Landscaping on Steep Slopes: Hillside Landscaping
Flowering Ground Covers
Need a plant that will beautify your slope while also holding back the soil and smothering weeds? These flowering ground covers may be just the solution for your problematic hillside. Browse my pictures to facilitate plant selection and click the accompanying links to read information that will help you determine if a particular plant is right...
Building Dry Creek Beds on Hillsides to Prevent Erosion
Are you losing soil on a hillside to erosion? If so, consider installing a dry creek bed. This tutorial tells you how, step by step. And dry creek beds look so good, some people install them even if they do not have erosion problems!
How to Build Stone Retaining Walls
Do you have merely a slight slope in your landscaping, a minor annoyance that you would like to "do something with"? The type of stone retaining wall described in this tutorial could be just the solution you are seeking. Being mortarless, it is a relatively easy undertaking for DIYers. And such stone walls look nice, especially in conjunction...
Juniper Plants for Hillside Landscaping
Those seeking plant options for landscaping slopes should strongly consider junipers, especially creeping junipers. One type is 'Blue Rug'. These ground covers work well, once established, on sunny slopes. They will suppress weeds and cut down on erosion. And honestly, do you want to continue to have to mow those steep slopes? These plants are...
Landscaping Hills With Pachysandra
Creeping junipers perform well in sunny areas. But what about a ground cover for shady slopes? Pachysandra is one choice. These ground covers are not as tenacious as junipers, but they can be effective on medium-sized inclines. Pachysandra will not grace your hillside landscaping with the floral display of the next entry but has nice foliage.
Creeping Phlox Plants
A slight slope in a sunny area can be covered with creeping phlox as a groundcover to help prevent erosion. Phlox bears a myriad of blooms in spring (prettier than Pachysandra's flowers), and using it in hillside landscaping gives you an optimal opportunity to show off its beauty. But like Pachysandra, phlox won't prevent erosion on steep slopes.
Building Outdoor Steps
Building landscape steps will allow you to scale inclines in the yard, be they steep slopes or moderate hills. I asked a professional in building outdoor steps about such issues as selection of materials and the use of railings. Here are his answers.
Railroad Ties for Retaining Walls and More
Customers have contributed photos to Railway Sleepers.com, illustrating some of the many uses for railroad ties ("railway sleepers" in the U.K.) around the yard. Retaining walls, landscaping steps and raised beds made of railroad ties are just some of the ideas explored on this site. See their "Railway Sleeper Project Photos" section.