenient solution as they are not only strong enough to support heavy mounds of soil, but also look attractive and, most importantly, rainwater permeable. Gabions vary in size from 0.5m to 2m wide and can be made from rigid welded mesh or flexible braided wire.

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