Joe, the cliff faces west but the house wall is about three or four feet in front of it so it is in shade for most of the day. The snow melt has brought down another couple of barrow loads and today I tried the idea of slates and roof tiles to support planting pockets but the earth covering isn't deep enough and I think I just made it more unstable. We're going to have another look at it once we have a dry spell and check out the soil depth/s. We're starting to think we need to just stabilise the top of the cliff and then let the rest of it find it's own level - it'll give my other half some excercise with the wheelbarrow
Thanks Lizmac. your daughter's garden sounds lovely and would be a good idea for the less steep part of our slope where we need easier access for management. The bit that's causing the problems though is almost vertical and quite close to the house wall so there wouldn't be sufficient space for sleepers to go. One of our neigbours has done something similar though along a bank that is about six feet high. They have horizontal sleepers held up by vertical ones at regular spacings then a further horizontal sleeper is at ground level that has been cut to fit around the upright ones. I don't know if that makes sense but it looks great.
Trifid House, It sounds as though you have succeeded in getting somewhere with your slope. I have a long list of possible plants to use but Burnet is one I haven't come across. Which Burnet is it? I have found Salad Burnett which is described as having an invasive root system to compete with Ground Elder (which is actually what we WANT!) I have also come across Great Burnet. Some sites say it needs moisture but usually our soil is sandy and light, What conditions do you have?
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Thanks everyone,
Joe, the cliff faces west but the house wall is about three or four feet in front of it so it is in shade for most of the day. The snow melt has brought down another couple of barrow loads and today I tried the idea of slates and roof tiles to support planting pockets but the earth covering isn't deep enough and I think I just made it more unstable. We're going to have another look at it once we have a dry spell and check out the soil depth/s. We're starting to think we need to just stabilise the top of the cliff and then let the rest of it find it's own level - it'll give my other half some excercise with the wheelbarrow
Thanks Lizmac. your daughter's garden sounds lovely and would be a good idea for the less steep part of our slope where we need easier access for management. The bit that's causing the problems though is almost vertical and quite close to the house wall so there wouldn't be sufficient space for sleepers to go. One of our neigbours has done something similar though along a bank that is about six feet high. They have horizontal sleepers held up by vertical ones at regular spacings then a further horizontal sleeper is at ground level that has been cut to fit around the upright ones. I don't know if that makes sense but it looks great.
Trifid House, It sounds as though you have succeeded in getting somewhere with your slope. I have a long list of possible plants to use but Burnet is one I haven't come across. Which Burnet is it? I have found Salad Burnett which is described as having an invasive root system to compete with Ground Elder (which is actually what we WANT!) I have also come across Great Burnet. Some sites say it needs moisture but usually our soil is sandy and light, What conditions do you have?
Cheers, Carly