Landscaping a 90ft garden currently on multi-levels?

ian103

only a suggestion - keep the 3 levels and create a plantedbank between each level, this would remove the sharp fall over a vertical edge but there will always be a drop. The only other idea would be to have lots of smaller level changes but this will be hard to maintain.

SailorSam

I was watching a programme on Tv a week or two back, one of these housing ones where they were buying/updating. One of their big concerns they had was a garden similar to the one you describe and they were worried about their children getting hurt, The solution they found was to make a slide, it looked as if they'd had it custom made to size out of stainless steel with a slight curve, similar to a helter-skelter. It still meant the kids had to go up the steps to get to the higher level but it was fenced in and they could come down the slide.

Leif

You could create one sloping level, but that has issues of its own. If you do reduce the number of levels, scrape off the topsoil, level the sub-soil, and then put back the top soil, otherwise you'll expose sub-soil leading to low fertility in some areas. The easy solution for a child is to erect a fence with a lockable gate at the end of the safe area. Thus the rest is off access to the kid(s). Once they are old enough, they can access other areas. I would go for a metal fence such as railings rather than a wooden one so that it does not trap cold air, and instead cold air can run down the garden, avoiding a cold trap. An alternative is decking at the house end, although I hate the stuff, horrible nasty trendy vile stuff.

If the pond is clay lined, you probably want to remove the bottom so that it drains before filling. If concrete lined, get a sledgehammer and safety goggles. If a butyl or plastic liner, well, just remove it and fill with soil. Bulk soil is not expensive e.g. £100 for 1000 liters.

With such a large garden you can grow some nice fruit trees at the end, but find out where the pipes are. You don't want to plant a tree near a sewer pipe. Same goes for when you are levelling the garden.

Leif

Mojisola wrote: »

This is the problem - have you any ideas how you will make steeper drops safer for the children?

Add extra soil at the slopes to make them less steep. Grass slopes are one option, or a sloping bed planted with shrubs, not pyrocantha or rose though, something soft. There are some nice low growing Hebes and Cotoneasters. Or fill with strawberry plants, prostrate rosemary, etc. You could also have terraces between each level patch. Each terrace is supported by bricks or stones on one side to retain the soil, and planted with whatever takes your fancy. It could look really nice.

SailorSam

One of the things i'd be thinking about with such a big garden that slopes towards the house is, how good are the drains. How many houses have we seen flooded this week with all the rain we've had.

Mojisola

Leif wrote: »

Add extra soil at the slopes to make them less steep. Grass slopes are one option, or a sloping bed planted with shrubs, not pyrocantha or rose though, something soft. There are some nice low growing Hebes and Cotoneasters. Or fill with strawberry plants, prostrate rosemary, etc. You could also have terraces between each level patch. Each terrace is supported by bricks or stones on one side to retain the soil, and planted with whatever takes your fancy. It could look really nice.

That will reduce the amount of flat land on each level. It's worth discussing all these option with a professional so that the family's needs can be catered for. It's an exciting project, being willing to start planning a garden from scratch.

Leif

Mojisola wrote: »

That will reduce the amount of flat land on each level.

Of course it will, but if the alternative is having children fall over vertical drops, it is a sacrifice worth making is it not. In practice the garden is long, so I think the OP could spare a few feet at each zone between levels.

Mojisola

Leif wrote: »

Of course it will, but if the alternative is having children fall over vertical drops, it is a sacrifice worth making is it not. In practice the garden is long, so I think the OP could spare a few feet at each zone between levels.

Railings/fencing/plant barriers are other possible solutions.

Itismehonest

I don't think (at least I haven't spotted) that the OP has mentioned the childrens' ages but. if it's only a 4-6ft drop over a total of 80ft+ then they'll be more likely to hurt themselves falling down the stairs indoors, I'd think.

ed110220

I would say that banks are significantly more difficult to maintain than proper terraces especially if grassed. Our garden is semi-terraced with three gently sloping grassed areas separated by two grassed banks.

It would be much easier if the garden was either one constant slope or terraced with retaining walls.

If planted, banks are easier to maintain but still a bit problematic I think.

Lastly, if it's only 4-6ft total drop the individual drops can't be that much? I don't want to criticize your parenting without knowing the facts but maybe you are cotton wooling them too much, or if they are very young they shouldn't be playing alone anyway?