@GardenerSuze Thank you so for much your kind comments. I spent months staring at that space!! As @jamesphillips1981 is an engineer, a few wide steps down away from the decking will perhaps make things feel more ‘joined up’, lose more of the grass if they don’t want so much, and also could give an area at bottom of garden if it catches either morning/late sun.
A terraced rockery using natural stone can work. One of the previous owners of my property laid one out on a slope in my garden. I removed the traditional rockery plants and replaced them with grasses, ferns and perennials.
Another engineer here (civil). I have your problem, but in reverse. Decking at back of house, then slope up to middle level. Last summer I embarked on a job to extend the bottom level away from the house by 3m. Originally employed a landscaper, but sacked them after they did 5 days work in 4 weeks and the work they did do was shocking. I then managed the rest, ordering in a digger/driver, materials, builder, turfer as required.
I can't see your photos, but if i can offer any advice based on my before, during and after photos below, let me know.
Things to consider - access for plant, delivery of materials (one time my supplier delivered 3t of sand and gravel in wrong vehicle which wouldn't go up my lane. I spent the weekend moving it a wheelbarrow at a time ), drainage.
Basically wasted a summer for me, and I still had a few jobs left to do in March. But so glad i sacked the landscaper as I know I have a much better job than he would have left, and it saved me money.
First of all can I thank everybody for taking
the time to reply to my message. I was worried I wouldn’t get any, but
lots of useful comments so far. It really is appreciated.
Disappointed that my photos are not showing up,
they are on mine! Lets have another go, could somebody please confirm if they are visable or not?
Have the pleasures of a large sloping garden and in my wisdom thought it was a bright idea to use sleepers dug in vertically. Really happy with end result but it was a total beast and would likely have opted for an easier option on reflection.
Ah- that's better, we can see them now It's not too bad a slope - I've seen lots much steeper than that. @Wrigs21's garden is what I'd call a slope. It largely depends on how you want to use the space, so that's the first consideration. How much of the deck you want to keep is the next thing, and then a decision as to whether you keep it as decking, or use paving/gravel etc instead. Your budget is also a big factor in that decision. I think @Kathm's photos show what can be done to make everything gel beautifully, but if you have small children you might want a flatter area for them - swings slides etc. I have friends whose gardens are/were on a very steep slope, like many round here, and one had a large deck with a trampoline set into it, for example. That kind of thing can easily be altered later when they start hiding themselves in their bedrooms in front of a computer screen instead. Most people terrace the slopes to make them more user friendly, so you could do that in a conventional, geometric way, renewing or replacing the deck depending on the condition of it, or adopt a more sweeping set up like @Kathm's lovely space. Keep steps deep and wide, and part of the hard landscaping as that always looks better. Basic things like hanging out washing become awkward on a steep slope too, so don't forget about that, unless you have another area not visible in those pix for doing that. Storage for tools is another consideration, as that isn't the most attractive thing to look at from the house, so have a think about positioning that type of thing elsewhere rather than on the deck.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I would try to achieve a flat lawned area for your children to play using terracing in the way that @Glasgowgardener777 has done. If those are concrete gravel boards below your fence, they should help you make raising the height of the space easier. They seem to be anticipating this to be done! I would also want to relocate the shed and disguise it with some evergreen planting.
@Wrigs21's is not a slope, it's a hill! Amazing transformation
though, how I envy a civil engineer.
It occurred to me just now that I didn’t re-post my drawings. I only did
the photos. I shall try and add these below.
At the moment the plan at the lower part of the garden is to keep it grass (yes
I do think we will try and flatten it), and to create a sleeper wall and some
raised beds to put some treas in for screening.
The area I am confused about is between the decking and the border. There
is not a lot of space and it just feels very awkward. I will let you see
the 2d plans and hopefully somebody will have a good idea.
Don't worry the bike shed is going! The wife
has already decided that!
1st drawing is how it is at the moment...
The 2nd shows what we think we have decided on. The hatched area is whats up for debate.
Posts
I can't see your photos, but if i can offer any advice based on my before, during and after photos below, let me know.
Things to consider - access for plant, delivery of materials (one time my supplier delivered 3t of sand and gravel in wrong vehicle which wouldn't go up my lane. I spent the weekend moving it a wheelbarrow at a time
Basically wasted a summer for me, and I still had a few jobs left to do in March. But so glad i sacked the landscaper as I know I have a much better job than he would have left, and it saved me money.
First of all can I thank everybody for taking the time to reply to my message. I was worried I wouldn’t get any, but lots of useful comments so far. It really is appreciated.
Disappointed that my photos are not showing up, they are on mine! Lets have another go, could somebody please confirm if they are visable or not?
It's not too bad a slope - I've seen lots much steeper than that. @Wrigs21's garden is what I'd call a slope.
It largely depends on how you want to use the space, so that's the first consideration. How much of the deck you want to keep is the next thing, and then a decision as to whether you keep it as decking, or use paving/gravel etc instead. Your budget is also a big factor in that decision.
I think @Kathm's photos show what can be done to make everything gel beautifully, but if you have small children you might want a flatter area for them - swings slides etc. I have friends whose gardens are/were on a very steep slope, like many round here, and one had a large deck with a trampoline set into it, for example. That kind of thing can easily be altered later when they start hiding themselves in their bedrooms in front of a computer screen instead.
Most people terrace the slopes to make them more user friendly, so you could do that in a conventional, geometric way, renewing or replacing the deck depending on the condition of it, or adopt a more sweeping set up like @Kathm's lovely space. Keep steps deep and wide, and part of the hard landscaping as that always looks better.
Basic things like hanging out washing become awkward on a steep slope too, so don't forget about that, unless you have another area not visible in those pix for doing that. Storage for tools is another consideration, as that isn't the most attractive thing to look at from the house, so have a think about positioning that type of thing elsewhere rather than on the deck.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Again, thanks for the replies.
@Wrigs21's is not a slope, it's a hill! Amazing transformation though, how I envy a civil engineer.
It occurred to me just now that I didn’t re-post my drawings. I only did the photos. I shall try and add these below.
At the moment the plan at the lower part of the garden is to keep it grass (yes I do think we will try and flatten it), and to create a sleeper wall and some raised beds to put some treas in for screening.
The area I am confused about is between the decking and the border. There is not a lot of space and it just feels very awkward. I will let you see the 2d plans and hopefully somebody will have a good idea.
Don't worry the bike shed is going! The wife has already decided that!
1st drawing is how it is at the moment...
The 2nd shows what we think we have decided on. The hatched area is whats up for debate.