I have a yard that has a terrible slope, and I need some ideas - mostly do it myself, and of course, budget friendly. We have recently built stairs down the side of the deck to the bottom of the yard, but I want to plant something (not grass - can't mow it!) to stop further erosion, and make it look respectable.
I'm in Georgia, Zone 7, clay/mud soil, the slope gets morning and afternoon sun, but shade hits around 4PM.
Help!
I've never worked with a steep slope like this (the one behind my house, nature has taken over) My suggestion would be something like terraced beds. I'm sure someone will come through with some really good ideas.
If you are talking about under the deck can you show a better pic?
I live on a hill and have a lot of slope to work with. I am gardening in zone 4.
What I do is:
1. put down a cover of farmpost manure ground with straw and aged. I get it from a race track.
2. cover this with burlap that is well ancoor with sod staples.
3. put down a second later of farmpost.
4. plant directly through the 3 layers.
I have planted only plants that are under 8" since otherwise they lay down.
What I have planted: many many kinds of sedum, pacasandra, wild ginger, hosta, wild geranium, snow on the mountain, ajuga, money wort, heuchera there is more I just can't remember right now.
The shrub at the top is wild roses. This is a north facing hill and gets maybe an hour of sun a day.
This message was edited Mar 27, 2009 7:58 AM
The pink is creeping phlox.
This hill faces west and isn't as steep as the other.
This gives you an idea of how steep the hill is.
Not under the deck, although that's an option, too. Think I'm going to hang a swing there. It's the far side of the steps, and I'll post a pic later tonight of the slope. Was thinking some trees or bushes near the fence up top, and some shrubs along the stairway and near the bottom.
Ok, finally stopped raining long enough to get a few pics . . . .
I'm heading to the nursery tonight, and have some ideas for the fence sides (shrubs, hostas), but I'm still struggling with the middle. Maybe some landscape timber steps - something easy? I figure I'll need some access to beds - but no annuals, unless I can get to them easily.
I like the idea about the burlap instead of landscape fabric, so that the mulch/pinestraw doesn't slide all over.
Again, any ideas are much appreciated!
Another view - - -
The burlap works well. It decomposes, but it takes two or three years and by then the roots have taken hold.
What about using that netting stuff you lay down as a seed starter? I'm thinking of getting as many weeds out as I can, but I know b/c of the slope I'm not going to get everything, so I was planning on laying landscape fabric/weedblocker to try to kill the rest, then either that or burlap on top.
Will that work?
Landscape fabric/weedblocker is more work than it is a help. It is hard to keep under the mulch and really does not look good. It also doesn't keep seeds from falling there and germinating. If you want to kill off what is there cover it with plastic for 3 or 4 weeks and then proceed to plant.
