Professional Ideas for Tackling Sloping Gardens and Varied Levels
Is your outside space far from flat? If you’re challenged by a steep incline or level changes, these ideas might inspire
A flat plot of land might seem like the easiest to work with when designing a garden, but an outside space that would give a spirit level a good workout can look wonderful, too. The gardens below have been transformed with imagination and expertise by Houzz professionals. Could any of these ideas work in your patch?
Beginning your garden project? Read How to Start a Garden Redesign
Beginning your garden project? Read How to Start a Garden Redesign
To deal with the steepness of the rest of the plot, Trevor worked with a soft garden landscaper to create steps up to a seating area and a summerhouse used by the owner as a writing room. These are almost integrated with the adjacent flowerbeds, giving a real sense of connection between the different areas in the garden.
See inside the house, too.
See inside the house, too.
Reinvent your rubble
Digging out a large slope will usually generate a lot of full skips. Not so with this cleverly conceived plot.
Being charged to design a garden in the middle of Cheddar Gorge, with the steep incline that came with it, didn’t faze Abigail Hazell of Abigail Hazell Landscape & Garden Design, but it did mean some smart landscaping was in order.
“It was really challenging – and planning in Cheddar is delicate, as you can imagine,” she says. “We worked with the existing slope and set new levels in order to create a better relationship with the house and a better flow.”
Which fast-growing edible crops can I plant right now?
Digging out a large slope will usually generate a lot of full skips. Not so with this cleverly conceived plot.
Being charged to design a garden in the middle of Cheddar Gorge, with the steep incline that came with it, didn’t faze Abigail Hazell of Abigail Hazell Landscape & Garden Design, but it did mean some smart landscaping was in order.
“It was really challenging – and planning in Cheddar is delicate, as you can imagine,” she says. “We worked with the existing slope and set new levels in order to create a better relationship with the house and a better flow.”
Which fast-growing edible crops can I plant right now?
Access to the garden was tricky, though, with no vehicle route or room for a skip. Abigail’s solution? She recycled as much as she could.
“We couldn’t just get rid of tons of soil or stone,” she says. “We used stone from the site for all the new walls, and also placed it decoratively around to keep the feel of the gorge.”
The garden now features contemporary terraces, wild meadow planting and even a sunken hot tub.
Have a nose around the whole garden and see the plans.
“We couldn’t just get rid of tons of soil or stone,” she says. “We used stone from the site for all the new walls, and also placed it decoratively around to keep the feel of the gorge.”
The garden now features contemporary terraces, wild meadow planting and even a sunken hot tub.
Have a nose around the whole garden and see the plans.
Tame a steep slope
The difference between the before and after photos of this huge – but challengingly steep – space is jaw-dropping.
When Simon Orchard of Simon Orchard Garden Design took on the 270 sq m rocky plot, it had a falling-down retaining wall and a crumbling garage at the bottom. Just going from one end to the other was potentially perilous.
Now, the garden is split between five distinct levels, each with its own function, from the dining patio to a grassy lawn to a children’s play zone.
The difference between the before and after photos of this huge – but challengingly steep – space is jaw-dropping.
When Simon Orchard of Simon Orchard Garden Design took on the 270 sq m rocky plot, it had a falling-down retaining wall and a crumbling garage at the bottom. Just going from one end to the other was potentially perilous.
Now, the garden is split between five distinct levels, each with its own function, from the dining patio to a grassy lawn to a children’s play zone.
Here’s how the garden looked before Simon and his team got their hands on it.
Keen to start planning a garden revamp? Contact garden designers in your area to start the conversation.
Keen to start planning a garden revamp? Contact garden designers in your area to start the conversation.
The design took a lot of thought. “Too many terraces would have created areas that were overly small, while too few would have meant the level changes were excessively steep,” Simon says, “so it was important to find the right balance.”
He also needed to fit a lot of fencing, which had to follow these new levels without compromising the neighbours’ privacy.
See more photos of this impressive design.
He also needed to fit a lot of fencing, which had to follow these new levels without compromising the neighbours’ privacy.
See more photos of this impressive design.
Do away with a doorstep drop
When garden pro Neil Jones of Neil Jones Design started work on this outside space, there was a drop from the inside of the house into the garden. It’s a common issue and, rather than installing steps, Neil opted to create a stylish and almost seamless indoor/outdoor area by installing a deck.
“The decking enabled us to bring the terrace up to the same height as the door threshold,” Neil explains.
When garden pro Neil Jones of Neil Jones Design started work on this outside space, there was a drop from the inside of the house into the garden. It’s a common issue and, rather than installing steps, Neil opted to create a stylish and almost seamless indoor/outdoor area by installing a deck.
“The decking enabled us to bring the terrace up to the same height as the door threshold,” Neil explains.
Link your lawn to your patio
Interiors and lifestyle blogger Rebecca Sterling and her husband, Ben, created their impressive country garden in two stages. The house end of the space had to wait until the rear extension was complete; when it was, the builders built up the patio area so as to avoid an immediate step down from the house into the garden. Rather than build it up with decking, though, the couple went for a gravelled terrace.
To separate the lawn and patio, and to deal with the change of level, Ben built some raised beds at the rear of the gravel. “He laid breeze blocks to support the steps and built timber frames, then put sleepers in front of them,” Rebecca says. “We filled them with low-maintenance plants, such as box balls, lavender and Annabelle hydrangeas.”
See more of this stunning garden.
Interiors and lifestyle blogger Rebecca Sterling and her husband, Ben, created their impressive country garden in two stages. The house end of the space had to wait until the rear extension was complete; when it was, the builders built up the patio area so as to avoid an immediate step down from the house into the garden. Rather than build it up with decking, though, the couple went for a gravelled terrace.
To separate the lawn and patio, and to deal with the change of level, Ben built some raised beds at the rear of the gravel. “He laid breeze blocks to support the steps and built timber frames, then put sleepers in front of them,” Rebecca says. “We filled them with low-maintenance plants, such as box balls, lavender and Annabelle hydrangeas.”
See more of this stunning garden.
Give each level a purpose
In this garden, Bestall & Co Landscape Design made excellent use of the different parts of this two-level garden in Yorkshire.
The area just outside the patio doors is smooth and practical, made from sawn and honed imported sandstone, which is perfect for lightening the outdoor kitchen and dining area.
Up a level – and a focal point when looking out of the doors – is a water feature positioned in the centre of a characterful cobbled area. This is defined by flowerbeds created from similar stone to the house. Both features were original but needed restoration.
In this garden, Bestall & Co Landscape Design made excellent use of the different parts of this two-level garden in Yorkshire.
The area just outside the patio doors is smooth and practical, made from sawn and honed imported sandstone, which is perfect for lightening the outdoor kitchen and dining area.
Up a level – and a focal point when looking out of the doors – is a water feature positioned in the centre of a characterful cobbled area. This is defined by flowerbeds created from similar stone to the house. Both features were original but needed restoration.
A step up to the extension of this raised area created the opportunity for a more relaxed seating area with a firepit, tucked around the corner.
Read more about this stylish small garden.
See more expert advice on how to make a sloping garden work.
Tell us…
How have you overcome similar challenges in your garden? Let us know in the Comments section.
Read more about this stylish small garden.
See more expert advice on how to make a sloping garden work.
Tell us…
How have you overcome similar challenges in your garden? Let us know in the Comments section.
Trevor Brown of Trevor Brown Architects, who oversaw the redesign of this multi-level London garden, came up with a number of clever ideas.
The first was to create a stronger connection between the inside and outside than had previously been in place. “Just outside the original house there was a really tall retaining wall, which completely separated the house from the garden,” Trevor says.
As such, he added two bay windows, seen here, into the new living room extension he designed at the back of the house. Making use of the high ground level, the window facing the garden is positioned so the sofa back is level with the planting, giving a lovely sense of being part of the garden when indoors.
The French windows lead onto a patio that’s set at a lower level, and Trevor has made use of the low wall to demarcate an outdoor dining area.