Many homeowners love their house, but not the sloped property on which it was built. Sloped yards can be dangerous to mow and difficult to maintain. Slopes and inclines are definitely a challenge, but they are one you can overcome. Sometimes a slope can be decreased, but only if the rest of the property is wide and flat enough to accommodate the movement of the soil. Slopes that cannot be decreased or flattened can be turned into useable space or landscaped in a manner that makes them attractive and maintenance free. The most important part of turning a slope into useable space is proper planning to make sure that the changes you make are safe and permanent.
Reseed the slope with a grass that does not require mowing. Use buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides), which requires very little water, spreads quickly, only reaches 8 or 9 inches in height and grows well in Mediterranean climates; fescues (Festuca spp.) also work well as a decorative no-mow grass.
Fill the slope with shrubs and groundcovers that don’t require maintenance and have root systems that prevent erosion. Choose drought tolerant and native plants that require very little attention and often don’t even need to be watered, such as rockrose (Cistus), ivy (Hedera), cotoneaster (Cotoneaster), evergreen currant (Ribes viburnifolium) and California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum). If you do need to water plants on a slope, water only the plants on the top and allow the water to naturally run down to the others.
Dig terraces into the slope to create multiple levels of useable sitting and play areas, adding retaining walls for stability. Keep these areas low maintenance by installing pavers, flagstones or more plants so that there is no need to mow.
Create a rock garden or dry creek bed using different colored rocks and colorful plants that grow well in dry, rocky soil. Plant mugho pine (Pinus mugo mugo), dwarf broom (Genista), yarrow (Achillea), ice plant (Delosperma) or lewisia (Lewisia) to add visual interest and color as well as eliminate maintenance. Build a dry creek bed only if you have a safe and legal area toward which you can direct the water runoff; never direct the runoff to the street or your neighbor’s property. Choose a well drained area of your property.
Things You Will Need
- Grass seed
- Retaining wall materials
- Rocks and gravel
- All of these plants will thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 and 9.
- Consult a structural engineer before building terraces, to make sure the flat areas you create will be safe and functional.
- Sunset Western Garden Book; Editors of Sunset Garden Magazine
- The Family Handyman: 6 Common Lawn Problems and How to Fix Them
- Home Buying Institute: How to Landscape a Sloping Backyard
- Grounds Maintenance: Landscaping on a Slope: An Uphill battle
- Las Pilitas Nursery: Simple Erosion Control for a Hillside or Garden Slope
- Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Getty Images