Long upwards sloping garden - help!
Dear Houzzers,
My north facing back garden is 40 metres long with the rear of the garden almost 4.5 metres higher than the patio level. Ideally I would like to have flat areas so it is more usable - my kids want a place to play ball games and I would like a patio further up the garden. I have spoken to a garden designer who has suggested that I divide the garden into three terraces with a level change of about 1.2 metres between the terraces. However I am a bit reluctant to have such steep level changes in the middle of the garden. What do you think please? Is it better to have a very steep first terrace and shallower terraces in the middle of the garden or should I do as the designer has suggested? Would appreciate your ideas and thoughts thank you!!!
Comments (14)
Carolina
7 months agoI think I'd have a level change right behind the patio to create a larger flat area, with planting between patio and grass, and then go up at the back to create planted levels and a patio at the top. Something like in the photos below. Might also depend on what's going on in the adjoining gardens? Think the level change in the first photo (with the deck and planters) is about 1.2 metres
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Sonia
7 months agoI think you will have to create change of levels. The other alternative is to dig out the area flat with a digger, but that will create a huge amount of soil (dug out soil grows alarmingly!) and it will depend what is over your boundaries. I have a sunken patio, then two steps up to the rest of the garden. A change of levels does create interest. You will need retaining walls which can be sleepers, stone, bricks or rendered building blocks. Pic below is mine level change.
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KXD
7 months agoThank you very much for the ideas Carolina and Sonia. So attached is what we have in mind. I was concerned about the 1.2m changes in the middle (circled pink) thinking that it would make the garden look too steep... wondered whether it would be better to have a higher first level e. 1.8 high and then shallower ones in the middle. But I see that the level changes can look interesting.
Ellie
7 months agoWhat does it look like currently and why does it not work? Can you put up pics?
Mine is a bit steeper than yourso, but not as long. From back of house only 14.5m, but height 1.7m.
Height changes are sloped rockery/borders.
Some pics attached
KXD
7 months agoHi Ellie, how lovely! Did you do the sloped height changes yourself and is it difficult to do? Is there a retaining wall holding everything back considering that the garden is 1.7m high? My garden is just one level sloping upwards and currently covered with weed fabric to control the brambles :-((. I can’t wait to get it done!
Sonia
7 months agoSonia
7 months agoKXD if it were me I wouldn’t put a higher wall by the patio as you will hopefully want to look at the garden when chilling on the patio? I’d make the first wall the lowest and then build up as you go into the garden. I just feel if that first wall was higher you would feel too shut off. In the picture below there is a high wall behind the patio which seems oppressive to me.
Just a thought 😊
Ellie
7 months agoOur garden was like this when we moved in. The rockery wall directly outside out doors is only 60cm. We have a 1.5 m high retaining wall at back of our garage which is at far side of garden, put of our view thankfully! No matter render, brick etc walls are quite unsightly and you have the space to avoid high walls. Folk with normal sized gardens might have no choice but a high retaining walls.
With a garden 40m deep, I wouldn't be building a 1.2m high wall, you have the space to tier it more.
How far out from your doors are you planning the first 1.2m wall?
With the
KXD
7 months agotamp75
7 months agoKXD
7 months agoHU-873807687
13 days ago
Ellie