Suggestions for sloped garden

daisygirlmac

Hi all

We've moved from a city centre terrace with a yard to a cottage in Cumbria which is pretty much on the fells :eek::D
In my yard I had pots and things, made it nice, grew tomatoes and had some clematises and a dwarf cherry tree but it was really sheltered and sunny and I think things may now be a little more difficult.

New house has a big front garden with a lawn, some beds and a south facing wall. Side garden has a lawn and a raised bed which then slopes really steeply before coming to more grass. We've spent ages digging all the blummin' weeds and rubbish out so have a fairly blank canvass but I can't make the leap and actually think about what to grow! The whole garden is really exposed and windy. I'm hoping to grow some veggies and some herbs, but what else can I put in? I think it's quite likely there will be an attack from bunnies at some point so suggestions for fencing also welcome.

daisygirlmac

Anyone? :rotfl:

Even if someone could just give me some ideas for some fairly sturdy plants it would be helpful. I'm thinking nothing too tall and lanky so it won't fall over?

Mojisola

Any chance of a plan or a picture?

Moving to a new area, one of the best ways of seeing what's suitable is looking at local gardens and talking to people. It can be a great way to introduce yourself - compliment the garden and ask questions about what they've found grows well and what to avoid.

Are you thinking of putting in permanent planting like shrubs or annuals for colour? Is there any chance of planting a windbreak or would that spoil the view?

grannyjo

The suggestion to look at other gardens around is a really good idea. As we come into spring, more people will be out and you can talk to neighbours or join a gardening club in the area. The windbreak sounds a must, but you don't want it to put all your 'patch' in the shade . My mother made a beech hedge by just sticking beech twigs in the earth about 2 ft high and width of a pencil. They seem to take about 6 months to get going and if you go along that route plant extra ones somewhere to fill in for the ones that don't take. A friend in the lake district with problem rabbits talked to her local garden centre. They advised her on plants they don't like. I think the pelagonium geraniums were one, so she filled her pots successfully with those to give colour.- but they gave her a list- or you could google for the info.
If you have the room and position a greenhouse really extends what you can do- and gives wind shelter. My sister in Devon has a beautiful garden that is sloping steeply all the way. She has 3 flat paths across it with a few connecting steps. The widths of each sloping bit is about 4 ft, so she can reach all of it for weeding. She grows a lot of perennials and small shrubs for easy maintenance.
If you have weeded it- can you put black plastic or old carpet down, to stop the weeds coming back, until you are ready to plant things.
If you want a lot of colour start off with lots of cheap annuals for the first year- from seed. Then take your time . It is very easy to get carried away in garden centres and spend a lot of money. Are you sure the ground is clear. The last owner may have planted things that will not show until the spring. Neighbours might be able to tell you.
Apart from that think about how much time you want to spend in the garden. You may want an easy maintenance, or a high maintenance .Thats up to you. good luck

daisygirlmac

I can't make the link work for pictures for some reason, just bringing up a red cross.

Anyhoo...

There are some Leylandii to the left hand side which have been hacked right back, the two in the middle have been completely removed but even if they were there I don't think it would be an adequate wind break. The problem with the wind is that it comes howling round the front of the property which is completely open and unfortunately I don't think there's any options to change this.

I get on really well with the neighbours but there's only one gardener (it's a teeny tiny hamlet of 15 houses). Some of them are holiday cottages with courtyard gardens and some just don't bother and have grass and nothing else. I've had a great chat with the gardener down the road and am in envy of his fabulous raised beds BUT his garden is really sheltered as he is in the middle of the village. I am at the end with nothing to stop the weather from battering the garden.

I don't mind quite a lot of maintenance but I do work full time. There's no place for a greenhouse without it being slap in the middle of a lawn so sadly don't think this is an option (plus I can't afford one!)

I would love it to be like a cottage garden, things that smell nice and pretty colours. I really like that idea of paths grannyjo, will have to see if I can persuade hubs to dig me some! There are some bulbs poking shoots through in addition to the crocuses and snowdrops I have planted. When we dug everything out we covered it in horse manure so shouldn't be too many weeds coming through in the clear patches. I'm quite happy to start things from seed as I can start them inside, just not sure what to try really.

daisygirlmac

daisygirlmac

There! It's nothing like this nice now. There were some tenants after this was taken who did no gardening whatsoever so everything you can see to the left of the house (the sloped bit) has been cleared. Evergreens to the left are also considerably smaller.

grannyjo

I t looks like the sloping bit is more or less south facing, so you should be able to grow quite a lot. I think if I were you- by the way it looks a lovely place- I'd be taking lots of cuttings of evergreen shrubs- or look for cheap ones in garden centres. I'd try to establish a hedge of shrubs round the edges for wind protection. I find most types of fir types take cuttings really easily- just a twig stuck in the ground begin to grow. The flowering tough shrubs are good too - forsythia does cuttings easily. Camelias are tough too- with huge pink blooms in the spring.Roses can be tough. The trouble is the shrubs that grow quickly can become uncontrollable- eg Russian vine. I like the hollies and pyracanthus too as windbreaks too, but they are prickly to cut back .Honeysuckle an be good too. We have an evergreen one that is a bit prolific, but great for being a windbreak. It grows up an old 6 ft fence. Look round the garden centres for ones you like, but ask them about hardiness. Also local national trust properties often have really good gardens to look at and talk to gardeners there about the local conditions and what grows well. Fencing can be good for a windbreak but it is expensive. Maybe a row of canes could just slow the wind down, with netting tied to it. Once you have it a bit more sheltered, you can progress to slightly more tender plants. Poly tunnels at places like the poundshops can be good for starting off veg. They also have cheap shrubs. Ask in a library about a gardening club as shrubs are often dug up, divided into sections and only keep one to put back. I seem to chuck out quite a lot like that. good luck. In all, I think now is the time to concentrate on starting your windbreak/ hedge and in a couple of month, think about seeds for veg and flowers

daisygirlmac

Thanks Grannyjo! I like the look of camellias very much. When you are saying about growing a windbreak where would be best to put it? At the bottom of the slope or at the bottom of the lawn (top of driveway iyswim) I've joined a seed swapping club in the next village along so will pick their brains in March when the meeting is. I'm just trying to get organised as I know I'm going to need to start seeds off inside then harden them off as it gets a bit warmer.

Mojisola

Dense foliage bushes and trees don't make the best windbreaks - the wind gets forced up over them which causes a lot of turbulence on the leeward side. It's best to aim for something that will allow the wind through but reduce its strength.

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=624

olias

I may be stating the obvious, but for the steeply sloping area I would avoid any plants that require regular maintenance/pruning etc, as It looks like it would be a real pain to do while balancing on that slope! For the same reason, I would also plant/landscape in such a way as to avoid weeds.

What about doing something similar to this:

http://davysgardens.blogspot.co.uk/2010_05_01_archive.html

using some local stone and heathers etc (pic is about halfway down the page with the guy in blue leaning on the fence in front of the slope.

Alternatively, if you have the money/skils, you could terrace it with retaining walls - similar to this:

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/rooms/outdoors/garden-planning-ideas/garden-design-design-plan-a-sloping-garden-10-04-13

Olias