Terraced landscaping is what you see when a sloped yard has a series of level steps or platforms added to it, often supported by retaining walls made from stone, timber or concrete. This type of landscaping works incredibly well on sloped yards because of its ability to prevent severe soil erosion. Keep reading to learn all about terraced landscaping and how to get the best results in your lawn.
Creating Tiered Flower Beds With Seasonal Blooms
Hillside soil tends to lose a good amount of nutrients when it rains, making the space pretty much unusable for flower beds. The plants won’t grow healthy and may even wash into your driveway when heavy rains trigger soil erosion. By installing tiered flower beds, you give the root systems better stability since they can attach to flatter, more secure soil. You’re basically adding a living staircase of color to the yard, where you can plant your favorite seasonal blooms without fighting gravity the whole time.
Building a Multi-Level Vegetable Garden
It can be frustrating when you want a garden but have a yard with limited flat space. Terraced landscaping makes it possible to carve out a multi-level garden on the hillside, making it much easier to use the available space for growing tomatoes, onions and other vegetables. And the design works wonders for sunlight management since you can plant the taller, sun-worshipping crops in the upper rows while planting the shorter varieties in the lower ones. This setup means the taller plants won’t cast shadows over the smaller crops below, helping them to grow healthier and stronger.
Designing a Hillside Water Feature
Parts of the yard that are sloped work great for water features. Picture a waterfall at the top of the hillside with terraced landscaping in the form of stacked stone walls and vibrant, tiered flower beds. As the water gently spills from one terrace to the next, it creates a series of shimmering cascades surrounded by colorful blooms and natural stone. Best of all, the terraced design creates a natural filtration process for the water as it aerates over each step.
Adding Stone Stairways Between Each Level
The height of the hillside ultimately determines how many terraced levels you can have, but regardless of the number, adding stone stairways between each of them is a smart move. This way, you can easily make it up and down the terraces as you water plants and do routine garden maintenance. Just be sure to use heavy, slip-resistant materials like flagstone so the rocks stay securely anchored into the subsoil. You don’t want the steps to shift or wobble as you’re walking from one level to another.
There’s never been a better time to turn your hillsides into gorgeous outdoor retreats full of water features and colorful flower beds. Chatting with a skilled landscaping specialist is the best way to learn about your options and how to design the perfect terraced landscape. If you live in Lawrence Township, NJ or a surrounding area and need resloping services, make your first call to Princeton Turf Care.
