Advantages of a vegetable garden located on a slope.
First of all, it is a little easier to organize an irrigation system in such an area. Water does not accumulate on the beds, but rather quickly gets between them. There will be no stagnation of water on the slope. However, it makes sense to drain the area anyway.
The second advantage of such a site is its decorative potential. With the right approach, you can become the owner of a unique estate. Such a site provides an excellent opportunity for the location of waterfalls and alpine slides. Hilly terrain gives scope for the imagination of even a novice landscape designer.
Finally, even capricious heat-loving plants can be grown on a southern slope, since the slope will be well warmed up and illuminated.
Alpine slide
This element of landscape design traditionally rises above the site and when arranging an alpine hill, it is usually necessary to make an embankment. So why not use a natural slope, which will be an ideal location for such a “stone flowerbed”.
To create an alpine slide, flowers are used that feel good on rocky soil and slopes and strengthen the ground. This arrangement will allow you to emphasize the “rocky flowerbed”, highlighting it from the surrounding space
vertical garden
On a site with a slope, the most noticeable part will, of course, be the top wall or fence. Its design should be given special attention, for example, creating a beautiful vertical garden.
Along the most prominent wall at the top of the site, you can place tall plants in flowerpots or pots. You can also use vertical gardening techniques on the wall itself. Climbing plants such as virgin grape, honeysuckle, common ivy or vici grape are ideal.
Deck
A real deck can be built over a slope using decking boards. This platform will offer a beautiful view, and the deck itself will be an ideal place for relaxing in the fresh air. Most often, such sites are arranged near the house, but they can be built in any part of the garden that differs in slope.
The deck can be supported on pillars or a solid concrete foundation. A decking board is used that perfectly withstands all temperature changes and is not afraid of moisture.
On the deck overlooking the site, of course, garden furniture will be installed, which will turn the open area into a cozy area for family dinners in the fresh air
How to rationally use an inconvenient area.
Sometimes owners do not know how to properly manage a plot of land on a slope. Only relatively flat pieces of land are used, and the slopes remain uncultivated. In such places, the owners simply sow the lawn, or, in the worst case, the area simply becomes overgrown with weeds. This is an irrational use of land. Slopes often have fairly fertile soil on which vegetables can be planted. Due to the slopes, you can significantly increase the size of your garden.
Depending on the steepness of the slope, the site is divided into three types:
- gentle slope. The slope of the site is no more than 10 degrees;
- slope of medium steepness. The slope of such a section is much greater - from 24 to 28 degrees;
- steep slope. The angle of inclination of such a section is more than 30 degrees.
With a gentle slope, no difficulties arise with planting. You can use such a plot for planting vegetables, or you can try to plant a garden.
DIY raised beds: from box to filling
If a summer resident gets tired in the beds, it means he needs to change the beds. The traditional method of gardening with deep digging of the earth, daily watering, treating plants with pesticides and weeding, which then causes back pain, should become a thing of the past, according to adherents of the “smart garden”. By the way, the traditional method of growing vegetables in “bare beds” harms not only the health of summer residents, but also the garden itself: the quality of the land decreases, the yield falls…. Raised beds (also called warm or smart) in which everything grows with minimal human intervention are gaining popularity precisely for these two reasons: they improve the quality of the soil and free the summer resident from hard work.
FORUMHOUSE told how to create smart beds using the method of the famous national agronomist Nikolai Kurdyumov. This article examines other methods tested by members of our portal.
Decorative vegetable garden
Even a plot with a strong slope is not a reason to give up growing herbs, spices and vegetables. True, you will have to take extra care about arranging the beds. High beds in special flowerpots are perfect.
This plot has a strong slope, but this did not stop the owners from arranging a vegetable garden, which looks attractive and will bring a good harvest.
In the tight space between two stone retaining walls, there will still be enough space for cabbage and herbs
Ash instead of chemical treatment
Every year my neighbors spray their cabbage beds with all sorts of chemicals to keep pests away. The smell of these chemicals is such that you can smell it even in my garden.
It would seem that with such treatment of my neighbors’ beds, I have nothing to fear for my cabbage, but the fact is that the neighbors still cannot completely get rid of fleas and butterflies. I solved this problem differently. As soon as the time comes when the pests begin to multiply and appear in huge quantities, after each watering, right on the wet leaves, I sprinkle the cabbage with ash. I repeat: I do this after every watering! My cabbage is all covered in ash. It may look dirty, but it is not damaged by fleas and butterflies, which try to stay away from such foliage.
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Do you think I'm just cleaning it up? Nothing like that: before harvesting, I simply spray the plants with clean water from a hose, all the ash that has stuck over the summer can be easily washed off, and strong, healthy heads of cabbage appear in front of me in all their glory. By the way, the same protection method is used when growing radishes. The result in both cases (and over several years) is always beyond praise!
Flat slate
The only thing: this material is called fragile, and beds made from it require careful handling (although many gardeners say that thick slate can withstand up to 50 freeze-thaw cycles). Another point that may confuse you is that working with slate is not so easy; you will have to drill bolts for corner and connecting fasteners.
It’s easier to make a box from DSP than from slate, “I screw it with screws through the fasteners and that’s it.” If you make 20-24mm CPS, such beds will last for many seasons, perhaps they will last for your entire vegetable growing career. They are also environmentally friendly, durable, and can be moved from place to place if necessary. It is better to tighten the beds at the joints of the sheets at the joints - without ties, the box may simply not withstand when it is filled with garden “garbage”.
Lime is suitable for the role of an antiseptic in terms of the fact that it has an alkaline reaction, and putrefactive processes, coupled with various fungi, occur in an acidic environment. As if everything couldn’t be simpler.
We create high beds on the slope.
With some skill, raised beds can be created anywhere. To install them, you first need to clear the area. You can strengthen the soil, but you should not terrace the entire area. Raised beds themselves form steps that strengthen the soil. The sides are made of wood. For additional fixation in the soil, their legs are properly buried. It doesn’t hurt to put a fine mesh at the bottom of such a bed to protect it from moles. The height of the bed is chosen depending on the fertility of the site. If the soil in the garden bed is good enough, a bed with a side of 20-25 cm will suffice. However, if the soil is not fertile, you will have to build a compost bed. Its height can reach 50 cm. Do not make the bed too wide. The best option is a two-row bed. On a slope it is much more convenient to place several narrow beds than one large one.
There is no point in giving up, even if the garden is not located in the most convenient place. If desired, even such a plot can be turned into the dream of any gardener.
Where to start working on a site with a slope
The first thing to start with is to survey the area. During the examination, specialists will reveal:
You can determine the groundwater level yourself quite accurately if you pay attention to the plants that populate your area. If horse sorrel, marigold, sedge, nettle, cattail, and foxglove grow well on it, then this indicates a high level of groundwater - no more than 2.5-3 m. If they are located at greater depths, then wormwood, clover, licorice and plantain will grow on your estate (land).
When you have a complete picture of what the land you have received is like, you can begin directly to work on the site.
Paths on a site with a slope
There is no way to do without paths in a garden with complex terrain. They serve as the connecting link of all zones located on the site.
The width of the path is usually 1.2 m - this is exactly what two adults need to comfortably walk around the garden. If you are counting on a group of people, then the width should be increased to 1.5-2.4 m. For a path along which one person will move, 95 cm is enough.
Paths are made from a wide variety of materials. The most in demand are concrete, tiles, stone and brick. Gravel, mulch and wood are also used for these purposes, which are pre-treated to extend its service life.
Not straight, but winding paths will look most harmonious. They look very natural among trees and bushes, creating a natural landscape.
As you can see, there are a lot of options for arranging a site that is located on a slope. All you have to do is choose the one you like and get to work.
"Wild" slope
It is not at all necessary to put your site with a strong slope in perfect order. It is quite possible to leave it in its natural state, providing only a convenient descent and ascent in the form of steps or stairs. And on the sides of the path, let plants that do not require constant care grow, such as crocuses, botanical tulips, mint and lemon balm, bells, St. John's wort, and ajuga.
By the way, all ground cover plants perfectly strengthen the slopes. In addition, for this purpose, you can plant sea buckthorn, brooms, rose hips, lilacs, cotoneasters, Japanese quince - all these shrubs do not require special care and feel great on an inclined surface, holding the soil with their roots.
Who said that a plot on a slope must be decorated with regular flower beds with their clear boundaries and have a “sleek” civilized appearance? Are natural slopes with their wildflowers and shrubs any less attractive?
In conclusion, we note that landscape design experts are confident that it is easier to design a site with a slope when the house is located on a hill. However, if there is no other choice and the cottage had to be located at the very bottom of the slope, do not despair - many of our tips can be used for this location, which is considered the most unfavorable.
In general, many professionals are convinced that flat terrain is too boring, but a natural slope can be used “to the fullest,” turning it into an unusually beautiful place. Try it, perhaps after completion of the work you will also be convinced that they are right!
- Author: Maria Sukhorukikh
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Stream and waterfall
If your site has a slope, this is an excellent opportunity to create an artificial stream or waterfall. To do this, you won’t have to build an embankment or worry about water drainage; everything will happen naturally. A water cascade can also decorate a retaining wall supporting one of the terraces.
The slope is already there, all that remains is to take care of the bed of the future stream and think about where exactly your future river will flow
A cascading stream on a slope, surrounded by lush juniper thickets, looks very natural, it seems created by nature itself
Observation deck with bench
A site with a slope usually does not offer places to relax - only terraces and paths with steps connecting them. Designate one terrace for a small recreation area - plant a tree there and place a bench in its shade. You will get a beautiful observation deck where it will be so pleasant to sit with a book or just admire your lush garden. Of course, to arrange the viewing area, it is better to choose one of the upper terraces to ensure a beautiful view.
Find a place on the site for a sofa swing or a regular bench and you will get an excellent relaxation corner with a view of the entire lower part of the site
