Keep Things From Getting Slippery When Landscaping Slopes

Landscaping slopes can be a difficult project. Slopes have a tremendous amount of run off from rain and snow and the plant life is easily uprooted or damaged. The main problem with landscaping slopes, though, is not mother nature, but that many landscapers choose the wrong way to go about the project. By choosing the proper plants to use and planting in the proper way, a landscaper can make great use of slopes as landscaping pieces.

The Reason Behind Landscaping Slopes

Slopes are landscaped for far different reasons then front yards. Slopes are often landscaped to help control the run off of water or to keep the slope from further deteriorating. Most homeowners will landscape a slop on their property to keep it from causing damage to a neighbors property. Many cities will landscape slopes near roadways to keep debris from causing road hazards.

The Right Plants

Using the right plants when landscaping slopes is essential. Not all plants are suitable for the growing conditions that are usually present on slopes. Plants that are deep rooted, hardy and able to withstand rushing water are the ideal plants to use when landscaping slopes. Some shallow rooted trees, like pines, may work, but they need to be incorporated with deep rooted plants to keep them in place. The ideal plant mix for a slope is ground cover, perennials, shrubs and trees. The slope should remain well covered, even during the winter months.

The Right Design

The actual act of planting on a slope can be hard and dangerous. Some landscapers use ropes to secure themselves while they plant. Others use pathways that are carved out in the slope to give them access to the areas that are to be planted. When planting on a slope the plants must be planted in layers. Layering plants allows rainfall to hit the ground gradually, rather than in a hard, harsh manner. This helps to minimize any erosion.

Landscaping slopes is not an easy job. It is something that takes plenty of planning and consideration. When a person plans on landscaping slopes they need to keep in mind that this is a project where future maintenance should be kept to a minimum and that needs to be carefully planned out in order to ensure the final result works with the conditions of a slippery slope to fix whatever problem the slope has been causing.