When you think of landscaping the first things that come to mind are plants and flowers. You aren’t thinking about how the gradient of your lawn will play a part in your overall plan. Everyone has seen at least one gently sloping landscape and wished it were yours. A lot of thought went in the design of those yards. If your landscape design is not working like it should, then it could be that your lawn gradient is the problem.
Designing a landscape for a sloped yard can be difficult, but not impossible. One of the things that makes the landscape design difficult is plant choice. Slopes are beautiful to look at, but can quickly become boring if covered only in grass. The plants you choose need to be visually pleasing. Keep in mind that you need to visualize your choice from two viewpoints: looking from a window and looking up from the bottom of the slope. Your plants need to be hardy as well. Remember that water will run downhill and your plants will need to be able to withstand the runoff.
Another problem area to keep in mind is the balance of your design with the gradient of your lawn. Depending on how steep a gradient you have to deal with, there are features you can put in to help keep your design balanced and proportionate. Retaining walls, steps, and water features are all elements that will help your design immensely. Your plants will need to vary in height as you move down the slope in order to keep your view proportionate. It is important that you don’t compromise the view your sloped yard provides by putting in plants that are too tall or too short.
Dealing with hills, even tiny ones, can be frustrating and you will be tempted to just cut the offending slope away. Before you go out and rent a backhoe, stop and think about the consequences this action will cause. If you go cutting away at the slope, you are risking the integrity of the structures at the top of it. Also, part of the value of your land is based on the panoramic view the slope offers. Instead of removing the slope, you could put in terraces that will break it up and at the same time remove some of it without risking anything.
Sloped yards can be daunting to overcome. Incorporate elements that are beautiful and natural and you will have a design that no gradient can destroy.
