Sideways sloping garden

alexyKEIJ5ps · September 2020

Hi. I would really appreciate some garden design advice in dealing with a sideways sloping garden. We have a triangular shaped plot which already has a border down the left side and established shrubs planted up against a mature beech hedge on the right. The bottom of the triangle is open with a driveway running along the back. Our plan is to plant hedging to close off the open bottom of the triangle to conceal the driveway and plant a new border in front of the hedge to create a fully enclosed lawned garden. The challenge we have is that the garden not only gently slopes down but also slopes sideways with a drop of about 40-50cm from left to right where the new hedging and border will be going in. One option we are considering is adding some retaining between the new hedge and the new border to help level off the slope. I was wondering if there were also some planting techniques to help reduce the appearance of a sideways sloping border? I’ve added a couple of pics below. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/4w/yvrxylqg8bec.jpeg

Fairygirl · September 2020

Is there a reason it bothers you so much?
I don't think I've ever had a garden any more level than that. Maybe this one, but it slopes both ways too.
I can't see any problem with just having a hedge/border along the slope as it is.

Is the hedging going to run left to right in the photo [there's only one pic showing] and do you need access to the drive from that area?

KeenOnGreen · September 2020

Looks almost flat to me, I'd just treat it like a "normal" garden and plant whatever you like. I'd always recommend people avoid retaining walls if possible, they often come back to haunt you. You can visually counteract the slope by making any planting (including hedges) slope in the opposite direction. Slopes and angles are interesting, they can make a garden much more dynamic.

This is a (my) sloping garden. It's about a 40 degree gradient.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/gh/2358hwspse59.jpg

This is our curvy hedge in our front garden, just to show that hedges don't have to be straight! You can have fun with them.

Fairygirl · September 2020

I love your garden @KeenOnGreen - as you probably know

There's a hedge on a garden boundary not far from me which is trimmed in the shape of Nessie. just bog standard privet.
I haven't been that way for a while to see if it's still there. Always made me smile when I went past

KeenOnGreen · September 2020

Thanks @Fairygirl People seem to have fallen out of love with Privet, but we love it! I I wish we had the money/time/courage to plant more hedges behind this one, with a gap between each, so we could go for a layered wave effect. We once visited Glendurgan garden in Cornwall, where they have an amazing maze, and I'd love to create that sort of look.

Fairygirl · September 2020

It's a very effective look if there's room to play about with shapes. Topiary [ because that's what it is] doesn't just need to be cones and balls either

I would agree with you on privet. It's a very useful hedging plant. It can get bare here in some winters, but it also grows very well as it likes plenty of moisture.

You'll just need to buy a bit of 'acreage' to make yourself a nice wavy maze

alexyKEIJ5ps · September 2020

Thanks all for your thoughts. @fairygirl I actually like our gentle sloping garden. My main concern is that the new border will look lopsided when looking down from the top of the garden. I see how the hedge at the back can be trimmed so as to reduce the extent of the slope. (I am actually thinking Red Robin. I think I can also cut the border in a bit deeper at its highest point and bank up the soil at its lowest point to reduce the effect of the slope as well. Any other design recommendations when it comes to choosing plants that may also reduce the effect of the slope?

Fairygirl · September 2020

If you just want it to look level, you can put taller plants at one end, and shorter ones at the other, but that rather defeats the purpose of a herbaceous border. I'm assuming that's the look you're after though

If the border is attractive, the slope won't even be noticed.

If you're banking up soil to any extent, you'd be better putting a retaining edge of some kind there. That will depend on your preferences and budget.
Rocks of varying sizes can look effective as an edging, and fool the eye a bit, especially if you made the hedge curving and shaped like @KeenOnGreen 's curved one. A solid rendered block, or stone, wall would give a formal rectangular look, and the hedge could echo that.

Sideways sloping garden

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