Gardening on the slope

Working in and around the Chilterns means that many of the gardens we design and build are on sloping ground. The slope can vary from just a few centimetres requiring only a couple of steps to several metres where retaining walls and terracing are essential.

Sloping gardens can be a daunting prospect. How do you work out how to tackle the garden to transform it into usable spaces such as a level patio or lawn? How many steps do you need and how high should the step risers be? In gardens where the gradients are steep or complex, the essential starting point is always a professional topographical survey. It's so easy to underestimate just how much the garden slopes from front to back and side to side and the human eye can be easily deceived when judging level changes by sight only.

Once we have the survey, it then becomes much easier to work out the position and number of steps required, heights of retaining walls, raised beds and terraces. Although more challenging to design, sloping gardens present great creative opportunities to exploit changes in ground levels to add style, function and interest to a garden. If you have a sloping garden and need help, why not contact us to arrange an initial design consultation.