Beautiful Bath, set in rolling hills and valleys is full of some seriously charming houses with some seriously challenging, sometimes almost vertically sloping gardens!

Some of you may favor the visual stimulation, energy and sculptural form of levels over the flatter garden scene, but many more of you might be all too aware of their drawbacks;
difficult for the less able bodied and elderly to roam, highly annoying to lawn mow, hard to maintain and bewildering to decide what to do with.

But don’t despair…if you find yourself buying or renting your dream home with a sloped garden a little invention and imagination can go a long way. Sloped gardens can provide the perfect opportunity to create a dynamic space with various options available to you: a space full of vitality, interest, hidden corners, vantage points, light-catching hot spots, obscure locations for plinths and sculpture, spectacular cascades of alpine, ground covering or climbing species, and exciting water features introducing sparkle, wildlife and noise.

Many people go for a retaining feature, such as natural stone walling, timber sleeper structures or rendered block work. Built forms obviously have the benefit of creating patio areas or paved terraces to eat ‘al fresco,’ spaces for vegetable growing or even for storage or sheds. Larger-scale retaining features using masonry and stone work have to be very strong and stable with good drainage systems (so it is not recommended you try this yourself – call in the landscapers to save you from more cost later on down the line).

Do be careful with bolder features though, as they can end up being overbearing or cast deep shadows or damp areas, so it is vital that a good design keeps the features congruous with the shape of the land and surrounding landscape.

Stabilisation of the soil through good planting is essential. Plants with extensive fibrous roots systems are necessary. Deliberately and carefully placed trees, or canopies of trees, and shrubs add texture and can be dramatic and interesting, accentuating height and levels, whilst also practically stabilising. Great trees to use would be Fraxinus excelsior, Davidia involucrata or Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’.

The elements of surprise and vantage points can be used to great effect in the garden. Imagine sitting as the sun sets, on a level of your garden with a nice glass of wine, looking down upon your garden shed roof bursting alive with vital strange shaped vivid sedum’s or peering at your clematis draped pergola from an unusual aspect.

Children will love you if you go for a den or play area hidden away underneath overhanging deck areas, or an inbuilt slide.
Ramps or stepping can provide good access and the opportunity for built in seating or even amphitheatres for the more theatrical gardener.

If you garden is big enough, you may be able to explore different themes.
Sensuous grasses such as Anemanthele lessoniana and Calamagrostis are very effective at creating intrigue and delineation. (It is recommended to link up different terraces through interweaving features such as waterfalls, repetitive planting schemes or visually link paths).

Designing and spending time in your garden is the best investment you can make, and an even better investment is to call in the landscape designers so that you can really maximise the potential of your garden and enjoy it for many years to come.

Tom Eaglestone www.eaglestonelandscapedesign.co.uk
Eaglestone Landscape Design is here to help. Please call us on 07834855788