Sloping Garden Design
June 25, 2012
I love designing sloping sites I think they make the most interesting gardens. I've designed many sloping gardens and consider myself to be a bit of a slope specialist. I'm designing steeply sloping, one acre garden in Chalfont St Giles (Buckinghamshire) at the moment. Creating a garden on a steeply sloping site is challenging, and if you don't know where to start here are a few pointers.
If you're looking to create some flat space/spaces then the only way to do this is to terrace the garden. The bad news is that you'll need to build some retaining walls to support the terraces and this is not cheap.
The first step is to measure the space and then survey the levels. You need to find out the height differences between various parts of the garden. You can hire surveying equipment and your local library will have books on how to use it. If you have complex level changes and are considering doing your own garden its well worth paying a garden designer to come round and do the level survey for you. Your local horticultural college may also run a one-day course.
It's very important to get the levels correct. This will tell you how high any retaining walls need to be for any given distance away from the house. For example, with a garden that slopes away from the house, if you are trying to create a patio area directly outside the house the further away from the house you wish the patio to extend, the higher the retaining wall you will need. A higher retaining wall needs more steps to access the lower/higher level. If possible, avoid very high retaining walls, and split the garden into fewer, shallower levels.
You will need to decide what material you want to use to build the walls. There are many different options – rendered blockwork, brick, stone, gabion cages, railway sleepers, timber and even compacted earth. Your choice of building materials will depend on your budget, the look you're going for, and what the wall is to support.
Getting rid of any earth excavated is another consideration. You will need to dig footings for the walls and excavate the levels and this will create a pile of excess soil. So, don't forget to factor into your costs the price of skip hire or a grab loader to dispose of the soil.
In my humble opinion, gardens with different levels are the most interesting. The level changes dictate that the garden is split into different areas each with its own distinct character. You can use the level changes to create gorgeous water features. Paths can weave gently down through the levels. You have many design options. My garden in Berkshire is very steeply sloped, and although it's not huge, I've managed to create several different areas and a lovely journey around it.
Take a look at some of the sloping gardens I've designed – Kenley, Surrey, Binfield, Berkshire, Binfield, Berkshire, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.
If you need help designing your garden, including the provision of plans for all types of planning applications please get in touch through my Web site www.linseysgardens.com or email me [email protected].
To find a company who may assist you further, simply click on the free links located on the right hand side of the page.
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