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puravida_gw

I got a steep slope! (picture)

PuraVida
17 years ago

I have a hill/slope all along the front of my property. Will probably hang out a bit on this forum to share hill/slope issues. This is the one part of the garden that really lacks, well compared to the rest--see link.

Here is a picture (taken from neighbors yard on the other side of the street) of my property from the front. The area in the red circle is the steepest part of the property, also along the entrance on the far right side, there is a drive up entrance with steep sides (it's the dark spot on the lower right corner.

The rest of my garden is mostly flat, for some pictures of what's growing up around the house and behind it see the link below.

puravida

Here is a link that might be useful: garden blog with photos

Comments (6)

  • jeanner
    17 years ago

    Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my keyboard ... gorgeous house and I am more than envious of your tropicals.

    I'm thinking you gonna need some hefty retaining walls but man-o-man is it going be gorgeous!

    Sorry, no help from me but had to comment :^)

  • shirley_sower
    17 years ago

    yeah me too, I told my hubby we need to do something about it so he put pine trees to help hold it together. would like something more colorful but so far just a snowball bush and some rose of sharon, tiger lillies and hostas. any ideas

  • PuraVida
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks jeanner!

    There is some retaining walls to the right 2/3s and the left 1/3--in front of the house, but I would still need about 15 mts of additional wall up the second lot and to the entranceway. With all that cement and steal I could build a really nice pool--and a pool sounds so much nicer than a retaining wall for some reason.

    So...I'm going to try to do it as natural as possible, with some bamboos, running and clumping and some ornamental grasses. My two biggest concerns are creating a path walkway halfway down the hill that crosses it so that I have easier access, also an irrigation plan.

    When I finished the house the contractor told me (of course) I had to keep building retaining wall along the front and all up the entrance. Interestingly enough I didn't, there has been some erosion of course, but we can actually pick and shovel it ourselves and even it out. Planting the right things in the right places seems to help hold things together.

    Someday a retaining wall would be nice of course, but for now I'm keeping it simple and rustic. Luckily here no one can tell you how to maintain your property (pretty much) or what you can and can't plant (never an issue).

    pura vida

    Here is a link that might be useful: garden photo blog

  • lovelycherry
    17 years ago

    I was looking at a soil erosion site and they are not sure sometimes what keeps a hill together. They said healthly soil and plants can work just as well as retaining walls.
    Lovelycherry

  • alison_wood
    17 years ago

    We are looking at a very similar project. How is yours going? Do you have any recent pics? Any advice you would like to pass along? My email address is alison@wvi.com

    THANK YOU!!

    -Alison

  • PuraVida
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Wow, I'd forgotten I'd posted this...

    Right now it's the dry season so everything is dry, will wait a few more months and then take some new pictures.

    As always taking the natural (and cheap) approach.

    We cut terraces into the hill ourselves--just shoveling, wasn't that hard really--cutting into a hill the dirt falls down and you can kind of trample it down by walking on it. It was fun actually, very easy to go along with the contour of the land, very natural feeling. Imagined what it must have been like for Incas when they built Machu Picchu.

    Between the terraces we planted stuff, all sorts of stuff. It's a very exposed site, so basically just see what would do well there.

    Plan to plant more in May as that's the start of the rainy season here--getting some clumping bamboos ready to move now, (they can be dug, then set back into place for 1-2 months) Then just pulled out and planted in the new spot (the slope).

    all for now...

    Here is a link that might be useful: tropical garden photo blog

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