Marrying Landscaping And Terrain
The uneven terrain of a yard can make for a very creative landscape. Slopes, especially those that move up and away from the home can be altered and designed to show off spectacular water features, dry stream beds, individual plants or groups of plants. And if there are little children, what could be more fun than having your own short sledding hill for winter and a slip ‘n’ slide hill for summer?
Today we’re going to landscape the second of our three homes, and as you might have guessed, this home has slopes to play with. The property gently runs up hill from front to back and from right to left. When the land was excavated for the home, the gentle slopes became a bit steeper, yet, not steep enough to demand retaining walls.
To give you an idea of the size yard we are dealing with, the back yard is 90 feet wide and 60 feet deep. The left side yard is about 40 feet wide, while the right is about 9 feet. Across the back and along the left side, an old weathered, picket-style fence and a grove of aspen trees separate the back yard from the neighboring horse pasture. The right side borders another home.
The homeowners are a young family with small children, so naturally the budget is a priority. Yet there are plenty of wants and needs such as a fence, lawn, vegetable garden, roses, flowers, shade trees and a large play area. To the delight of this family’s pocketbook, the front yard was already landscaped by the contractor.
Of course, before any plants can be planted and lawn can be sown, the soil and grade of the land must first be dealt with. Because the home sits in the path of potential water run-off, we must make sure all steps are taken to ensure the water will flow away from the house. In fact, I would go so far as to eliminate foundation plants all together. This will eliminate the need to water against the house. Instead, I would recommend a decorative hardscape such as a 4-foot-wide walk made of stepping stones. It would run the entire length of the house, widening to include the area under a raised deck that’s off the kitchen on the second floor. The stones can be set an inch apart atop black plastic.
The filler between the stones can be sand. As the walkway approaches the corner on the right side of the house, a low burm can be fashioned and planted with a sub-alpine fir, two low evergreens and a flowering deciduous shrub. On the walkway, nestled between the corner of the burm and the house, can be a patio chair, a small table and a number of decorative pots filled with summer flowering annuals. Windowboxes and shutters along the back of the house can complete the picture.
A sandbox or playhouse could find a home under the deck. Outside the deck, shrubs and vines can soften the deck supports. Just like that, we have created a beautiful summer play area while protecting our home from potential water damage.
As for the soil itself, it’s hardpan clay. It’s definitely in need of a fluff job.
A heavy-duty tiller may do the trick. However, I would still recommend bringing in a load of topsoil for the lawn, vegetables and flowers. If the soil can be loosened adequately, trees and other woody plants should get along quite well in that stuff.
Before we can plant anything, though, we have a serious problem plant to contend with. It’s a noxious weed called fernleaf horsetail.
Since there are no other plants or lawn about, I am recommending zapping it with Blackberry & Brush Killer. If it’s not eradicated, it eventually will take over the lawn and every other plant in its path.
Once this monster is under control, we can move on to more pleasant aspects of the yard.
Since the house has a high deck that looks down into the neighbor’s yard, a standard fence would not be sufficient to provide privacy. However, a fence is necessary for the children.
We already have the look of the old weathered fence, so why not continue it. And, since the deck will be used mainly in the summer months, a couple of full canopied, deciduous trees between it and the neighbors will provide all the privacy necessary.
A columnar tree placed at the left corner (west edge) of the deck will provide shade and a feeling of intimacy.
The 18-by-30-foot flat area on the left (west) side of the house, is slated for a collection of raised vegetable garden beds, including a decorative herb garden.
And with that, finally we can get to the slopes.
Since the west side is a bit steeper than the north slope, a short 3-foot retaining wall would be beautiful. Strawberries could run down the sides along with a selection of rock garden plants.
A wide, flat planting area would naturally occur behind the wall. This area could be used for a rose garden or a combination of deciduous shrubs, perennials, roses and trees.
Trees should be planted in the slope, not on top of it. Adding a few weeping trees and shrubs to the slope will pull our eyes down instead of up the bank.
The long north bank can be planted in the same fashion as the west bank. But since this bank is so long, let’s have some fun with it.
Let’s move the lawn a little higher on the slope. Let’s create a few peninsulas of lawn along with a few interspersed low rock walls and flat planting areas.
Let’s create a marvelous dry stream, all the while maintaining a grassy slope for that slip ‘n’ slide.
If the budget’s willing, in a few years we’ll have created a garden that’s also fun to play in.
Special note: Everything’s coming up roses! The Spokane Rose Society’s 51st annual Rose Show is Saturday at the Doubletree Inn in the Spokane Valley, at Interstate 90 and Sullivan Road. Hours are from 1 to 3:30 p.m.
If you would like to enter roses in the show, simply call 467-8988 for instructions. All entries are accepted from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday.