From Problem Slopes To Beautiful Terraces
Saturday, October 4th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you have a slope or incline on your property, you can turn it into a lovely garden oasis. Where weeds were once abundant, a lovely flower garden could grow. Or you could replace the weeds with a vegetable garden. The slope can become a lovely planted area despite the rugged terrain, turning a liability into an asset.
Make Terraces Where Once Was A Slope
Terraces can really beautify your landscape. At the same time, putting in terraces gives you a wider option for planting, since the area is level. Because the area is level, it makes it a lot easier to walk and work there. Making terraces is without a doubt a lot of work, however, and can be expensive depending on the materials used.
In the past, railroad ties were considered a good source of material for making retaining walls for terraces. They’ve fallen out of favor these days, and especially aren’t recommended for organic gardens. Creating the problem is the creosote used to preserve the wood. Creosote is a toxic substance, and contact with it can irritate the skin. Inhaling creosote fumes can irritate the respiratory trace.
Bottom line, creosote is toxic stuff. Apart from the fact direct contact isn’t good, the stuff can also leach into the soil and water. If creosote is in the soil, it’s available for the plants to absorb, and if you’re growing vegetable plants, you’re going to eat whatever chemicals are in the plants. Creosote treated lumber for your terracing ijust sn’t a good idea.
Safe Wall Materials And Placement
For small projects where you’re just leveling out a little slope, the new landscaping boards such as those found at Gardens Alive! that are made out of recycled plastics are an option. For steeper slopes, use bricks, concrete blocks, modular retaining wall blocks or stone. Make sure you know how to build walls with the materials you decide to use, since the various masonry options require varying levels of expertise.
The steepness of the slope will dictate the height of the walls since the idea to provide level beds. Obviously, the higher the walls, the sturdier they need to be, and well anchored. There should be proper drainage for large terraces, and they should be anchored well into the sides of the slope at each end.
The terrace walls must bear a lot weight from the soil behind them, and there will be even more weight after a rain. If wall are not built correctly, they will bow outwards or even collapse.
If building terraces seems like too big a task to do yourself, there are landscaping contractors that can do the work for you. Obviously that’s a more expensive option, since you have to pay labor costs, as well as paying for materials.
Good Soil Equals Good Plants.
Erosion often cause slopes to have poor soil, so it’s a good idea to enrich the soil before planting. Some compost, rich loam, well-rotted cow manure, peat or other soil amendments can be worked into the soil to enrich it so plants will grow better. Keep in mind what sort of plants you intend to place there. Some actually like poor soil, and if you’re planting those, you don’t want to enrich the soil too much.
When the soil is ready, choose your plants, whether flowers or vegetables (DirectGardening.com - Offers quality plants at great prices). A good place for vining plants is along the top edge of the walls, which allows the vines to trail down over the sides.
Make Terraces For A Beautiful Landscape.
Making terraces on a slope is a lot of work, and in some cases a lot of expense, but it’s a great way to eradicate an eyesore, improve your land, and provide another place for an organic garden full of flowers or vegetables.
It’s always good to have more space for plants.
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