For a homeowner, a sloped backyard is a bit tricky when it comes to landscaping. It becomes even more difficult when you don’t have a lot of budget to work with. But with careful planning and some creative ideas, you can turn a seemingly daunting task into a simple and practical way that will give you an attractive looking backyard without having to shell out loads of money.
Gravity is a powerful force and to fight it is a futile exercise. When it rains, water will always find the lowest surface. And if it’s a powerful rain, the force it has can bring down your soil with it messing up your backyard in the process. Soil erosion is just one challenge when you have a sloped backyard.
But aside from soil erosion, just the basic landscaping challenge of a sloped backyard also needs to be addressed. There are many ways to make your backyard more appealing and here are some sloped backyard ideas especially if you are on a budget.
Ground Covering Plants
Depending on the type of soil you have and the climate in your “neck of the woods”, you can choose the right groundcover plants which will solve your soil erosion problems. Not only that, but it can also add color and life to your backyard if you pick different varieties that will blossom and become part of your backyard landscape.
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Vegetable Garden
A vegetable garden is not only practical when you have a sloped backyard, imagine the organic vegetables that are within your reach all-year-round. Yes, they are seasonal but with careful planning, you can maximize your soil’s backyard to host different kinds of vegetables that will also add color and warmth to the eyes.
Raised Vegetable Bed
You can use inexpensive materials such as wooden boxes or crates to elevate your vegetables and construct them in such a way that it forms a pathway. This can even be the focal point of your backyard.
Natural Stone & Rock Landscape
If your area has a lot of natural stone and rock lying around, you can use it to accentuate your raised vegetable bed and have that natural organic look.
Stone Steps
Aside from using the stones as a decorative pieces on your vegetable bed, you can use bigger, flat stones that can be half-buried on a slope to create stone steps.
Low Maintenance Dwarf Shrubs
With your stone steps in place, you can plant low maintenance dwarf shrubs on both sides to bring color to the natural-colored stones and bring that area to life. There are many varieties to choose from such as Franklin’s Gem Boxwood, Dwarf Norway Spruce, and many other low maintenance shrubs.
Watering Cans
You can use watering cans (with long stout) as decorative pieces of backyard tools and line them up on your backyard slope like a stairstep. You can then make it into a continuous flowing fountain where the stout pours water onto the watering can below it.
Slide
Depending on the length of your sloped backyard, you can put a short slide at the top going downhill. This is great especially if you have children who will have more reason to be out in the backyard.
Sheltered Benches
A couple or even just a single long bench can add character to your sloped backyard. You can put it near the raised vegetable beds and just sit and relax while you look down on all the colorful plants, flowers and vegetables that are in your backyard.
Small Tumbled Patio Pavers
Constructing a small patio with tumbled pavers need not be expensive. But this is ideal in your sloped backyard whenever you feel the need to relax, enjoy and take all the scenery in.
Incorporate a Trellis
You can incorporate a trellis in your backyard using vines. It will not only look good but can even be useful when you can grow vines such as squashes, peas, and similar plants. Determine which other colorful plants or even fruits can grow on a trellis with your type of climate.
Retaining Walls
Yes, you can build retaining walls on a budget with cheap and inexpensive materials. You can use old tires which you can fasten to beams or poles and use groundcovers to make them look attractive. You are not only sprucing up your backyard, but you are also helping the environment.
A Chicken Coop
Since you have an organic vegetable garden and edible ground-covering plants, why not put a chicken coop especially if you are into a sustainable way of living. Not only will you enjoy fresh produce from your vegetable garden, but you also have access to fresh eggs all year round.
Small Waterfalls
A small waterfall is perfect for a steep or sloped backyard. It can only add a more natural effect on your lush garden. The sound of the waterfalls cascading down your slope is relaxing especially for nature lovers.
Low Maintenance Plants
Planting low maintenance plants especially on the steepest part of your backyard means you don’t need to constantly climb and worry about them. Choose plants that are native to your area that thrives on the climate and soil. They will not only save you money but will also keep your slope looking as lively and lush all year round.
Get Creative and Embrace Your Sloping Backyard
Sprucing up your sloped backyard need not be expensive. While the uneven terrain makes your backyard more challenging than the normal one, it has its advantages and appeal. Choosing the right elements to incorporate in the landscape of your backyard will make it stand out. You can design it in such a way that it complements your lifestyle. In today’s world where people are more conscious and concern about the environment, your backyard adds to sustainability and you are the first to benefit from it.
Whatever other ideas you may be able to come up with, it should only add to the character and appeal of your backyard. Just bear in mind that the key in having a sloped backyard is low maintenance. Once you accomplish it, you will enjoy it for a very long time.