There is a good chance that some plants will come up between now and summer, so sit back and watch your new garden planning as you go(which is alot of the fun of gardening) take note of what you like(and dont) mark where they are so you have a base to work from. Choose the area you want the children to enjoy, with the grass to play on, and set that up first, but wait for the rest. Get to know people in your area and they may be splitting plants and have extra they dont need so plants maybe available that way. Most of all enjoy your new home.😃
One approach would be to put the project on pause for a year while you think about it and get the house stuff sorted. Maybe just reseed the lawn as it is so it can be used in summer. The slope could be kept strimmed or maybe peg down weed suppressant fabric. Spend the summer visiting a few gardens for inspiration, maybe check out your local Open Gardens scheme.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Spend a few weeks thinking about how you can use the garden. For example it's no good having the children's play area at the far end / bottom if they're very young and require supervision - better to have that nearer the house. Same with seating / eating areas - it looks a bit of a long haul from the bottom back to the house!
I wouldn't rush to do anything at the bottom even though it's flattish. I think you are going to have to go for terraced levels and any work you do at the bottom might be trashed when that gets done.
It's probably worth asking around if anybody knows a good hard landscaper who may be able to come and give you an idea of how much you need to spend to put terracing in properly. They'll almost certainly give you an estimate for free. On that sort of slope I'm not convinced it's a DIY job unless you really know what you're doing.
It will be worth investing in a proper job if you possible can - it would add value to the property. A poor job may be unstable long term.
There was a stunning garden featured on Gardener's World (possibly last year - maybe the one before). It might have been in Bath or another part of the west country. She had a huge slope and basically made about 3 different levels - each with it's own character and screened from one another with shrubs and trees. From the house you looked down on tree tops. The path and steps zig zagged through the plot so it felt much bigger than it was.
Expensive but maybe a basic plan to keep in mind as you plan. Much better to build slowly towards a grand plan than to rush in with lots of quick fixes which you keep undoing to do the next stage.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Another vote for sitting down, breathing and watching what happens. You never know what may come up from winter hibernation underground so for at least one whole gardening season it's best to wait and see and take photos and make notes. In the meantime, just cut any grassed area regularly and hoik out obvious weeds like dandelions, thistles, nettles. Note where the sun rises, sets, shines longest and where buildings or trees cast shade.
Observe other gardens in your area to see what grows well. Visit gardens to see what kinds of plants and features you like and make notes from those plus magazines and TV progs so that you come up with a wish list - lawn, terrace, BBQ/entertaining area, pergola, arbour, veggies, fruit, trees, wildlife area, pond/water feature, shed, greenhouse, composting bins and so on.
Then draw the plot to scale and start to sketch them in and finally, as ideas firm up and you have more time and budget from house jobs you can start to workout priorities and introduce new features. That slope could be terraced at great expense and effort or you could create a winding path going across it and plant a mini woodland/alpine garden with small trees, shrubs, wildflowers.........
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I think the top priority should be safe access down the slope, particularly if you're going to let small children go out there (or older family members). I know pictures can be deceptive but those steps look treacherous (narrow, steep, uneven, no handrail).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
If you go for terracing by a builder or landscaper, make sure they keep the topsoil on the top and the subsoil underneath. They ought to know that, but it's best to make sure.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Oh yes, l remember the excitement of your first home and garden ! Really just to echo what everyone else has said, take a step back and breathe ! It will still be there tomorrow, as my nan would have said. I suggest you take a look online - if you Google "Dealing with steep gardens" or something similar, you get loads of ideas and suggestions and videos. No need to rush, it won't be easy, and if money is tight, save up as much as you can for a while. You'll find that gardening is a long term thing. If you want to get some ideas of costs, by all means get some quotes, but don't be pushed into anything, and beware anyone who says "Oh, you're in luck, we've had a cancellation and can fit you in next week". The best builders and landscapers are in high demand and you might have to wait months, also you pays your money and you takes your choice. Anyway that's my input. I envy you your youthful enthusiasm!
Take it the metal stairs on the left in the first photo is your access to the garden. Your top terrace get your height then get H beam cut to your height plus 2 feet concrete in to ground. Then buy heavy treated timber to slip down in the H of your beams then heavy black plastic nailed onto the inside of your wood before you fill back against will last for years. I've done two gardens that way you and a couple of friends could do that am sure hope this helps you.
If you have a local garden club or horticultural society you could join them. Most people are happy to share their knowledge and many gardeners are generous with surplus seedlings and divided plants. Even if they wouldn't be your first choice in the garden centre at least you know that shared plants will grow in your area.
Posts
I wouldn't rush to do anything at the bottom even though it's flattish. I think you are going to have to go for terraced levels and any work you do at the bottom might be trashed when that gets done.
It's probably worth asking around if anybody knows a good hard landscaper who may be able to come and give you an idea of how much you need to spend to put terracing in properly. They'll almost certainly give you an estimate for free. On that sort of slope I'm not convinced it's a DIY job unless you really know what you're doing.
It will be worth investing in a proper job if you possible can - it would add value to the property. A poor job may be unstable long term.
There was a stunning garden featured on Gardener's World (possibly last year - maybe the one before). It might have been in Bath or another part of the west country. She had a huge slope and basically made about 3 different levels - each with it's own character and screened from one another with shrubs and trees. From the house you looked down on tree tops. The path and steps zig zagged through the plot so it felt much bigger than it was.
Expensive but maybe a basic plan to keep in mind as you plan. Much better to build slowly towards a grand plan than to rush in with lots of quick fixes which you keep undoing to do the next stage.
Observe other gardens in your area to see what grows well. Visit gardens to see what kinds of plants and features you like and make notes from those plus magazines and TV progs so that you come up with a wish list - lawn, terrace, BBQ/entertaining area, pergola, arbour, veggies, fruit, trees, wildlife area, pond/water feature, shed, greenhouse, composting bins and so on.
Then draw the plot to scale and start to sketch them in and finally, as ideas firm up and you have more time and budget from house jobs you can start to workout priorities and introduce new features. That slope could be terraced at great expense and effort or you could create a winding path going across it and plant a mini woodland/alpine garden with small trees, shrubs, wildflowers.........