4 Slope Landscaping Ideas To Maximize Your Yard
Jan 12th 2023
Sloped landscaping can create unique challenges. Whether your property features a steep, sweeping hillside or a subtle slope, it can be intimidating to think of the best ways to landscape your yard. Slopes are notoriously difficult to work on and navigate, while hillsides can pose a risk of soil runoff. However, having a slope on your property can offer some natural advantages, such as instant views and a dynamic sense of movement within your landscape.
No matter your needs for slope landscaping and hillside landscaping in Gainesville, FL, our experts with Evergreen Lawn Care have you covered. We offer a wide range of Gainesville, FL, landscaping and lawn care services customized to the exact needs of your property and your unique preferences. Here, our landscaping experts discuss creative slope landscaping ideas for a yard or garden that maximizes your natural space.
Contact our full-service landscaping company today to request a free estimate and to learn more about our available residential and commercial landscaping services!
Achor Your Garden To The Hillside
Hillside properties have several benefits, including built-in views and the ability to iterate a feeling of dynamism and movement with your plants on the hill. However, they also come with disadvantages. Oftentimes, the soil on a hillside is less than ideal for your slope landscaping needs. Hillside topsoil can wash away with rain, taking important nutrients down the hill. A common feature of hillsides is the presence of rocks. For rocky hillside landscapes, consider planting in pockets and supplementing the existing soil with fresh, nutrient-rich soil to properly establish your plants. When planning on a hillside, select plants that properly anchor to the sloping soil. Consider planting Florida ornamental grasses, like the Eastern woodland sedge (Carex blanda) or Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), a robust, leather fern that grows in clusters year-round.
Pick Low Maintenance Hillside Landscaping
When landscaping a downward-sloping front yard or hillside backyard, our landscapers in Gainesville know one of the biggest considerations is runoff. Runoff is among the most significant challenges with hillside gardens. This problem becomes exacerbated when a slope runs off into the driveway. Stick with plants that anchor your hillside, such as shrubs, ornamental grasses, and prairie plants. These plants form a mat of roots, holding the ground in place, and require minimal maintenance during the growing season. For low-maintenance hillside landscaping, consider Florida-native and Florida-friendly plants, such as the wood fern (Thelypteris kunthii), a semi-evergreen fern that makes a great low-hassle groundcover, or the golden groundsel (Packera obovata). This lovely evergreen groundcover produces yellow flowers in the early springtime.
Terrace Your Hillside With Stone
One of the challenges of steep slope landscaping is providing new plants to become sufficiently established before they wash down the slope, whether due to heavy rainfall or water runoff. Plants need water to establish their roots and attach to the hillside, but watering a bare hillside is an invitation for runoff. To help mitigate water runoff and soil erosion, consider adding large rocks and boulders to the hillside. Landscaping slopes with rocks is an excellent option for anchoring the soil while new plants on the hillside take root. You can create a hillside rock garden by allowing several large rocks to tumble from the top and land where they may. This offers the benefit of a natural appearance, making it look like the entire sloped landscape evolved independently. You can also create a stone wall, a classic option for terracing and taming hillside landscapes. Once in place, they offer a structure as functional as it is attractive, requiring little fanfare from the plants they surround.
Turn Your Hillside Into A Garden Walk
Among the most popular backyard slope landscaping ideas is a walkway on your sloped landscape. Terracing your walkway and planting flowers and shrubs on elevated sides of the walkway provides a sensation and appearance of abundance. In lieu of stone steps, you can choose to lay stepping stones that have just enough traction to keep walkers steady without sticking too far out from the hillside. Adorn the sides of the garden walkway with thin, tall perennials to further accentuate the level changes. Use containers and pot stand on lower levels of the hill to create focal points that will be enjoyed on the journey to the bottom of the sloped hill. Better yet, contact our Gainesville, Florida, landscaping company for professional landscaping service for results you will love! We offer a range of complete lawn and landscaping services to meet your needs and preferences. Contact us today to get a free quote!
