Home » Misc » What to do with a sloping backyard

What to do with a sloping backyard


Backyard Slope Landscaping Ideas - 10 Things To Do

Break Out in Tiers

1/11

Creating several tiers on a sloped property can help manage erosion and give you the opportunity to layer different plants and landscaping elements for a cohesive design. Whether you use railroad ties, stone pavers, or concrete to form the tiers, they will make a dramatic impact on the overall look of your property.

Related: 9 Clever Landscaping Hacks for Your Best-Ever Yard

istockphoto.com

Build Some Stairs

2/11

If you choose to let vegetation cover your sloping property in glorious abandon, impose a little order by building a set of stairs leading up to flatter ground. Whether you opt for a wooden staircase or concrete steps, this garden feature will blend into the landscape far better if it’s surrounded by plantings on either side.

Related: 12 Perfect Plants for Lining Your Pathway

istockphoto. com

Make a Natural Staircase

3/11

Use a natural material like stone to create a stepped pathway through your sloping property. A stone stairway will complement surrounding plantings and help anchor your landscaping design.

Related: 7 Thrifty Designs for a DIY Walkway

istockphoto.com

Advertisement

Design a Waterfall

4/11

If you’re ambitious, use the height that your hilly backyard provides to your advantage, and build a sensational water feature. The soothing sound of water will bring a relaxing air to your outdoor space, turning it into your own private oasis.

Related: 10 Outdoor Living Ideas to Steal from California

istockphoto.com

Lay a Winding Path

5/11

A winding or switchback path can make it much easier—and safer—to explore a sloped piece of property. A meandering pathway also provides an attractive focal point and draws the eye through the landscape.

Related: 10 Inspiring Ideas for Your Side Yard

istockphoto.com

Erect a Retaining Wall

6/11

You can make a sloping property more functional by cutting away a portion of a hill and installing a retaining wall to hold back the soil. This is a great opportunity to create a dedicated planting area behind and along the retaining wall, while reclaiming a portion of your yard for an expanse of grass on level ground. 

Related: Edge Your Beds: 11 Easy Ideas for Landscape Borders

istockphoto.com

Advertisement

Cultivate a Rock Garden

7/11

Hillsides can pose a landscaping challenge for plants, which can suffer from the soil erosion or poor drainage typical of sloping properties. When you arrange rocks of varying shapes and sizes on your hillside, you create a stable base for  rock-loving plants like stonecrop, ornamental grasses, and creeping ground covers. A rock garden looks lush and satisfying to the eye, and reduces your maintenance load in the yard.

Related: 25 Plants for Your Easiest Garden Ever

istockphoto.com

Devise a Destination Fire Pit

8/11

Building hardscapes into a sloping property is a common and rewarding landscaping practice. When a design culminates in an alluring destination like a fire pit, you’ll draw visitors through your yard and transform what might otherwise be neglected space into the place to be. 

Related: No Money to Burn? 9 Fire Pits You Can Afford

istockphoto.com

Install Veggie Beds

9/11

You can take advantage of unused real estate on a slope that gets full sun by installing raised beds for vegetables. Deeper sections of the beds can be used for root vegetables that require more soil, and the shallower portions will be perfect for herbs and vining plants.

Related: 13 Creative Designs for Easy DIY Planters

istockphoto. com

Advertisement

Rely on Native Plants

10/11

Festooning a hillside with plants that are native to your area can help make maintenance easier in a spot that would be difficult to mow and landscape. With native plants, you can be fairly certain that they’ll be successful without much help from you, and they will help reduce erosion by providing a network of roots to hold soil in place.

Related: 25 Amazing Plants That Are Native to North America

istockphoto.com

How to Cope with a Slope

11/11

With the right plan, even a steeply sloped backyard can be useable and enjoyable.

bobvila.com

Don't Miss!

If you have the money to hire a handyman for every household woe, go ahead. But if you want to hang on to your cash and exercise some self-sufficiency, check out these clever products that solve a million and one little problems around the house. Go now!

What To Do With a Sloping Backyard

Skip to content

Previous Next

So you’ve decided it’s time to build a custom home with a beautiful view — are you concerned about what building on a slope would mean for your backyard?

Designing a sloping backyard certainly presents its own challenges, including: 

However, a sloping backyard also presents a unique opportunity to show off that beautiful view you’ve been hoping for, and create a unique sense of movement and variation in your landscape.  

Here are 10 things to do with a sloping backyard.

 

1. Determine the surface texture of your soil

The first thing we recommend when considering what to do with a sloping backyard is to determine the surface texture of the soil you’re working with. In fact, this is a good thing to consider before building on a slope at all, as it will directly impact your foundation and your landscaping capabilities. 

The surface texture of the soil refers to the amount of clay, sand, and silt present in your soil. To get an idea of the surface texture, simply rub the soil between your hands and note what you feel. 

Silky clay texture – This type of soil is difficult to work with from a foundational and landscaping perspective. It’s characterized by feeling soft and sticky when wet, but very hard when dry. 

Floury-feeling – This soil feels like exactly what its name implies — floury. It is ideal for landscaping and gardening, and is very easy to excavate.

Rough and gritty – Although this kind of soil is easy to excavate, it also poses an increased risk of soil erosion. Rough and gritty soil often needs moisture improvement before it can be used for gardening or landscaping.

 

2. Build a deck

Coming back to that beautiful view we’ve been talking about, incorporating a deck into your home design creates the perfect opportunity to entertain and show it off, or to put your gardening and landscaping on display. Depending on the angle of the slope and the overall design of the house, you can even make a multi-level deck, or create a storage space underneath. 

 

3. Try landscaping in tiers

Not only does creating tiers help manage erosion, it provides a unique opportunity to add variety and cohesion to your backyard, depending on how you choose to showcase different plants. Another plus? The tiers can be made from a number of different materials, including wood, paving stones, brick, and concrete, providing you more variety when it comes to choosing the look and feel of your backyard.

Depending on the slope of your yard and the height of your tiers, you may need to install railing for safety if you choose this route — our team at Westlake Development always adheres to correct building codes.

 

4. Create a winding path or a staircase

Adding a path or staircase to your backyard helps with multiple things, including:

 

5. Consider a landscape waterfall

This is a larger undertaking, but also the perfect opportunity to showcase a beautiful water feature in your backyard, and use a slope to your advantage. Not only do waterfalls add value to your home and provide great entertainment for family and friends, they also benefit your local ecosystem and create a relaxing, soothing environment.

 

6. Use the slope to your advantage when building vegetable beds

Planting a garden on a slope can be challenging with soil erosion remaining a large concern. However, one great option is creating raised vegetable beds that match the slope of the backyard. Not only will this make it easier to care for the garden, but it will also allow you to use the slope to your advantage — the deeper area of the bed can be used for root vegetables, while the more shallow area can house herbs.

 

7. Create a destination at the bottom of the slope

Help draw friends, family, visitors through your backyard and showcase the landscape by creating a fun destination at the bottom of the slope. This could be a fire pit, a gazebo, a flat seating area to take in a view or a deck perfect for BBQs…the sky’s the limit.

 

8. Choose low maintenance plants and be strategic about rock placement

Plants are a great way to transform a backyard and keep soil from sliding down a slope. When choosing plants for your sloping backyard, you’ll want to consider a few things: 

When it comes to plants and shrubs in Oregon, wild roses, Snowberry, Oceanspray and Red Flowering Currant are all recommended options. Ground cover plants are also a great and easy to maintain option. Silverweed, Kinnikinnick, and Coastal Strawberry are some native options to look into. 

Adding rocks of varying shapes and sizes to your garden helps create a more stable area for plants to grow, plus look great too.

 

9. Create flat spaces with retaining walls

One challenge presented by sloping backyards is creating functional areas despite the slope’s angle. Carving out part of the slope and adding a retaining wall to hold back the soil will allow you to create a flat area in your backyard. These can create planting areas, seating areas, or recreational areas for the family.

 

10. Make it easy to access all of the levels

If you’re planning to spend a lot of time in your backyard and use it for entertaining or gardening, we recommend being conscious of the type of access you have to all levels of your backyard. For example, you wouldn’t want to build vegetable beds or plant roses without an easy path to get there and care for those things, right? Whether through a winding path, a staircase, or level tiers, we’ll ensure you have a way to get everywhere you need to be in your backyard.

 

Contact Westlake Development today

Building a home on a slope can be challenging and stressful — but when you choose the right custom home builder, it doesn’t need to be. 

At Westlake Development Group, we’ve been building custom homes in the Portland metro area for more than 30 years, and take pride not only in creating beautiful designs, but in providing steep slope construction and earthquake preparedness expertise.

To learn more about how we can help you build the custom home you’ve been looking for, contact us today at (503) 327-8351 or online here. 

About the Author: westlake

Page load link

Go to Top

What if the plot is sloping?

What if the site is sloping? | Articles of the construction company "New House" 06/02/2023 New house

If you got a plot with a slope, or you are just going to purchase such a plot, of course, a number of questions immediately arise. And some may even have doubts about such a site. Excite sewage, heavy rains. What should be the foundation on a site with a slope? Where to plant a garden? How to water? What to consider before building a house on a plot with a slope? How to make a sewer? And much more…

We will help you understand all the nuances and answer all your questions. You will be convinced that a piece of land with a slope and difficult terrain is not a punishment or torment, as some people think, but your individuality, a “highlight”, so to speak, with its proper arrangement. We hope that our article will help you make your dreams come true, and turn all the “minuses” of a land plot with a slope into “pluses”.

So, what if the plot is sloping?

The first thing you ask is how to level a plot with a slope? Is it worth it? After all, you can competently beat the height difference, as well as demonstrate all the beauty and attractiveness of an unusual landscape. And even though the construction on a site with a slope and its arrangement will not be easy, and you will have to face some difficulties, but the final result will please you and give you pleasure after all the work done. The finished site will be the envy of all your friends and acquaintances.

Attaching the house to a plot with a slope.

How to properly position the house on such a site? There are two ways to link a house to a plot with a slope: without changing the landscape, and with changing the existing landscape. A typical project is created based on the fact that the construction will take place on a flat area.

The house, which is being built on a territory with natural conditions, needs to be reworked in the underground and basement parts. Thanks to this, the dwelling will have unique features, and suit the site properly.

Sloped areas are divided into:

Building houses and forming roads leading to a building on a slope is very difficult. Retaining walls, embankments and other structures for strengthening are fixed on slopes where the height difference is 1: 2.

Vertical layout of the site with a slope.

What does the work on equipping the landscape with difficulties include if the land plot is sloping?

It is necessary to organize:

Thanks to these actions, it is possible to clearly and correctly divide the territory into functional zones, as well as design it in a unique and special way.

Drainage system on a site with a slope.

What should be the drainage system on a site with a slope? The device of the drainage system must be given special attention! After all, drainage allows you to adjust the balance of water and provides rapid drainage of the liquid formed and accumulated as a result of significant precipitation and snowmelt.

Melt water and rain create gullies. And the greater the difference in elevation, the more likely the violation of the slope. Even small streams can create impressive ravines and cause landslides.

The formation of runoff begins only after the completion of the main work on the ground and the summing up of communications. In order to competently stretch the drainage system, it is still necessary to have information about the approximate location of the main buildings and green spaces.

There are two ways of laying a drainage system: open and closed. The main advantage of a closed drainage system is space saving. Due to the fact that the channels are underground, it is possible to equip access roads on the surface.

Ditches are dug along the length of the slope of the entire land plot to the receiving collector. Very effective is the laying of drainage by the "Christmas tree" method, where additional drainage systems are connected to the main line at an acute angle. Using this method, the main trench should be located slightly below the additional channels.

The depth of the trench should be from 0.3 to 1 meter. The slope must be at least 2 millimeters per meter of length. This characteristic is important even on sloping terrain, since part of the system can also pass through a flat area.

Sand, 10 centimeters high, is poured into the bottom of the trench, and it is compacted. A geotextile is laid on top of the sand, with the ends covering the walls of the channel with a small reserve. Then rubble is poured with a thickness of 10-20 centimeters.

Perforated pipes made of polymer are laid on a gravel pillow, joined and connected. Next, the pipes are covered with rubble, and the resulting system is covered with geotextile. The finished complex is covered with sand and soil.

Slope site design.

What should be the design on a site with a slope? The arrangement of a complex landscape on a site with a slope is difficult, tricky and looks like a difficult puzzle, it is associated with some features and has its own tricks. But this should not burden you at all or become an obstacle on the way to achieving excellent results. A well-thought-out approach to landscaping your special land plot will plunge you to a unique result and plunge you headlong into the world of extravaganza and bliss.

And the height differences will just give an excellent chance to implement the most decisive, original, immodest and extraordinary ideas. Ordinary flower beds have not been popular for a long time. And lovers of ornamental plants increasingly prefer unusual original flower beds. The most famous and used are alpine design and rockeries.

Similar plants are grown on alpine slides and rockeries. The only difference is that the rock garden is mainly a flower garden and a small part of the stones, and the rockery is a rock garden with a small number of flowers.

Alpine slides are the best suited for a piece of land with a slope. The use of rough hewn stones and lots of neat multi-colored flowers will give the site a wonderful, special look. Thanks to this design of the site with a slope, many goals can be achieved:

When planting green spaces on the site, you need to strictly adhere to special rules: the lower the point, the higher the vegetation should be. This means that low varieties of plants are planted at the top of the slope, and bushes and trees are planted in the lowland. Such a plan, the arrangement and planting of green plants can make the relief visually even.

The entire area must be planted. Between fruit trees in unplanted areas, you can plant a lawn or plants that cover the soil with a dense carpet. This includes ivy, chaenomeles, or other climbing plants. In addition to the aesthetic appearance, these plants are able to save the soil from washing it out.

In hilly terrain you will not do without paths and stairs. They need to be made comfortable and very practical, because you will have to move through them more than once a day. Paths are equipped on a more or less flat surface of the site. And in order to visually equalize the difference in heights, paths and paths are made winding.

Steps and ladders are suitable for steep slopes. With significant slopes, railings are mounted on one, or better, on both sides. If there are 10 steps or more, a concrete base is required to ensure stability and prevent the whole staircase from “slipping”.

A good way to arrange a site with a slope is to artificially change the surface of the slopes, the so-called terracing. The size and shape of the terrace areas will depend on their purpose, for a garden, for example, one width is needed, and for gazebos, another.

The division of the site into zones is carried out taking into account how it is located relative to the cardinal points. Here it is necessary to take into account the shading in order to plant shade-loving plants on this part of the earth, or to equip a bench.

When zoning a site with a slope, it is important to remember that the more terraces will be made on the territory, the lower the height of the fortification walls should be. It follows that their construction is a little easier. And all terraces must be equipped with their own drainage system.

Strengthening slopes.

How to strengthen the slopes on an uneven site? How to prevent slipping of the loose mass of rocks? Here it is necessary to strengthen the slopes by implementing all kinds of fortifying structures. The method of strengthening the soil depends on the slope of the terrain.

Method 1. Natural strengthening. For relatively gentle slopes (up to 30 °), creeping plants are used, which form a beautiful cover. Branching roots will serve as a natural frame. Lilac and willow bushes are planted in the lowlands. In the future, branching tree roots will continue to reliably strengthen the soil.

Method 2. Geomaterial. Geotextile or geogrid will give a good result. They creep on the site and sprinkle with soil. Over time, the soil becomes stronger, and does not lead to a modification of the relief. This protection is resistant to negative weather conditions and chemical influences. The service life of geomaterials is up to 50 years.

Method 3. Mound. Strengthening actions can be carried out by embankment. At the same time, it is important to remember that the embankment borrows the useful territory of the site, which means that it must be used in spacious areas. Regular pouring of the embankment will be necessary after a while, as the soil is knocked out at the sole.

Method 4. Retaining walls. Walls made of natural materials (stones, trees) look good and productive. Such a strengthening will protect the slope from decay and divide the space due to terracing. They can be placed on hilly terrain with different elevations.

Low walls (up to 80 cm), which play a more decorative role than the direct obligation to support the walls, are equipped on their own. The construction of a powerful structure capable of eliminating the sliding of soil masses must be entrusted to specialists.

Method 5. Gabions. Such modular structures are often used by landscape designers. Gabions are easily formed, filled with pebbles, rubble, stones. You can lay the ground in the recesses, and by spring, an inconspicuous grid with stones will be covered with greenery. Gabions can be bought or made from wire yourself. Walls made of stones, with breaking through plants, will give the site a noble antique look.

Useful tips when arranging a plot with a slope.

When designing fortifications, the forces affecting overturning and shifts are taken into account. Reliability and durability of the walls is given by the foundation, the thickness and depth of which depends on the height of the supporting wall, its purpose and soil.

The wall support counteracts vertical loads. The presence of a drainage system during the construction of walls is mandatory. It will prevent erosion of the base of the wall by rain and melt water.

Often used material for the construction of walls are stones. Natural or artificially made stones are laid out both on the mortar and without it. With the “dry” method of laying - without mortar, soil is placed in the voids, which is then sown with seeds. So it turns out that the lack of mortar makes the wall not a very reliable structure during frequent rains and during floods.

Brick is especially popular. Bricklaying makes it possible to build walls of any type, wavy and other unusual shapes.

Wooden objects succinctly fit into the landscape, but due to their special characteristics, their use as a fortification is not advisable. Of course, treatment with special preparations will extend the life of the wood, but still, this is only a temporary protection. Such a structure requires regular maintenance.

If, when erecting walls made of stone and brick, the height of the structure should not exceed 70 cm, then the use of concrete is allowed for 3 m. Here you can use factory-made concrete slabs or pour the concrete mixture into the finished formwork.

Remember, absolutely the first should be the project of the future home. Do you have a slope? So, you can make a relief, landscape paradise. Some people simply dream of such gifts of nature, measuring their ordinary flat area with steps. And the design of the house should take into account your unique relief. Do not take a typical solution, but consider possible additional effects.

The layout of the site under a slope is the arrangement of an extraordinary landscape with a clear, well-thought-out height difference. This method allows you to divide the site into functional zones and design it specifically.

A serious approach will allow you to get original solutions at the finish line. Hopeless at first glance, the shortcomings will turn into a highlight, as a result, the site located on the slope will acquire unique advantages that can arouse admiration from other owners living in the neighborhood.

Many people want to acquire only flat areas of land, relying on the ease of their use. However, sloping plots provide many opportunities for organizing a unique appearance and implementing original ideas. Therefore, you do not need to worry if you have a plot with a slope at your disposal.

Advantages of a plot with a slope:

If you have a plot with a slope, then here are ideas, photos, tips for you.

irregularities and what ideas, the designer modifies this relief beyond recognition , but as soon as I opened the word, the topic always turned up easier and my lazy brain instantly clung to it, like a saving straw :).
Well, there is nowhere to go, very rarely in our relief areas with a slope in Minsk and the Minsk region you can do without design, ideas, retaining walls, stairs, terracing and so on. So, let's figure it out together!

Basically, in such articles they write how cool and beautiful it is, then they add that you are very lucky, because you have a site with drops, create, everything is in your hands. All these parting words are abundantly “fertilized” with a huge number of ideas and a bunch of beautiful photographs from all over the world, and at the end of the article, some masochists definitely recommend smearing stones with kefir to root moss in retaining walls. But it doesn’t make it any easier for us, really :)

Since I like to understand fundamentally everything that includes the words design and landscape, this article is no exception. My main task will be not just sorting out ideas that are more misleading than helping , but rather an analysis of real practical experience that sets you up to understand and feel the characteristic and technical techniques that can help in solving planning issues related to your relief area, where is the retaining wall or stairs just a tool like other elements of improvement.

So be patient and let's deal with this difficult relief topic.
Pay attention in this context, the aesthetics of the stairs is very important, but I will not touch on this important issue within the framework of this material, since Dima has already tried and described everything in detail in this article - the stairs on the site.
First, let's find the beginning. Pay attention to this drawing, it clearly demonstrates the possibilities and consequences of the same relief. Which do you like?

What do we feel when we build a house and equip a plot, seeing obvious relief differences? Surely we assure ourselves to think about it later during landscaping work. But after each rain, washed away soil and exposed small ravines remind of the inevitable.

Approximately the same feelings of anxiety are transmitted to me when I am engaged in the construction and improvement of these relief areas in Minsk and the Minsk region. And at the first meetings with customers, a clear emphasis and hope can be felt in the conversation. - "What do you think Dima, it is necessary to make retaining walls or you can do without them." You can easily, I answer, in your case, bring 60 cars of earth and fill up the lower part of the site right up to the roof of the already built bathhouse :)

Where do these fears come from!? It's simple, all people are mostly visual and in this case they perceive the volume of their site statically and visually. Therefore, when we have a flat area, we perceive it expressively and whole, we easily navigate in further actions. Another thing is when our site has a clear slope and relief differences, which raises many questions: where to place a retaining wall, what to build, hire people or do it yourself, how to link everything into one whole, what and where should the stairs be, whether drainage and so on.

All of these factors prevent us from clearly seeing our site as a whole. And we, at the subconscious level, want to align everything and evenly divide it into terraces.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many TO-18 loaders in Minsk!? provide site planning services.

Machinists, who plan our sections, say - “so, now I’ll plan exactly here and trim it, don’t be afraid, the owner will be like a runway.” And imagine if they thoughtfully approached the change in the relief, suggesting what to preserve and what to strengthen, our sites would noticeably change.

Dima-Dima again idealistic nonsense, tractor drivers thinking about harmony and compositional integrity in landscape design, they don't even know such words.
Hence the main consequences in the form of a banal layout and a heap of ill-conceived monumental structures on the site with which one has to live in the future. How to avoid this?

Work out in detail on the master plan the possible options, thereby you will force your consciousness to perceive the area with the drops as a whole. Remember the plan provides an excellent opportunity for to see the interaction of all the fragmented elements and details, which is difficult to see in reality on the site. Each of you has his own manifestation of the relief, someone is in a lowland, someone has a tangible difference along the border line between neighbors, someone thinks where to put a house on a slope, and so on ad infinitum.

It is the hand-drawn plan that becomes a tangible breakthrough in the understanding of the site. Your, as it seemed to you, problematic topographic feature, now you can embrace it completely before your eyes, print 10 copies, edit over it with a marker, offer different options until you feel an interesting development of the scenario.
As you continue to work with the plan, you must constantly ask yourself the question, how else can I beat this drop?

Then our goal is to further develop this theme and enhance the perception of nature.
Make it the main goal and the general theme of your site. So at this stage it is important to know the circulation of traffic on the site (I hope you have already drawn a plan where the paths, bathhouse and other volumes will be!), set priorities - highlight the main movement, that is, from parking to the house, from the house to the bathhouse and secondary paths for walking around the garden, what is this for ?!

Look, many of the relief areas where I was engaged in construction and landscaping in Minsk had already filled “supports” in the entire width of the area from fence to fence. Moreover, the main movement to the lower part occurred only through one-twentieth of the retaining wall where there was a staircase, and for the rest of the length the tiled retaining wall with a parapet was an alien element and destroyed the usable space?

Don't you think that it is much cheaper, more logical, and most importantly more organic to arrange a fragmentary retaining wall and stairs, and beat the rest of the drop using geoplastics and slope terracing.
In this context, we are reinforcing our main goal to make the site feel as natural and organic as possible .

These slopes are subsequently ideal for creating a rock garden and lend themselves very well to landscaping with lawns and various crops that strengthen the upper horizon. In which you can design step-by-step stairs made of natural stone, arrange interesting patios, plant trees and shrubs, in other words, use them for their intended purpose.

The story on this topic, until I forgot. One early morning, a man called me and asked me to urgently come to his site to solve the drainage problem, which was not related to landscape design. Arriving at the site in Tarasovo, I began to conduct hydrological surveys, and at that time he lamented for a very long time over the fact that he had chosen this site for building a house in the Minsk region. And now on its site with a strong slope at the very bottom there is always water and interferes with the construction work of the bath complex.

The granulometric composition of the soil of this area is loam, and besides, with a high COG. The customer insisted on carrying out drainage work. His house was being built for sale, and this wet moment confused potential customers. I offered him to turn the disadvantage into a distinctive feature. Namely, let a stream with a waterfall go down the slope and arrange a lake with fragrant water lilies near the bathhouse from below, attach a terrace on pillars to it.

Stormwater collected from the house is also to be dumped into this lake. On the spot, on the “knee”, I sketched out the concept and design of his site with a slope for him. At first, he was distrustful of this idea and probably thought “what kind of idiot this Dima is and who entrusted him with the level,” but then he apparently realized that for the same money for reclamation that he would dig into the ground, you can get elements that enrich the artistic site value. Accordingly, its liquidity in the real estate market will increase. Subsequently, he applied for a project on this topic.

Remember, when you develop logical and characteristic themes on the site, then it will a priori look natural and beautiful.

Moreover, by manipulating the terrain, you enrich the variety of views from different vantage points. Make perspectives on other volumes of your garden semi-hidden and fascinating, gradually opening up.
Here is an example of the characteristic development of geoplastics. A customer contacted me with a request to find ideas for a site with a slope, and subsequently for pouring retaining walls, arranging a rolled lawn. His house was located behind Zaslavl among beautiful views of the hills, meadows and forests (this relief area in the region of Zaslavl and Logoysk in Belarus is commonly called Belarusian Switzerland) Moreover, he has no neighbors from all sides (lucky man). The house was built in the half-timbered style and lined with earth on all sides, and on three sides it is surrounded by terraces for admiring the Belarusian landscapes.

Having admired all this beauty, I didn't even think to fill in the retaining walls. I already intuitively knew what to do and was completely immersed in thoughts of how to technologically transfer the characteristic landscape motifs to the site of my client. As a result, the entire landscape around the house was designed in the form of green slopes with stones. In general, what is in the window is in the store.

In these conditions, our sites are limited geographically. We no longer have 25 acres, but usually 10 or 6 :( Every meter is important here. In this case, we need to work more carefully with the plan and think through the landscape design in detail.

And here we can safely state that we are part of society. In such dense urban, suburban and cottage areas, we feel like in an aquarium! dimension is the official entrance group in front of the house.The second dimension is the area behind the house, and the third is the most sheltered, the most intimate for relaxation and reflection.Wind, noise, bustle is somewhere higher………
In this case, the sloping area is very good for us, since the descent is always identified with shelter and protection. And with proper zoning of the site, we can develop and enhance this feature of and eventually get a chamber patio, a small lawn or a gazebo by the pond, hidden from prying eyes, that is, our main requirement is to create isolation.

Here is a good example.
Small plot on all sides densely populated by neighbors . I, while planning and designing a garden in Raubichi, Minsk region, isolated the most remote corner even more, and strengthened the feeling of intimacy by a general decrease. Moreover, he revealed and enhanced the characteristic natural features of the site with a slope, equipping from top to bottom a stream that flows into a pond under the terrace in the patio. The dimensions of this cozy patio repeat the dimensions of the terrace near the house. Everything is made from natural materials. Everything is focused on solitude and relaxation after a week of work.

  • Important . In the city and the suburbs, natural materials - wood, stone, earth, plants, water - become even more important than in a distant village, where we are surrounded by all these textures in the literal sense. Therefore, make the most of natural materials to enhance your ecological island.

Let's look at a common planning error


Look, we can do it traditionally, just order the construction of a concrete retaining wall in Minsk, thoughtlessly pour it and we will get a lower terrace, or just 2 pencil cases crushing the most important area of ​​the garden.

It looks very disharmonious, but most importantly, these pencil cases subsequently determine the structure of landscape design.

In this example, we organized a retaining wall in the most active traffic zone in the form of a closed courtyard near the bathhouse, and designed the second part, where there is much less traffic, in the form of a descending slope that can be formed in the form of a rock garden or other volume. Such an arrangement will strengthen the relationship with the house and the bathhouse, create a much more harmonious development of landscape design, and in the future your stay will be much more comfortable. It turns out and saved and strengthened.

Important. Use the golden ratio. If you choose to combine a retaining wall with a natural slope, stick to the one-third rule. That is, either the slope occupies 2/3, and 1/3 is a support with a ladder, or vice versa. Use the laws of similarity and identity. Use the dimensions of the house and materials for facade decoration in the dimensions of retaining walls, patios, terraces. Let's say you have a house with a width of 11 meters. If this size is used in the dimensions of the retaining wall, patio, gazebos, then such a direct interaction unites disparate volumes. Your main task is to avoid fragmentation of unrelated elements.

Example “island” . I designed and built this zone in the form of a semicircle, which forms the lower island where there will be a gazebo and around the lake. Please note that on the side of the retaining wall there is a bridge for connecting two ponds, and the composition will be completed by a waterfall falling into the lake from the retaining wall.

This example shows a fragmentary retaining wall with stairs leading to the bath complex, I organized the rest of the area in the form of a natural slope.

Practice shows that many individual developers do not consider one of the best and more logical options for placing stairs, retaining walls and leveling the height difference on their site, on the side of the house, let's look at this option.

Each house has passages between the wall of the house and the fence on both sides, usually narrow.
These passages are ideal for the construction of stairs and retaining walls
1) With this arrangement, the stairs with the retaining wall will be located in narrow, little-used areas, as a result of which this gives us the opportunity to use the most important area behind the house without drops and heaps of concrete walls, for example, for family lawn.
2) There are many more options here to technologically link the landscape design with the design of the stairs, retaining wall or a group of stairs, terraces, as there are two verticals, a fence and a house wall. In which runs of stairs can rest. In addition, it is easy to use structures for vertical gardening.

And here is a clear example of a 1.5 meter difference, equipped on the sides of the house.

When designing the space of your site, always try to perceive retaining walls as an important element that must form some kind of isolated zone . That is, retaining walls are always more harmonious when they predetermine or highlight the neighboring volume with their shape.

Being engaged in landscape design and construction of this site in the Minsk region, I attached double importance to all retaining walls. Please note that in addition to its direct task - holding the rock garden soil, it is part of the "yin-yang" zone, that is, a structural continuation of another zone. You may ask what came first, an egg or a chicken :) In this example, it doesn't matter, what matters is a well-thought-out drawn landscape design plan that allows you to work out the neighboring volumes in detail.

Next example on this topic. Pay attention to what faceless entrance groups we have and landscaping in front of cottages in the Minsk region. We just put the road board right under the line and that's it! In this context, I designed this group in the form of a low stone retaining wall giving the shape of a wave, which, firstly, fulfills its direct task - cuts off the roadway from the local area, and secondly, forms cozy lawns with plantings, clearly demonstrating that landscape design is here begins in front of the house and gradually intensifies throughout the entire relief area.

Once again, the most important thing is not to make a common fatal mistake, do not divide the most important part of your garden behind the house “stupidly” into fires, you can always find an interesting, and most importantly, more organic development of the scenario. Moreover, imbued with the idea that the places of change in the slope of the relief must necessarily be emphasized or strengthened.
Just think, for the same money that we “swell” into concrete in Minsk, thereby deteriorating the artistic value of our suburban area, we can create, for example, a floating terrace, deck or gazebo towering over the slope of the site. The entrance to which we will densely plant with vines, leaving only a narrow passage.

Entering it, we will see the views and perspectives that we design. Such a terrace or patio will become the main and favorite feature of your relatives and neighbors, as well as a distinctive feature of your relief area , because in this case, the structure in the form of a terrace on an inclined area equally belongs to heaven and earth, isn’t it wonderful?! Well, at least not trivial.

Do not give up, look for exactly those features that are inherent in your terrain and terrain, enhance them and enjoy the result. And if you have a very complicated “puzzle”, drop the plan and photo of the site to my mail, I love embossed puzzles.

Learn more