Ask Gerry
Garden Design : Banks and Terraces
1 - 6 of 6 answer(s)
suitable plants for Sloping Banks
To the side of our front garden, we have a steep Bank sloping, (25 mtrs. in length & about 2 mtrs drop) into our garden from the adjoining
property. We have had to put drainage to prevent heavy rainfall turning the area into near like waterfall conditions.
We have planted 4 pampas grasses and 6 phormiums.
The soil is sandy. We intend to mulch this area with
pebbles but would like to plant some suitable shrubs
to add interest and colour to compliment what we have. Any suggestions.
200420091, kilmuckridge, Co Wexford Posted: 30/06/2011
The best way to deal with a bank of this kind is to plant it out with a mixture of trees, shrubs and perennial flowers. Stone on a bank constantly moves down and weeds sprout in it.
Choose a few trees, perhaps three, such as birch, laburnum or acacia, soms shrubs such as hypercium, potentilla, fuchsia, lavender, viburnum, cistus and spiraea and perennials such as pampas, phormium, red-hot poker, geranium, dierama, osteospermum, teucrium, perovskia and Japanese anemone.
Cotoneaster
I have a dry embankment that is covered in wild grass. It is too steep to safely strim on a regular basis. I am thinking of covering it with weed fabric and then planting some ground cover plants to take the place over. Is Cotoneaster dammerii a good plant for this. Is this also more commonly called bearberry cotoneaster. How far apart should I plant them?
dboyle, Killybegs, Co Donegal Posted: 22/03/2010
This solution works to a limited degree.
A bank of this kind is unattractive because it is simply a bare slope. Covering it with cotoneaster is something of an improvement but a limited one.
Weed control fabric will work well unless debris lands on it and grass grows in the debris. The trick is to have the groundcover plants established before this happens.
Any bank is better planted with a few kinds of trees, shrubs and perennial flowers, the choice depending on where the bank is located. Use a few trees, more shrubs and some large perennial flowers to soften the appearance of the shrubs.
More on this at: http://www.garden.ie/gardendesign.aspx?id=404
Soil Erosion
our house was built on a field with a slope and we had to dig down the the foundations so now we have a bank at the back of the house. i am planting some vegetables this year. there is a 4ft drop from the bank down to the lawn. at the foor of the bank i planted some beech hedging last year. my problem is that the bank is eroding away, especially after the heavy frost this winter. are there plants that can bind the soil to slow this down. i cant really afford to put in a retaining wall or rows of sleepers so i was wondering if there was a more natural solution?
Tones692, , Co Limerick Posted: 22/03/2010
Any kind of plants will help to retain loose soil on a bank but only when they have covered the whole bank.
But the beech hedge you have planted will disguise it after a few years and you cannot put a wall where the beech is anyway.
The crumbling of a bank reduces as time passes and you can speed that up by raking down loose material. Even off the bank as best you can and allow the beech to hide it.
plants for a sloping bank
Hi Gerry
I have a sloping bank at the back of my house with a wet corner at one end. Can you recomend plants that are easy to maintain. I will be mulching between the plants. Are there are pictures of landscapped slopes that are mature. Sometimes it nice to see what the effect will look like in a few years
What would you think of dogwood (red and yellow). Is this a hard plant to maintain.The effect of this plant in winter is nice.
Mary
mmcmahon, Kilmaley, Co Clare Posted: 19/02/2009
A bank can be planted with any kind of trees and shrubs ... it is not necessary to use low ground-hugging plants. In fact, these do not disguise the bank but simply cover it. Use a mixture of shrubs of your choice, perhaps batches of low ones, some groups of taller ones and some trees to give height to the whole arrangement.
The dogwoods are fine for the wet spot, use others elsewhere.... and remember any kind can be used.
Check out our Plant finder for more choices: http://www.garden.ie/plantdirectory.aspx
slope
how does one correct a slope towards the house on a large garden>
MIsecaitlin, Palmerstown, Co Dublin Posted: 18/10/2008
The main way to deal with a slope is to make it into a terrace or series of terraces. In this way, areas of level surface can be created. The idea is to see the slope as a series of steps.
Making terraces means cutting and filling, digging by hand on small scale or with machinery. Retaining walls may be needed depending on location.
It is possible sometimes to widen the space at the house side, at the bottom of the slope and push back the slope by making it more severe. This might need engineering advice on a retaining wall.
Garden on a Slope
Gerry
I have been checking out the design's on the issues and your sample design's and got a couple of ideas but they all look like there on the flat.
I have a garden on a slope front to back. if you check my profile, i have some photo's to show the extent of the slope. the garden is 5 years old, Not much done to it but have this with my veg plot. Also my son uses a walker sometimes wheelchair. i looking for help for ideas for him making parts more accessable. can you point me in the right direction for idea's, books website or designers. Regards
Jerry
oregaj, Lombardstown, Co Cork Posted: 28/06/2008
The July edition of The Irish Garden deals with terracing on a small scale. From your photos, you could terrace in some areas and create paths in others.
The scale of your garden is quite large and you should engage a qualified, experienced garden designer. Try www.glda.ie.