Landscape design for sloped backyard
61+ Sloped Backyard Ideas on a Budget [You'll Love the Photos!]
Feeling a bit daunted by making something beautiful out of your sloped backyard? Don’t panic! We’ve got all the best ideas for landscaping a sloped garden on a budget!
Some of the most beautiful and creative garden ideas I’ve come across have been on sloped land. Having extra height and different levels gives you much more scope to create intriguing features in your yard.
So whether you want to spruce up your backyard slope – or if you’re looking for a fun outdoor project, then you’ll love these landscaping ideas.
Let’s look at some of the best-sloped backyard ideas on a budget!
1. Stone Slab Path for Sloped Backyards
I love this legendary sloped yard from the Green Thumb Blonde’s blog. The added flower garden looks peaceful, serene, and it makes perfect use of the real estate. The stone steps also look charming.This stone staircase would make a great feature in any sloped backyard. Stone slabs can be relatively inexpensive, or you may even have some lying around your land.
2. Easy Raised Garden Beds for Sloped Land
Raised vegetable garden on a slope by Deeply Southern HomeI love raised garden beds because it’s easier to manage rogue weeds! Even if a few weeds sprout up – it’s straightforward enough to spot them when they’re inside of your raised garden bed.
Building raised beds on a slope is a genius use of space and uses less building materials – especially compared to constructing them on flat land.
3. Upcycled Sloped Backyard Water Feature
Check out this borderline-genius yard slope feature from Pilgrim and Pie. I’ve never seen more creative usage of watering cans. Or a backyard slope!The best thing about having a sloped backyard garden is that the water runs downhill! A downhill slope eliminates some friction when creating a great upcycled water feature, such as this innovative watering can design.
Read More – How to Make an Epic Bubbling Rock Fountain!
4.
Turn Your Slope Into a PlaygroundImage By Ashville PlaygroundsImagine how much fun the kids will have in this sloped-garden-turned-play-haven! Installing a playground is a great use of the natural slope of your backyard.
5. Sloped Backyard Seating Deck
By Pretty Pink Patch on InstagramDon’t think you can’t have a flat area to sit outside just because you live on a slope! Wooden decking is a quick and inexpensive way to create a level seating area for a sloped backyard.
6. Turn Your Slope Into a Beach
Image from SunsetThis is such a wonderful idea for your sloped backyard! If you love going to the beach, you’ll love this idea. And so will your pets!
The creator, Bud Stuckey, built this 100-square-foot beach for less than 200 bucks, in two days!
7. A Waterfall Cascading Down the Slope
Tutorial and images by HometalkYou’ll be totally obsessed with this idea. Whether you’ve always wanted a waterfall (me, me!) or you’ve never considered it before – this full tutorial with photos will get you excited about the idea!
This waterfall cascades down a long slope and ends in a koi pond.
And the best thing? The tutorial shows you exactly how to do it yourself, in your own backyard!
8. DIY This Rock Retaining Wall
Image and tutorial at HometalkThis is a full tutorial, with pictures, instructions, and a video! Learn how to build a rock retaining wall just like this one in your own sloped backyard.
It’s ultra-cheap to DIY, too!
9. Terraces for Sloped Backyards
By Reverie Interior Design on InstagramBring a Mediterranean vibe to your yard with some simple terraces. Plants such as rosemary and lavender will thrive in these rocky conditions and bring color and fragrance to your outdoor areas.
10. Budget Path for Sloped Backyard
Here’s an excellent example of loose stone (gravel) stairs to accommodate an upward slope. Read more about how to build steps on a hill from the Scrappy Geek blog!Putting in some simple wooden supports is a quick and easy way to build steps into a slope. You can either fill the steps with gravel or use topsoil for a cheaper option.
Read More – How to Make a Beautiful Rockery Garden!
11. Sloped Garden Flower Trail
By White Flower FarmCreate a spectacular point of interest with a beautiful flower trail through your sloped backyard with this tutorial by White Flower Farm.
12. Add a Stone Bench Seating Area With Fire Pit
Image and by Irytek102 on Reddit – see the full photo gallery here.What an incredible way to make use of your sloped backyard! It’s not hard to imagine many wonderful nights under the stars, lounging with family and friends, the firepit crackling before you…
A great idea!
13. Carve Rustic Stone Steps Out of the Hillside With Flagstone
Image and full tutorial by Jaime HaneyJaime Haney lists all the steps to your very own set of flagstone steps on his blog, with plenty of photos to show you how to go about it. These stone steps fit beautifully into the natural landscape and would make a stunning addition to any sloped backyard!
14.
Use Pallets to Create Gardens on a SlopePallet garden idea photo at HometalkJulia didn’t like her sloped garden… It was hard to mow and harder to keep it looking nice. She stumbled upon the idea of using pallets as gardens.
Julia isn’t done yet. She’s planning on adding more pallets and stepping stones – then maybe adding vegetables next year.
A fantastic, budget idea!
15. Budget Pond for Sloped Backyard
Using the sloped ground to create a pond gives you so much more scope to get creative, adding in waterfalls and streams running through your yard!
16. Control Run-Off With Stone
By Denise on HometalkLook at how Denise controls water run-off in her sloped garden!
She needed a beautiful idea to help control the flow of the heavy, erosive Arkansas rains.
The idea above is one of her downhill paths which winds through a variety of relaxing herbs.
17. Increase Your Space With Raised Beds
By DIY Design FanaticThese raised gardens, built by Pam in her Carolina garden, are a great way to increase your usable space on a slope!
See how she went about it on her blog.
18. Build a Picnic Table That’s Always Level
Image by HometalkHere’s a simple hack to build a picnic table for your sloped backyard! You can easily DIY this with simple shelf brackets and a tabletop.
19. Build a Shade Garden on a Slope
Shade garden on a slope. Image by Hometalk.This is a lovely idea for a budget shade garden in your sloped backyard. Plant hosta, painted ferns, coral bells, variegated Jacob’s ladder, and Astilbe for a natural, work-with-nature approach.
20. Low Maintenance Lawn Alternatives
Clover is one of the most underrated cover crops for your homestead. Check out the guide from Treehugger for more tips on clover laying – and why clover is sometimes better than a grass lawn!The big problem with sloped lawns is how to mow them! Get around this problem by planting a low-growing alternative lawn, such as clover or creeping thyme.
You can buy premium quality, Oregon-grown white clover seed on Amazon!
21. Sheltered Seating Area for Sloped Backyard
If you’re not opposed to masonry work, then this breathtaking sheltered seating from SecretGardenOfMine is one of our favorites. It looks cozy – and private!This sheltered seating area would be great for anyone on a tight budget, as long as you’re not afraid of a bit of hard work! If you don’t have any bricks handy, you can make the retaining wall from reclaimed wood instead.
Read More – How to Easily Stop Weeds From Growing in Rocks!
22. Sloped Backyard Rock Garden
By Happy Haute HomeHere’s another brilliant landscaping idea for sloped gardens. I love the rocks – I feel like they add a massive amount of personality to the sloped yard!
Rocks are a great way to add structure and help prevent erosion in a sloped garden. Interplanting your rocks with fragrant herbs and flowers will bring scent and color to your yard.
23. Low-Cost Woodland Trail
By marieanned1 via InstagramTrees are a great way to retain soil and prevent erosion on sloped land. A woodland trail can be very cheap to plant, especially if you have a source of trees such as willow to take cuttings.
24. Children’s Play Area for Sloped Land
By garykidson via InstagramAnother great advantage of sloped land is that you can get creative with the kid’s play area. A longer slope equals a lengthier slide, perfect for hours of outdoor fun!
25. Sheltered Fire Pit Area
By Olive BranchI love how the firepit rests within a slope! I think this adds to the privacy of the fireplace and also makes the party feel more exclusive. Awesome!
Building a fire pit in a sheltered area on your sloped land is a clever way to stop smoke blowing everywhere at your next BBQ.
26. Stock Tank Swimming Pool Built Into the Slope
Image and design by Cuckoo4DesignI love the creativity of this sloped landscape! Who else wants to go for a dip? Having a hilly yard was never so relaxing – and refreshing!
Don’t think you can’t have the luxuries in life just because you’re on a tight budget!
This excellent swimming pool built into a sloped backyard derives from a stock tank.
You may be able to pick a secondhand tank up for very little money or even barter or swap!
Read More – How To Build a Roaring Cinder Block Fire Pit Grill!
27. Create a Gorgeous Retaining Wall Garden
Create a tiered garden with retaining walls at different heights, complemented by gorgeous, lush plants that cascade over the edges. (See our post on the most stunning cascading plants for retaining walls!)
I could see myself grabbing my morning cuppa and meandering through this peaceful landscape!
28. A Slope of Flowers
Completely fill your slope with gorgeous flowering plants for a wall of flowers. Add scented flowering plants to make it even more impressive!
29. An Inviting Path Up the Slope
Image by Backyard ReflectionsThis is a very impressive design idea for sloped backyards! The lawn path, meandering through stone retaining walls, looks incredibly inviting – I just want to skip up there! Add a seating area up the top for the ultimate backyard relaxation.
30. Use the Natural Slope as a Waterfall
Make your sloped backyard work for you and with nature by adding a waterfall feature! Birds and wildlife may come to visit and you’ll love the sound of trickling water in the background.
31. Create a Classic Landscape With Natural Stone
Natural stone and big rocks create this lovely landscaped garden on a slope. Add lots of creeping plants to turn it into a rockery the neighbors will be envious of!
32. Use Centerpieces to Break the Slope
Break up the slope with big centerpieces. Include big, natural rocks, pots, shrubs, and trees.
33. Rock Walls to Level the Ground
Build rock retaining walls at different heights to go with the slope of your backyard. Increase your space and create an interesting centerpiece at the same time.
34. Vertical Rockery
Create a vertical rockery retaining wall with big rocks and drought-hardy plants, succulents, and creepers.
35. Succulent Water Landscape
Go from drab to fab with this water feature, surrounded by succulent plants.
36. Go All-Out With Style
This sloped garden has been turned into an incredible, drought-hardy wall of beauty. Use Yuccas or Pandanus trees for some vertical interest pieces, and lots of colored-foliage plants.
37. Retaining Wall Surrounding the House
What an amazing design idea! This project would take a fair bit of time but the result is definitely worth it. The gorgeous rock wall adds a beautiful, gigantic raised garden to your backyard and it complements the house.
More Sloped Backyard Ideas on a Budget
Feast your eyes on these amazing photos of sloped backyards and use the inspiration to turn your own slope into a masterpiece!
38. Giant Slip and Slide
By Hometalk39. Terrace Your Slope
By Hometalk40. DIY Stacked Stone Garden Wall
By Hometalk41. Build a Fort on a Slope
By Asheville Playgrounds42. Terraced Backyard
By Fresh Perspective Landscapes43. Cave With Slide
By Hometalk44. Amazing Tranquility on a Slope
By Paradise Restored45.
Stairway to Heaven46. Hillside Slide
By Momtessorilife47. Rock Garden on a Slope
Via Bobvila48. Native Plant Wonderland
Via Bobvila49. Artwork on the Hill
By Gro Outdoor50. Build a Deck
Via Hometalk51. Stabilize Your Slope With Pallets
By Good Life Permaculture52. Gardens With Trellis
By Living Hillside53. Chicken Coop on a Slope
By Barbara Pleasant54. Horse Trough Hillside Garden
By Rain Barrel Garden55. Learn to Landscape a Steep Slope the Permaculture Way
By Good Life Permaculture56. Stunning Sloped Garden Design
Image by Cultiverity57. Mulch It Well
By Yes I Talk to Plants58. Retaining Wall With Plectranthus
By The Indigenous Gardener59. No-Mow Slope With Wild Grasses
By The Indigenous Gardener60. Use Groundcover Plants to Hold the Slope
By The Indigenous Gardener61. Make It Maintenance-Free With Helichrysum and Gazania
By The Indigenous GardenerSloped Backyard and Hilly Landscaping FAQ
Adding cement steps or a concrete walkway is one of the best ways to upgrade your sloped garden.
If you don’t have the most significant landscaping budget, then there are other alternatives. No worries!We spend oodles of time researching the best landscaping ideas for sloped backyards.
We also have a ton of experience getting our hands dirty – and we’re happy to share our best sloped backyard insights with you.
Let’s begin!
Is It Bad to Have a Sloped Backyard?
Not at all! Sloped yards might take more effort in landscaping, but you have many more creative opportunities when gardening on a hill.
One thing to be aware of with a sloped backyard is where the water runs off. If the land is sloped downhill towards your house, you might end up with a flooded home! However, the correct drainage should sort this problem out.
How Do I Make My Sloped Garden Look Nice?
Most good things take time and effort, and that includes making your sloped garden beautiful! Start small by focusing on just one area rather than embarking on a massive and daunting landscaping project.
The quickest way to add some interest and features to a sloped garden is to install rock (or stone) steps and add a line of flowering plants or shrubs alongside them. Add some solar lights, and voila – you’ve got a sloped garden feature!
What Can I Plant In My Backyard Slope?
When planting on a slope, consider that water and soil retention may differ from your flatter land! The sloped ground may dry out more quickly, and nutrients may run off the soil.
Look for plants with a healthy root system that will anchor them into the ground. The strong roots will help them to stay put in heavy rainfall and reduce soil erosion.
Perennial plants work better than annuals on sloped land, as they will provide ground cover all year round. My favorites would be edible perennials, such as globe artichokes, interplanted with herbs and smaller fruit bushes.
How Do You Prevent Erosion on a Sloped Yard?
There are two ways to prevent erosion on a sloped yard, either by strategic planting or by landscaping the area.
Using plants is the most natural method of preventing erosion. Roots of trees, shrubs, and plants will hold onto soil and even improve the quality of the dirt over time.
If you have a severe erosion problem, then you may need to give nature a hand. Use supports made from wood, brick, or rock to retain soil, particularly in areas with a high level of water runoff.
What Is the Best Ground Cover for a Hillside?
If you are looking for ground cover for a hillside, look for low-growing plants which spread quickly. Ideally, you don’t want to be mowing or strimming your hillside more than necessary, so plants that are low maintenance work well here.
To cover bare ground on a hillside quickly, scatter seeds of fast-spreading plants such as clover or mustards. You could also consider sowing a wildflower mix to attract beneficial pollinators to your garden.
These majestic stepping stones are one of the best ways I’ve found to upgrade your backyard slope instantly.
Excellent for rockery gardens or simple footpaths!What Are Your Favorite Sloped Backyard Design Ideas?
This alpine slide looks like it takes serious work to build from scratch. However, it’s one of the most elegant methods to complement any slope, hill, or incline!We’re always trying to find sloped hill ideas from homesteaders all over the world!
If you have some sloped hill ideas that we haven’t thought of yet – please share!
Also – let us know which sloped hill ideas are your favorite? Does anything catch your attention?
Thanks again for reading!
Please have a great day!
Read More – 21+ Epic Texas Landscaping Ideas for a Flourishing Texan Garden!
Turtle Stepping Stone
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12/10/2022 12:58 pm GMT
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27 Sloped Backyard Ideas (Landscaping on a Budget)
Sloped backyards are a pain and a waste of space. Here is how you can transform your sloping yard into something beautiful without spending unreasonable amounts of money.
Unfortunately, many of us suffer from sloped backyards. Whether it be a steep slope or a more gradual one, it really seems like a waste of yard space. Naturally, homeowners with yards like this are typically ones without the financial means for a massive landscape renovation.
I have assembled a collection of sloped backyard ideas on a budget to help you fix your sloped yard, without selling an arm and a leg to get it done! Frankly, hiring a landscaping business just isn’t in the books for us, which is why everything you read in this article will be completely DIY friendly.
Although admittedly, some ideas will take a little more elbow grease than others.
More than you might think, actually.
Slopes, especially steep slopes, prevent us from having things in our backyards such as a pool or a playset for children, a nice patio or sitting area to invite friends and family over for a cookout, and makes mowing a real pain. It may provide for fun sledding in snowy winters but come spring you’ll be slipping down your yard and end up covered in mud.
How can we avoid this?
- Rock garden
- Flower garden beds
- Edible garden beds
- Terracing sections of the slope
- Leveling your yard
- Installing a deck or patio
These six ideas on a budget to not break the bank are achievable by amateur hands just like you and I! We’ll start from the easiest and most affordable and go from there. Don’t worry, I’ll include individual steps to help you navigate your way to a better backyard!
Rock Gardens
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Rock gardens can typically be more sparse than other gardens, like flowers or vegetables and fruits. The great thing is that these can be done on a slope, without terraforming the yard. That is why this is the #1 budget friendly choice for sloped backyard ideas, as well as being a capable project for DIYers!
So, how is it done?
What Rocks Can I Use?
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Well, I’m glad you asked!
You can use any rock you like. Large rocks are used as a focal point for any garden, but that doesn’t take smaller rocks out of the running!
Choose from Caribbean Beach Pebbles to Pea Gravel Pebbles at homedepot.
com, or Mixed Beach Pebbles to Multi-Purpose Gravel at menards.com!
Options like gravel are good for ground coverage, and they also keep unwanted weeds from showing up. Pebbles and other smaller rocks can be used in the same way, if you prefer, but they can also create lines and barriers along the sloped land to break up the space and give it a more dynamic design.
Can I Still Have Plants?
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Of course you can. The purpose of a rock garden is not to be filled only with dry, bland rocks. You can add a little life and color easily, and rock loving plants are the perfect answer.
The gardenloversclub.com blog gives a great list of 10 Plants That Grow On Rocks! To name a few:
Coral Bells
Coral Bells are a great way to add a burst of color into your garden!
Prickly Pear Cactus
A name everyone knows! These are the perfect addition to a rock garden, and can take a lot of heat.
Hens & Chicks
No, not the birds! Hens and Chicks are a very durable plant, thanks to the fact that they’re a part of the succulent family. If you don’t already know, succulents require little upkeep and, like the cactus, don’t have to be watered as frequently as the more delicate plants.
Flower Gardens
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On to the next, a flower garden is the second option on our list, due to the fact that they can also be planted on a sloped yard. This sloping garden will certainly require more attention than the previous one but I think you’ll find that the trade is worth it!
Despite the bursting difference in color, and the need for more frequent watering, there isn’t much difference between this garden and the last.
Let’s get into it!
Can My Flowers Be In Full Sun?
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That depends on the type of flowers you have. Don’t just go buying the prettiest ones you see, make sure you pay attention to the flowers needs. They will typically be shown on a plastic card stuck into the soil, or on the label somewhere.
Flowering plants that love the sun are as follows:
Blanket Flower
The Blanket flower, according to costafarms.com, loves hot and sunny places, growing through spring and into fall.
They even attract butterflies!
Sedum
For a sloped backyard garden that receives a lot of sun, durability is important! The Sedum plant incorporates a beautiful shade of green that is hardly ever affected by the heat.
Asiatic Lily
If you’re looking for a bright burst of color, this lily is the choice for you! The bold orange is a great contrast to the softer colors you have planted and makes a dramatic impact on your hillside garden.
Is a Flower Garden Just Flowers?
Absolutely not!
You can diversify your garden with things like trees, shrubs, or even add a feature path that leads through it and back to your house with stone or concrete pavers. You can also get to work with some ground cover plants or use rocks as a different type of ground cover.
Let’s not forget about decorative benches or solar light fixtures.
Something I’ve seen is old bikes being repurposed in the garden like this, or planting things in watering cans and buckets.
There are a million things you can do when you use your imagination.
Turn your backyard garden into a beautiful oasis of nature and plants!
Edible Gardens
You heard me right! Edible gardens are an awesome way to use the dead space of sloped yards. Not only can they be pleasing to the eye but you actually get something out of it!
However, I wouldn’t recommend just planting these on a slope because of the pretty certain event of soil erosion.
erosion
[ih-roh-zhuhn]
noun
the process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves, etc.
Definition according to dictionary.com
How Can I Prevent Erosion?
Here we have arrived at why this type of garden is the #3 choice instead of #1 for backyard slope budget ideas: it requires raised garden beds. These can be wooden boxes or made from natural stone. Raised garden beds act as a retaining wall for your soil to prevent erosion and keep your plants from being too exposed.
Try to avoid using plastics or heavily manufactured products. I know those are cheaper but natural is better for plants and crops, especially when you plan to eat them.
How Can I Install Planters On A Slope?
It’s not as difficult as you might think. By digging into the hill for your planter box, you create a solid anchor. Be sure that you level the planting areas so that nothing has a chance of sliding down the slope!
This can be done with stone or wood, or even brick – whichever you prefer!
What Can I Plant?
Once again, this depends on the amount of sun or shade your backyard gets during the day. Don’t forget to take the size and space of the whole garden into account, as well. Certain plants are more durable and can last through lots of sun and heat, whereas others are more finicky.
Root vegetables, such as potatoes or carrots, are always going to be a great choice for that sunny sloped space. Garlic – yes, garlic! – and tomatoes tend to have a good level of hardiness.
Not as high as potatoes but still able to flourish in warmer areas.
Can I Really Take Care Of A Garden?
Gardening isn’t as crazy as some people make it seem. Start out small, spend time with the watering cans, and give your plants a little love – that’s all that it takes.
Not to mention, this can be a great family activity if you have kids. Educating your children on how to garden is a wonderful way to strengthen your bonds. If you give them a plant specifically to take care of, it teaches responsibility and care for living things.
As I have learned from my own garden, make sure you do your research first! There are so many great places to get educated on gardening, and one that I visit frequently is the Epic Gardening Youtube channel. They have a great collection of videos about gardening through trial and error, and trying new crops or methods along the way!
Check out their video on water gardening:
I don’t know about you but all this veggie talk has made me hungry!
Terracing
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Terracing is similar to planter boxes but on a bigger scale. You can go from a sloped backyard like the first picture, to the landscape of terraces with several tiers of gorgeous greenery!
This style has been used since ancient gardens and works just as well to this day. It’s a great way to prevent soil erosion in a sloped yard and one of the most beautiful landscaping ideas on a budget out there.
There are so many things you can do with landscape features such as this but before we get into that: is this DIY?
Can I Do It Myself?
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It will definitely cost you more in labor but that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible – or not affordable. You can create these terraces or the retaining wall with salvaged or repurposed wood and stone. Even using brick from an old brick structure that has been torn down will make a nice, cohesive design.
As you can see in the photos above, someone has taken pictures of their process of installing retaining walls for their terraces on sloped land. Although hired help would definitely make things easier labor wise, it will definitely put a dent in your wallet.
So, I guess it’s a good thing we’re budgeting finance and not physical activity!
Is My Yard Too Steep?
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Never! Well, maybe not never, thanks to the 1 in 100 steeply sloped backyard, but chances are your yard still fits in the other 99.
With a sloped backyard that you feel is steeper than others, it’s important to have supporting posts that start from in the dirt and meet the height of the retaining wall. This makes sure there won’t be any sliding or displacement! I think you’ll agree when I say that you don’t want all of your hard work to be washed down that pesky sloped yard.
What Do I Do With It?
This is the fun part! Naturally, flowering plants, trees, shrubs, and bushes are the top choices.
Turning different levels into rock gardens or flower gardens are the most commonly seen design for terracing on a slope or hillside but never forget that this is the perfect space for an edible garden!
Terraced landscaping is very versatile and you can make it to fit your personal needs. You can use it for decorative items like the ones mentioned before – old bicycles and buckets – but there are also options like a small water feature, decorative stones and rocks, gnomes, small statues, light fixtures and so on!
The point of terracing your backyard is to optimize the slope, the previously unused space, to your advantage.
Leveling
Depending on the size of your backyard and the depth of the slope, this can be affordable and easy for you… or it can be kind of pricey. Leveling sloped backyards can mean filling the slope or taking away from it. Either way, it takes time and effort to complete.
Why should you level it? Well, as I’m sure you already know, having a sloped backyard prevents you from having almost anything in that space.
That could mean a swimming pool, a playset for kids, a shed, or a fire pit to sit around with family. Leveling it off will create an entirely usable space for you to do whatever you want with.
Although this may cost you more, landscaping like this can be much simpler than other landscaping ideas.
Do I Have To Level My Entire Backyard?
A lot of times, completely leveling sloped yards just isn’t feasible – particularly when you’re looking to fix a sloped backyard on a budget. Of course you don’t have to level your backyard completely. Doing it in sections like in the picture above works just as well.
How Do I Keep New Soil From Washing Away?
Water runoff is more than likely part of the reason your yard has become the slope that you’re trying to fix. This is a natural occurrence, when rainwater erodes the soil or rock away over time, and you’re right to assume it will simply happen all over again without taking measures to prevent it.
This is why you have to install a retaining wall before you begin filling that space to get rid of the hill.
Just like with anything else, these walls, commonly made with stone, will keep the soil from eroding and putting you back where you started.
So, Now My Backyard Is… Dirt?
I know, getting muddy wasn’t exactly what you were hoping for after putting in all that work. Lucky for you, you can just buy some grass. I’m serious!
You can buy patches of grass, otherwise known as sod, and fill your newly flat backyard with gorgeous green. For grass on a budget, because sod isn’t necessarily cheap, you can always go pick up a bag of grass seed at the store.
Grass seed is available at a superstore, such as Walmart, a hardware or home improvement store, like Menards or Home Depot, or even at your local greenhouse. Seeding your no longer sloped backyard should be done in the spring, like planting a spring garden, so it gets good rain and has time to grow before summer heat hits.
Decks & Patios
At last, we have arrived at the #6 in our sloped backyard ideas on a budget.
Obviously, construction for a deck or patio is going to be the most expensive out of the six landscaping ideas I have put together. It also requires the most amount of your effort and time, and can be a combination of the ideas you read in this article.
What’s the difference, you ask?
Decks are typically attached to or come directly off of your house. They are made from wood or imitation plastic wood planks, and you’ll often find open space beneath them.
Patios, on the other hand, can be right next to your home or anywhere in the yard. Commonly made from stone, brick, or a cheaper alternative, patios are built directly on or in the ground.
Can I Build A Deck Myself?
Decks are, in fact, DIY friendly.
Although they may seem like a handful, decks can actually be quite to the point with their construction. If you have any experience building with wood or in any kind of construction, I know this will be a breeze for you!
However, not everyone grew up with a carpenter for a grandfather and I want to make it a point to help you out as much as I can!
How Can I Build A Deck In A Backyard That Slopes?
Building your deck on a sloped backyard means that it will be elevated, and you will need a stable base to make sure the whole thing doesn’t just topple over and slide down the slopes.
That means you will want to find support beams, generally thick and square at the ends but long enough to go a foot or so into the ground to achieve that stability.
These can be found at your local hardware store or lumber yard. I recommend chatting with workers at either place, especially at a lumber yard, and asking their advice on the type of wood to use. They know what is strong enough to support and what isn’t.
Stilts will create space underneath that can be used for storage or play if you have children.
Can I Build A Patio Myself?
The rank of DIY friendliness for a patio is no different than it is for a deck. In fact it might be easier! It can require some leveling, or wide terracing, but it doesn’t have to.
Pouring concrete or laying down stone or concrete pavers requires far less tools than building a deck does. Concrete is to the point, you just pour it in the shape you want your patio to be and let it dry. It does need water draining, but that can be achieved with wooden supports or gravel laid underneath.
Pavers you can make yourself or buy from the store, and all you need is to fill the spaces in between with dirt, sand, or your preferred filling.
Simple, right?
How Can I Build A Patio In A Backyard That Slopes?
Like with a deck, you can get wooden stilts or pour your own stilts with the same concrete. You need to make sure that there are supports on the underside of the patio as well, such as crossing wooden beams like you find under a deck or porch, that way all of the weight doesn’t fall on the beams at the edge.
I would personally recommend that you not build an elevated or ‘floating’ patio yourself, simply because whichever type of stone you’ve chosen to build with will be too heavy and could end up getting cracked, split, or otherwise damaged.
So, the other option takes us back to one of our other sloped backyard ideas and requires a bit of landscaping.
#5: Leveling!
Like I mentioned before, you don’t have to level your entire sloped backyard to create a space and do what you want to do, or you can level different heights if you want! For a patio you only have to level the space you want your patio to be.
That makes it easier, right?
After leveling, you can dig out the space for you patio, pour or place and fill with the material you’ve chosen, and voila! Now you have your patio! This means you can have a fire pit, or a grill to cook out when you have family or friends over.
You have successfully rid yourself of the sloped backyard, while increasing the value of your home and creating a space that you can enjoy to the fullest.
Gardening of the yard - 95 photos of the best ideas for the arrangement and reconstruction of the site
It's no secret that any owner of a private residential building dreams of making beautiful landscaping of the surrounding area. But, keep in mind that for the result to be truly unique and attractive, you need to put a lot of diligence and time.
Previously, before starting work, it is required to study many nuances and competently plan all stages of improvement.
Only then can the main work begin.
Brief content of the article:
Highlights of work
The design of landscaping a private house, experts most often divide it into several stages:
We recommend that you carefully study the features of the free working area beforehand. For these purposes, it is better to hire experienced professionals who, using the latest modern technologies, will help to make a non-standard area a perfectly flat surface. It is worth considering that their work will significantly “hit” the family budget.
But there is a more rational way - to turn all the imperfections of the soil cover (hill, pit, lowland) into interesting landscape projects. As an example: almost any hill that rises on the site perfectly transforms into a modern colorful alpine hill, and a shallow low-lying place will be a successful attractive reservoir.
There are situations when differences and irregularities are too noticeable, but this fact can be easily corrected with the help of vertical redevelopment.
Specialists in this field will make the surface you have chosen and correct the shortcomings.
Without a doubt, the design of the site must be in harmony with the overall style of the furnishings and the building itself. Approaching the house, the first thing that opens to the eye is the courtyard and the buildings adjacent to it, so you need to open the view of the facade smoothly and organically.
Given the taste preferences, lifestyle and composition of the whole family, the territory of the site must be properly planned harmoniously. That is, to carry out zoning: an entrance, a garden with trees, an area for active games and recreation, a sports area, a playground and similar options for dividing free space. This process must be carried out first of all before work is carried out, using a system of a network of paths and paths.
It is recommended to take into account the viewability of the entire area of the site, that is, the yard should look perfect from any side, which allows you to admire the beauty of nature.
Naturally, the lighting of the area adjacent to the house plays an important role in the design, helping the yard to play with different colors, as shown in the photo of the landscaping of the yard. It is worth thinking carefully about the play of artificial light.
As a rule, garden paths are usually illuminated with small inconspicuous lamps. Less commonly, there are lighting fixtures built into the path, which is paved with decorative tiles.
The final stage is the direct planting of ornamental crops, flowers, greenery and landscape design. The end result is very important, as it will affect the perception, aesthetics and even the mood of households and guests.
Examples of competent design of the yard
Designers and other specialists offer a huge amount of ideas on how to green the yard of a private house, which is not at all difficult to do on your own:
Traditional lawns will give even the simplest plot a unique luxury.
As a rule, it is used in addition to other design options, but even alone, the lawn looks no less attractive decoration.
But, please note that lawns are more suitable for a larger, more spacious area. If lawn grass will be used only as a decor, you can take any herbal mixture for planting. Often, for playgrounds, it is necessary to choose varieties of seeds that can withstand a large load.
For a more thorough and durable design of the site, ornamental shrubs and trees should be planted, which will advantageously hide unprepossessing outbuildings and divide the land into different zones, providing them with cool shade.
When creating a landscaping project, it is necessary to take into account that in the future trees grow significantly and increase their crown, which is why they should not be planted too close to buildings. Most often, preference is given to small conifers (thuja, pine, spruce) or ornamental trees (viburnum bush, fragrant bird cherry, honeysuckle).
Additional details of the yard design
There are situations in which you want to revive and update an already finished, long-lived site. For these non-standard situations, a portable flowerpot or a flower bed is used.
Fresh flowers in small flowerpots will perfectly decorate the paved path, while it becomes possible to regularly replace the containers with new decorations.
Plants are usually taken that bloom as the surrounding period changes. For containers, both annual and perennial crops are used.
It happens that the walls of an old building do not take on an aesthetically ugly appearance, or there is not so much free space on the site, which can be corrected with a vertical flower bed. It is possible to plant greenery on the facade of a residential building both for additional decoration and for creating a cool area for relaxing during a hot period.
A large number of climbing plants love an abundance of natural light, so they should be planted along the walls facing south.
Very little space is required: a small piece of soil or a few narrow containers against the walls where hops, an ornamental vineyard, ivy or campsis are planted.
A more complex landscaping option is hedges and plant figures (topiary). Creating a hedge is not at all difficult, but to complete a topiary you will need certain skills: using a garden knife and scissors correctly, maximum patience and imagination.
Beginning gardeners are encouraged to practice creating simple geometric shapes, that is, rectangles, triangles, balls, cubes.
Special seedlings are required that have special qualities:
- form new shoots;
- grow slowly;
- well tolerate decorative processing (haircut).
Improvement of a private house largely depends on how competently the adjacent plot itself is planned, and how much joy and pleasure a lush flowering garden, created by one's own hands, will bring! It is only necessary to apply maximum imagination, skill and patience.
Photo of landscaping of the yard
Post published: 14.10
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Peculiarities of landscape design of the yard - RedGriffin.ru
Walking along the streets of the private sector, you involuntarily pay attention to the decor of the squares. Particularly attractive are beautiful, tastefully decorated landscapes, next to which you want to stay longer.
Unusual compositions with artificial reservoirs, waterfalls, with elements of topiary, alpine and rock gardens are interesting. Creating an unusual landscape in the yard requires work and knowledge of the basics of its design.
Principles of planning the courtyard near a private house - part adjacent to a private house. It is divided into a front, or forecourt, and a rear. The front garden is located between the facade of the house and the fence. It is open to anyone who wants to look over the fence and is the hallmark of the owners. For this reason, its decoration is treated with special care.
The back yard is behind the house and hidden from prying eyes. There is a secluded resting place, outbuildings, domestic animals and poultry.
The layout of the square largely depends on the size of the area and the needs of the family. However, there are general rules for improving it that most people follow. The list of objects located in the courtyard includes technical structures and decorative elements of the landscape. The former are necessary because they provide comfort to homeowners, while the latter are necessary to meet their aesthetic needs.
Technical facilities include: garage, car park, summer kitchen, guest house, gazebo and dog house. The garage and carport are usually located just outside the gate, while other facilities are located at the back, where traffic noise and street dust cannot penetrate. The kennel or dog house is placed in a dead corner, but not too far from the outer fence.
Items of decorative value: flower beds, ponds, deciduous and coniferous plantings, lawns, landscape design objects, etc. Their number depends on the size of the yard and in most cases these elements are located along fences and walls of outbuildings.
The space immediately in front of the porch is usually not filled with vegetation - it must be free to move. Tiles or other paving stones should be placed near the entrance to the house.
Exception to the rule. When the backyard is spacious enough, discounts are placed near the porch on the side of the stairs, where they do not interfere with traffic.
Recreation area in the front yard
There is often a gazebo or shed in the yard. They are surrounded by flower beds and creepers, together they form a landscape composition.
If there is free space, the pattern can be supplemented with any plumbing structure: a waterfall, a fountain, an artificial pond. The proximity of water contributes to the creation of a special microclimate, which is especially desirable in the immediate vicinity of the place of rest.
Very popular in front of the porch to decorate the patio. The proximity of the front door to the house allows you to spend every free minute on the street.
Here you can enjoy your morning coffee, meet your family for afternoon tea or chat with friends.
Place a table and a few chairs on a small paved area - these are the most necessary elements in the arrangement of the patio. Houseplants and translucent curtains create a light shade, while comfortable wicker furniture and cushions create a cozy atmosphere.
Important. On the territory of the front garden, it is possible to create a full-fledged resting place if it is isolated from the road by a hollow fence or a high hedge. Otherwise, it will not be very convenient to spend time face to face. Moreover, you can not relax in a hammock or on a swing on the divan.garden.
How to furnish the back yard
There is a space between the house and the garden that is used in two ways: for a garage with a place for parking and a place for rest. If there is enough space, then both can be done by separating them with a hedge, a vertical green grid or a flower bed.
In this case, the garage with a parking space is closer to the gate.
The yard is the best place for arranging a recreation area near a private house. It's easy to create a completely isolated, inaccessible space. at the views of neighbors and street dust. On the one hand, it is protected from the wind by the wall of the house, on the other hand, by an orchard, and is separated from the adjacent area by a fence. Having built a light canopy in the recreation area in the yard, you can spend time without fear of summer rain.
This is the best place to create a barbecue area, install a barbecue or assemble a garden stove.
It is also a suitable area for creating a sports ground, a place for children to play with a sandbox and swings.
Of course, the yard, regardless of its purpose, is decorated with various kinds of flower beds, tall coniferous and deciduous trees should be planted here.
Paths and paving
A solid surface in the yard is important from a hygienic point of view.
It keeps the yard clean and easier to care for: washing, removing leaves, throwing snow. Most often, massive paving stones are found when paving a large part of the area. Paths are laid out of paving stones in different directions, helping to get to different places: garden, outbuildings, showers, baths, etc.
Ford paving is mainly used to create paths to various objects. The principle of operation of its device is that there is a gap between the individual tiles.
For ease of movement, the distance should not exceed 30 cm, and the tile should be large enough to fully accommodate the feet. The space between the elements of this type of track is filled with lawn grass, pebbles or fine gravel.
What to do with paving stones and paths:
- Paving. Thick brick tiles can easily support the weight of a car, so they are used for laying in a parking lot. Paving slabs can be used for walks, patios, or driveways between the gate and the house;
- Concrete tiles.
Ideal for creating garden paths;
- Plates. Flat slabs are integrated into the lawn, combined with a backfill of crushed stone, pebbles;
- deck. Waterproof composite material imitating wood. It is placed on a flat area, laid with crushed stone or crushed stone of a fine fraction. For additional reliability, a terrace board is sometimes mounted on a wooden crate;
- Modular cover. Embossed plastic tiles with non-slip pattern, connected with tongue and groove or handle;
- Plastic cover on rollers. Used to create temporary and seasonal paths.
It is also possible to manufacture a concrete screed with the prospect that some kind of tile material will be laid on it in the future.
Plants in the design of the yard
Discounts and flower beds help to create a special flavor around the house. The type of vegetation is selected depending on the style in which the object is decorated. The size of the square, the degree of its illumination and the design of the house are also taken into account.
Bulbous
Bulbs will give a spring explosion of colors: tulips, lilies, mountain ash, narcissus, muskrat, algae, saffron. Their flowering period is not very long, but you can choose from many species and varieties, so they can bloom from April to early June. At the end of flowering, the bulbs dry out completely, modestly giving way to other garden crops.
Coniferous plants
A variety of forms of spruce, pine, juniper and arborvitae opens up a wide range of greenery in the yard. They are used in hedges, mixed gardens, rock gardens and as green lawn chairs. The low and dwarf species are popular because they are suitable for decorating small yards and are used as container crops.
Ornamental shrubs
Background plants are designed to emphasize the bright colors of beautifully flowering perennials. In this version, snowball, turquoise, tamarisk, grosbeak, lilac are interesting. They will cover the fence and barn and won't get in the way of more elegant plantings like roses, hydrangeas, peonies and irises.
Shrubs with ornamental leaves and lush flowers predominate. These include Thunberg's sour barley, forsythia, various types of spire, birch, marshmallow, louisiana, and rosemary flower.
Tip. The effectiveness of the flower arrangement will be given by evergreen shrubs and trees: boxwood, mahogany carob, lapwing, aucuba.
Perennials
The basis of the flower bed is herbaceous perennials. They define the bed frame around which the rest of the composition is built. In sunny places, erigeron, liandria, anemone, yucca grow well, and in the shade - stonecrop and host.
The space between perennials is filled with annuals that bloom all summer.
Lianas
Liana-like plants are used to decorate the yard. Weave gazebos, arches, fences, pillars on the porch. Climbing plants are used to create green screens in the spatial layout of the garden, separating outbuildings from the front yard.
Clematis in the gazebo garden
Clematis are often planted in the front garden. Their not very dense leaves let in a lot of light and at the same time create a kind of curtain that protects open windows from dust.
Climbing roses, which can be planted on porches, gates and gazebo entrances, are always in demand. Their long flowering period provides a festive atmosphere throughout the summer season.
Features of the landscape of the yard
The total area of the plot does not always affect the size of the square. Most likely, how much land can be allocated for the yard depends on whether the owners plan to grow vegetables and fruits or not. If this is the case, then on a small plot of land often priority is given to the garden and vegetables to the detriment of the yard area.
Design of a small yard
It is difficult to make a large yard on a plot of 6 acres, but you can deceive your perception and visually expand it.
A tiny body of water draws attention and distracts from the surrounding background.
The illusion of an increase in territory will be stronger if the pond has an oblong shape. It is best to place along the most elongated line. A similar effect of expanding space is felt in the landscape with a fountain installed on a hill.
If the site has an oblong shape, a small strip of land is left between the facade of the building and the fence for laying the palisade.
It is most practical to occupy this territory with cobblestones, leaving narrow strips of earth along the perimeter of the fence in the flower beds. A suitable solution is also the situation when the flower bed is falling apart behind the fence. Visually, it will slightly move the yard away from the road and brighten up its compactness. In such a situation, the garage is in the corner, and the parking space is also behind the fence.
Tip. It is recommended to arrange a recreation area near the house with a small yard in the yard.
Free time will be more peaceful. The gazebo is sometimes placed close to the house and shares a wall with it.
Yard design on a plot of 10 acres
A plot of 10 acres allows you to allocate about three acres in the courtyard of the house (but this is not a rule and depends on the location of the house on the site). The classic option is when the house is moved as close as possible to the border with the neighbors, and the porch faces the gate. In such a situation, on the opposite side there is enough space for arranging a yard with a front garden. It is not only a recreation area. There is still enough space to create a beautiful landscape with a mixboard, a rose garden, an alpine garden.
Since this is impossible without a garage, it is removed as far as possible up to the gate: there is only a parking area between the gate and the garage.
This arrangement has advantages. A building with technical advantages (garage) is closed by a view from the street, so that behind the walls you can create a full-fledged place for recreation, a playground, and build a sauna.
Yard design on a plot of 15 acres
On a large plot of land there is a unique opportunity to build a house in the back of the plot. The area in front of the cottage is fully accessible to the owners. It is divided into two main parts: an ornamental garden and a recreation area.
The main elements of the garden are flower beds, which are located on both sides of the path leading from the gate to the porch. The design of the flower bed varies greatly, but it must be taken into account that the butterfly-nature of the flower bed and the piling up of many types of plants is difficult to see. Landscape designers recommend mixing flowerbeds with mowed lawns and separating them with low hedges.
Uneven terrain with a rocky landscape looks original. If the terrain is flat and its surface allows, you can artificially create mounds, fill them with decorative rubble and create a corner of the mountain landscape.
An artificial pond, a dry stream, wide steps on steep slopes - all these are interesting ideas for decorating the front of the house.
A large yard can have several seating areas. They are created according to their own interests: a secluded place to relax, get-togethers in the family circle, sit in a noisy company.
Each sub-zone is equipped accordingly: a hammock in the shade of a pergola, a carved tea arbor, an outdoor fireplace (grill, grill) under the roof.
An important detail in the design of the courtyard: lighting
Lighting is an important detail in the arrangement of the square. The main objects that should be illuminated first are the porch, paths, outbuildings and recreation areas. Electric street lamps with lighting fixtures are suspended above the porch. They are mounted in such a way that the steps of the stairs are clearly visible.
On the roads, it is important to illuminate especially dangerous places: slopes, turns, steps. Solar-powered garden lights are often used for this. They just stick to the ground on the side of the tracks.
