Suburban area at an angle. Landscaping of a summer cottage on a slope

Let's be honest: most of us would not like to have a plot of land with a large uloon. This is understandable - the unknown is frightening. Let's put everything together on the shelves, and only then draw conclusions.

Possibilities and disadvantages of a plot with a slope

First of all, let's consider the possible troubles:

• the choice of the location of both the house itself and the buildings is noticeably limited;
• there are problems with watering, since water in the soil will linger for a short time;
• movement on the territory is complicated, especially on ice;
• it is difficult to organize a sufficient area for games and entertainment;
• the need to combat landslides and soil erosion;
• a steep slope is a source of increased danger for children;
• an unsuccessful orientation of the slope of the site relative to the sun can lead to either excessive or insufficient illumination of the earth's surface;
• the movement of air masses along the slope can lead to drying out of the soil at the top and frost in the lower part of the slope;
• landscaping a site with a steep slope requires increased costs;
• difficulties with access roads are likely;
• water supply can be challenging.

Free site for building a house

Now about the positive aspects of placing a house on a slope:

• you will get the building plot at a lower price, and the increased costs for its arrangement can be partially compensated for by your own creative work;
• water disposal problems are easily solved: the territory of the yard will be dry, it will be possible to equip a basement in a house or a cellar;
• groundwater problems on such lands are rare;
• the hillside always protects the house from the wind from one direction;
• the cost of building a basement floor of a building is noticeably reduced, since the entire excess volume of land is easily used for partial leveling of the relief;
• a wide view opens from the windows of a high-rise building;
• when placing a site on the south side of the slope, it is possible to increase the insolation of the courtyard, on the contrary, if the site is located on the north side, solar activity will be weakened;
• a site located on the east or west slope will have an average illumination;
• apparently the most important thing: the use of a huge list of landscape design techniques (retaining walls, terraces on the slope of the site, alpine slides, winding paths, a reservoir, a dry stream, special ornamental plants, etc.) will allow you to get a natural, organic and unique design of a plot of land.

As you can see, pluses and minuses gradually flow into tastes and preferences. The following video examines some of the features of the layout of a site with a slope.

Thus, spending more effort and money on the development of a site with a slope, you get a more interesting and unusual result.

Of course, the degree of significance of the above circumstances is directly related to the magnitude of the difference in ground level. To calculate it, you need to divide the difference in heights of the extreme points of the site by the distance between them and convert the result to percent. For example, if the maximum difference in elevation is 3.6 m, and the distance between the points of the difference is 20 m, then the slope will be 3.6: 20 = 0.19, that is, 19%.
It is believed that a slope of up to 3% is a flat terrain, but a plot on a steep slope of more than 20% is not suitable for construction.

Features of placing buildings on a slope

Site plan on a slope

Firstly, it should be noted that the underground and basement part of the house on a plot with a slope will inevitably have characteristic features. This also applies to other buildings. Usually the house is located at the highest and driest place. Thus, the issue of water disposal from the most important object is being resolved. Toilet, compost pit, shower should be located below the house and no closer than 15-20m. Recreation area - gazebo, barbecue, etc. it is better to do it on the same level with the house. Buildings, between which the most frequent movement is expected, are best placed on different sides of the site. In this case, the length of the tracks increases, but the overcome slope decreases. Ideally, buildings are staggered. The garage is conveniently identified at the bottom of the allotment. In this case, the garage building can be used as a means of compensating for the steepness of the slope.

Strengthening terraces on a slope site

There are two fundamentally different methods of leveling an uneven allotment: without changing the landscape or with the maximum leveling of the ground surface. In my opinion, a compromise should be used for all possible methods of leveling the territory, as well as masking ground level drops.

In this case, there is no point in achieving full alignment of the site.

When planning an inclined surface, several tasks are posed: prevention of soil creep; ease of use of the land surface for recreation and the cultivation of fruit crops; ease of movement around the courtyard. First of all, the maximum possible leveling of the relief is carried out by moving the soil. It is quite possible that it will be advantageous to take out part of the land from the allotment or, on the contrary, to bring the missing soil. A reasonable technique is to use the land obtained by digging a foundation pit for a basement or cellar.

Creating terraces with stones

The second, most common method is terracing, that is, the creation of flat areas located at different heights. The more terraces, the lower their height, which means that it is easier to arrange the slope. With a terrace height of up to 70 cm, retaining walls can be created. The best material is natural stone. For such a design, it is necessary to make a substrate of crushed stone with a height of 10-20 cm. If the terrace height is low, the stone can be laid without bonding material. However, in such a situation, there is a danger of water washing out the soil during rain or watering. It is safer to lay the retaining wall on cement mortar. The use of bricks to create terraces is considered impractical, since repeated exposure to moisture and low temperatures leads to its rather rapid destruction.

With a terrace height of up to 2 meters, reinforced concrete structures are suitable: foundation blocks, slabs and monolithic concrete. It often makes sense to create concrete retaining walls with some slope, with the expectation of the extrusion effect of the soil. In difficult situations, you cannot do without a reliable and full-fledged foundation. It makes no sense to additionally finish the retaining walls with decorative tiles or stone on an adhesive or cement basis. Frost and water will quickly ruin your work.

Concrete retaining wall

Structurally, “ventilated facades” are suitable here. However, in a decorative sense, such a technique is hardly appropriate. It is much easier and more efficient to lay a corrugated surface with a special pattern in the concrete formwork. Subsequently, you can decorate the concrete with resistant water-based paints.

It is very effective to use the French invention - gabions - to strengthen the terraces. Gabions are rectangular mesh structures filled with natural stone. Ready-made modules made of special durable wire can be purchased or made by yourself. Gabions are not afraid of soil erosion, since they do not have absolute rigidity. They are also resistant to water, since they do not retain it in themselves. When filling gabions with stone and rubble, you can add a certain amount of earth, in this case, greenery will soon sprout, which will mask the wire and give the retaining wall a natural, natural look.
The simplest method for strengthening a slope is an inclined embankment. It is better to strengthen the embankment from shedding with a plastic mesh and a geogrid. Being planted with lawn, special grass and shrubs, such an embankment surface will be quite reliable and aesthetic.

Retaining wall made of gabions

Water disposal - two sides of the coin

It is good that on the territory with a slope the water will run away rather quickly both in the rain and in the flood: it will be dry underfoot. However, the rapidly leaving water can take with it a noticeable part of the soil and destroy something. The conclusion is unambiguous: you need to think about how to properly drain the site with a slope.
The scheme seems to be optimal when water is collected from different sections by separate water conduits extending outside the yard. Moreover, each terrace should ideally be equipped with a drainage system.

The simplest solution is to lay open concrete trays. The trays are laid on a previously prepared base: a layer of crushed stone of about 10 cm, a cement-sand mixture (in a ratio of 1 to 10) about 5 cm. The trays are easy to cut and fit to each other using angle grinders. The relatively cheap trays have drawbacks: they get in the way on footpaths and their cross-section is not enough when placed on common gutters at the bottom of the site. The last obstacle can be overcome by making the drainage channels yourself from concrete. For the formation of channels, you can use pipe sections of a suitable diameter. There are also options for closed-type storm water that are produced by industry. The upper part of such drains is closed with special grates for receiving water. Such structures look aesthetically pleasing, do not create obstacles to the movement of people. However, they are noticeably more expensive and more difficult to install. In addition, the problem of insufficient cross-section in the lower part of the steep section remains relevant.

Drainage using trays

Another option for drainage is drainage channels. The system is closed and space-saving. For the organization of drainage, trenches with a depth of 0.3-1 m are torn off. The bottom of the trench is covered with sand, a layer of 10 cm is enough, it must be tamped. The sand is covered with geotextile, on top of which medium-sized crushed stone is poured. Crushed stone layer thickness - up to 20cm. If a small water flow is expected in this area, then it is enough to re-cover the crushed stone with geotextile, and then successively fill it with sand and soil. In case of a high water flow rate, a perforated plastic pipe is additionally installed in the channel. The rules for laying pipes are the same as for the arrangement of the sewage system: the slope is not less than 3%; fewer turns and sudden changes in level to prevent the accumulation of debris in problem areas; reliable pipe connection.

Paths and stairs - decoration of the site

It is clear that getting around uneven terrain can be difficult and even dangerous. Hence the requirements - to approach the arrangement of all paths for the movement of people with special care. Please note that even a relatively flat track with a slope of about 5% can become an insurmountable obstacle during icy conditions. This means that the coating of all paths and stairs should be as rough and ribbed as possible. The steps of the stairs should correspond to the optimal dimensions as much as possible: the width of the tread is 29cm, the height of the riser is 17cm. The inclination of the stairs cannot exceed 45%. It is best to avoid flights of more than 18 steps and provide resting areas.

Stone staircase

It is very convenient if the height of the steps of all stairs is the same. It’s quite real. For example, when building our own house with our own hands, we managed to ensure the same parameters of the steps on both floors of the house, including the basement, as well as on the porch and in the garage. Arrangement of handrails on steep climbs is absolutely necessary, and even on completely flat sections, handrails will be fully justified.
Materials for arranging paths and stairs can be very different: crushed stone, stone, concrete, wood, artificial turf and plastic gratings. Stairs, individual steps, winding paths - all these attributes should be considered as elements of decoration and individualization of the territory of the courtyard. At the same time, I consider it necessary to recall the general requirements: the paths of movement should not become slippery and dangerous in inclement weather. You may need to provide special handrails for children.

Wonderful landscaping and landscaping opportunities

Alpine landscaping on a slope plot can be called a pleasant necessity. It is based on natural stones, flowers and other plants. All this in combination and various applications serves to counteract the erosion of the earth on the slope and at the same time is a decoration. Since water does not retain well on a slope, plants may need to be watered frequently. Thus, for the garden beds and fruit trees, it is necessary to select the best areas: well-lit, protected from the wind. Sloped beds located at the base of a slope can be exposed to trapped cold air.

Strengthening the slope with plants

Ideally, the entire area should be planted with various plants. On the slopes, unpretentious creeping plants are used that do not require much moisture and have a branched root system. Different climatic regions may have their own preferences. As for central Russia, the use of shrubs is appropriate here: ivy, barberry, lilac, Japanese quince, elderberry, deren, etc. Conifers will perfectly decorate the site: juniper, spruce, cedar, pine. Deciduous trees are well suited: birch, hazel, willow (in humid places). For the arrangement of rockeries, tenacious stones, stonecrop, cinquefoil, bells, alpine carnation, sedum, etc. are well suited. Arrangement of lawn areas is quite appropriate.

In order to visually level the terrain, tall plants are planted in the lower part of the slope. Sometimes it becomes necessary to close the buildings located at the top of the slope from view, and then the strategy for placing tall and low-growing varieties changes.
A low fence along the retaining wall will cover unsightly surfaces and brighten the landscape. It is extremely appropriate to create on a site with a rockery bias. For this, stones of different sizes and in random order are laid out on the slope. It is interesting to use stones of different composition and texture. Free areas are filled with rubble, marble chips, etc. The spaces between the stones are planted with the plants described above. Thus, with your own hands you can create the most unusual and amazing creative compositions. Of course, plants will grow only on a completely suitable soil.
You can decorate a mountain garden with figures made by yourself or purchased in a store for summer residents.

Stone creek bed

The landscape composition "dry stream" was invented in Japan almost especially for surfaces with a slope. The idea is to simulate water using small stones and (or plants). At the site of the future channel, it is necessary to dig a shallow trench of the intended shape of the stream. The bottom of the groove is covered with geotextiles to protect against weeds. Then the drainage is laid in the form of fine gravel, and the top of the channel is covered with soil. The "brook" is planted with blue and light blue flowers or covered with any rubble, preferably blue. Then flowers can be planted along the "banks". "Dry stream" can exist on its own, or originate from an earthen jug partially buried in the ground. Interestingly, if the path passing next to "throw" a small bridge over the "stream".

On a site with a slope, it is very interesting to use the following technique: the channel for water drainage is made in the form of a "dry stream" made of stones. When it rains, the stream will fill with water, which will fall into a small pond at the bottom of the slope. It is quite functional and beautiful!
Arches on a slope site will be very functional in combination with a bridge and stairs. Of course, the arch should be decorated with climbing plants.
Having familiarized yourself with the above material, you probably already understood: there are a great many opportunities for decorating a plot on a slope! In one of the articles, we will talk about a specific example. We wish you creative success in the implementation of your plans. Perhaps the following video will help you.

A site with a slight slope for many novice gardeners is a real stumbling block when arranging landscaping. But more experienced garden designers, on the contrary, consider sloping land plots more interesting for creating picturesque landscapes: arranging inclined flower fields, decorating cascades and alpine slides, placing terraces. Let's try and figure out what tricks they use to turn an empty hillock into an extraordinary flowering slope.

To create an elegant flower bed that will delight you with its attractive appearance and does not require any special care for it, a number of points must be taken into account. The main features of the sloped sections:

• Washing out the soil by streams running down the slope and streams of rainwater;
• The need to equip retaining walls and terraces;
• Differences in microclimate depending on the orientation of the slope in relation to the cardinal points.

In areas with an angle of inclination of 5-7 °, small grooves help to prevent soil leaching. They are dug up in several corners of the flower garden, the walls are strengthened, and then they are made out in the form of small reservoirs. The water flowing into the "pockets" is convenient to use for watering plants and moistening the soil.

The optimal solution for arranging plots of 7-15 ° will be the planting of a lawn, the emerald grass of which, in addition to its decorative function, will restrain the leaching of soil by water flows by its roots.

When designing less gentle sections with an angle of inclination of 20 ° or more, the only solution to the problem will be the arrangement of terraces - horizontal sections reinforced with retaining walls.

Flower beds on the slopes always look unusually impressive and picturesque, resembling colorful carpets that smoothly descend to the foot of the hills.

The main problem of arranging flower beds on a slope is the threat of soil leaching by rain and melt water. The arrangement of the drainage system helps to successfully solve this problem.

A rock garden is a picturesque composition of plants and stones. Such a flower garden is a popular element of landscape design and adorns many suburban areas.

When decorating stony flower beds on the southern slopes, you cannot do without sun-loving ground cover perennials: sunshine, milkweed, escholzia, Iberis, carnations

The slope, turned to the east and southeast, is no less illuminated by the sun's rays. But the soil on it can retain moisture longer. These seemingly comfortable conditions can adversely affect the plants that woke up in early spring: the aboveground part of the flowers is baked under the scorching sun, while the root area is still drying up under the not melted snow. On the northeastern and eastern slopes, they will grow well: astilba, aquilegia, etc.

The western slope is more influenced by the wind. The soil on it erodes and dries up faster. To design such a slope, it is better to choose drought-resistant plants that are not afraid of winds and drafts. Ground covers take root well here: saxifrage, loosestrife, lamb, waldsteinia, periwinkle.

Green spaces on the northern slope, receiving an insufficient amount of heat, do not differ in particular splendor of flowering. Moisture does not evaporate so quickly on the northern slope. This creates ideal conditions for growing moisture-loving flowers. Shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants will also feel comfortable here.

Picturesque islets in the penumbra area will create gentle lilies of the valley and anemones, expressive hydrangea and geraniums, St. John's wort and lungwort. And to give the composition volume will help the openwork foliage of the fern, as well as the airy bushes of kupena and badan

In addition to the orientation of the slope relative to the cardinal points, it is also important to take into account that in the upper part of the flower garden the earth will always be drier than in the lower one. Therefore, plants in a flower bed are arranged according to the principle: drought-resistant flowers are planted on a hill, moisture-loving ones - at the foot.

The material on the selection of plants for an alpine slide will also be useful:

Slope protection from floods

Rainwater and spring floods are the main problem of slope sites.

The water flowing down the sloping surface of the flower garden leaves its mark on the ground in the form of deep ditches, which over time can turn into steep ravines

Together with the streams of water, the fertile layers of the soil are washed away. Therefore, one of the first tasks that the owner of the sloping site must solve when planning to “break up” the picturesque landscape is to establish a drainage system. For its arrangement, you can apply one of two ways.

The first way is to dig drainage grooves along the slope. Shallow "stripes" are laid at a distance of 2-3 meters from each other. The role of drains can be performed both by ordinary shallow pits, the bottom of which is lined with a waterproof film, and by small storage tanks, the liquid from which is convenient to use for irrigation of plantings.

The second way is to equip a "protective" drain, placing it above the flower garden. Such a drainage system is more suitable if the quality of wastewater is poor, for example, when a road passes over the site. Ditches are laid along the perimeter of the site, placing them just above the beds so that wastewater does not fall into the site, but accumulates in storage reservoirs-accumulators arranged along the edges.

When arranging the drainage system, it is important to take care of the appearance of the storage tanks, decorating them along the outer edge with moisture-loving flowers or decorative leafy bushes

Strengthening the soil in the flower garden

The sloping terrain is a stunning observation deck, where a beautifully decorated flower garden always looks unusually picturesque and spectacular. But the soil on the hills often has a thin layer of fertile soil, which is also washed away by the rains. Strengthening the soil by installing retaining walls and arranging terraces helps to solve the problems. It is possible to enrich the soil composition at the site of the future flower garden arrangement by sprinkling the brought black soil.

An overview of the 5 most effective ways to strengthen slopes and slopes:

Building terraces is a fun and creative process. They can be arranged in a row, asymmetrically or staggered. The number and height of terraces depends on the size of the site and the degree of its steepness.

All natural and building materials are perfect for soil containment and terraces: stones, bricks, concrete blocks, sheet metal and logs.

To create the effect of a natural landscape, the retaining walls are somewhat chaotically arranged during their arrangement. Retaining walls can appear from the ground, then smoothly merge with the relief

For a garden flower bed, a brick design with forging elements is ideal. When decorating a site in a rustic style, the terraces, reinforced with supports, designed in the form, look very picturesque. Such support walls are attractive and easy to manufacture.

To strengthen the wall of the slope, you just need to drive in a few strong stakes, placing them at a distance of half a meter from each other. Between the vertically installed stakes, all that remains is to intertwine the flexible young shoots left after the seasonal pruning of trees in the garden.

Sloping terrain is an excellent base for creating flower beds. Plants feel very comfortable on the makeshift terraces, and the height differences provide a spectacular play of sun and color.

If your site is located on a slope, don't worry. Many landscape designers prefer hilly terrain rather than a flat area. On the slope, you can create spectacular compositions, focusing on stones, water, small architectural forms.

Slope site design options

When choosing a landscape style for your site, you need to take into account a large number of factors, think over all the details, because the garden, like a mirror, will reflect all your preferences.

Slope with terraces: a cascade of steps and ledges

One of the ways to change the appearance of slopes is terracing - the formation of terraces, reinforced with retaining walls. The height and number of terraces depends on the size of the site itself and the height difference. The terraces are connected with steps, which are made of the same materials as the retaining walls.

Retaining walls in an area with a slope

Retaining walls, designed in accordance with the style of the site, are a striking decorative element. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to details, techniques and materials that are characteristic of each particular style. Retaining walls made of wooden logs will suit the rustic style, retaining walls and steps in the Art Nouveau garden can be built of bricks, complementing them with forged railings, and in a natural-style garden, a retaining wall made of natural stone will play the first violin. Very nice terraces with retaining walls will complement the multi-level flower beds.

Observation deck on the terrace

On one of the terraces, you can equip observation platforms, where you and your guests can admire the beauty of the surrounding nature and the landscape of the site.

Decorative pond with a gazebo on the shore

In some cases, when the relief of the site has a more complex structure - a ravine, the bank of a river or a pond, it is rather difficult to create a beautiful landscape picture. But all these seemingly shortcomings, with a skillful approach, can be turned into a highlight of the site, creating its unique flavor.

The ravine can be turned into a decorative pond with a gazebo on the shore. Plant shrubs and weeping willows on the banks. They will not only give the pond a romantic look, they will strengthen the shore with their willow roots and prevent them from sliding.

A collection of water-loving and aquatic plants will complete the composition. A wooden or forged bridge connecting the banks of a ravine-pond will beautifully fit into the overall picture.

The river bank can be decorated in exactly the same way. You can build a small pier if the size of the river allows. From everything we can conclude: although the relief adds hassle and work, it is he who will make the image of the site unique.

Gardening rules for a summer cottage on a slope

If the house is built on the upper part of the slope, we plant tall trees here. These can be: pyramidal poplar, oak, linden, spruce, thuja. Ornamental shrubs - barberry, forsythia, lilac will look good on the slopes. We create compositions of shrubs and trees that are symmetrical or asymmetrical, but only so that they do not cover the house. Below the slope, you can plant low-growing shrubs in groups, create small flower beds, rockeries.

The lowest plants are planted in the lower part of the slope. Evergreen boxwood, juniper, mahonia will look good. In spring, as soon as the snow melts, bulbous eyes will be the first to please - hyacinths, crocuses, tulips, hazel grouses. They will be replaced by decorative bows, Californian escholtia, marigolds, rudbeckia. In the fall, the reign of chrysanthemums will come.

An important element of the slope site is the path. If laid in the form of a serpentine, it will emphasize the steepness of the slope. A variety of materials are perfect for decorating the path: stone slabs, breccia, brick, wood.

A composition made of stone and plants - rockery will complement and decorate the winding path. For rockery we choose Cossack juniper, saxifrage, rejuvenated, stonecrop.

If the site is a slope that goes down to the house, that is, the house is below, we place the plants in a different way. We plant tall trees at the top, near the entrance to the estate, and surround the house with several dense clumps of shrubs or low ornamental trees - cypress, lilac, viburnum, mountain ash.

We form the crowns of tall trees, if they are in front of the house, to the height of human growth. In this case, trees will not block the exposure from other, lower plants.

The slopes are perfect for creating streams with waterfalls and cascades. Moving water will revive the site, give the landscape a natural look, create a feeling of complete harmony.

Do not be upset, you are faced with opportunities that are not available to the owners of ordinary sites. Your imagination and our advice will help you create a distinctive and original example of landscape design.

Positive and negative sides of the slope plot

To begin with, I would like to list all the advantages of the sloping location of the land:

• competently and beautifully designed, such a territory can become an extraordinary and picturesque example of landscape art;

• the site on the slope is perfectly visible in its entirety, so from the windows of the house you can contemplate all the design elements in the garden;

• such land is a great place to create an alpine slide, waterfall or cascade;

• if the dacha is located on the southern side of the hill, its territory will be illuminated by the sun as much as possible, and this is an excellent prerequisite for good growth of green spaces and high crop yields.

Nevertheless, in addition to the pros, the dacha on the slope also has disadvantages:

• on the ground with a steep enough slope, it is problematic to plant a lawn;

• registration of such a site will require significantly higher costs than in the case of a flat location of the territory;

• planted crops will need frequent watering, since water in the soil will not linger for long, flowing down the hill;

• plants on the northern slope may receive insufficient heat and light, which will cause poor flowering and low yields;

• the foundation of a house located in the middle or at the bottom of a hillock runs the risk of being flooded with water;

• unstable soil areas can lead to erosion and landslides;

• daily movement on the slope is physically tiring;

• small children should not play on a steep hill, so care must be taken to ensure their safety.

Features of the design of inclined land plots

The summer cottages located on the slope are unlike each other. All of them differ in different elevation differences, which makes their landscape unique and distinctive. In this regard, the design of each such site has its own planning solutions and decorative elements. There are certain features in the design of sloping lands:

1. It is considered optimal if the building in a similar cottage is located on top of a hill. This arrangement greatly simplifies the work with the terrain.
2. The planning of a site on a slope must necessarily take into account the characteristics of the soil and the technical features of the water supply. You also need to take into account the location of the slope relative to the cardinal points and the wind rose.
3. First of all, you need to plan the location of utility structures and recreation areas, and only after that determine the position of all other structures: terraces, stairs, retaining walls and other elements.
4. All measurements and calculations should be carried out with special attention and care - this will avoid unnecessary financial costs.
5. When landscaping a slope, you should be careful with the lower layers of the soil. They must not be moved or interchanged, as this can lead to soil erosion, which in turn creates a danger to garden structures.

Plot on a slope, landscaping

The significant slope of the suburban area creates the prerequisites for the designer's flight of imagination. The difference in height can be beautifully beaten when decorating the site, which will subsequently give an interesting, unusual and unique result.

Too steep slope of the soil makes it problematic to move around the territory and creates inconvenience in everyday life. In order to solve such problems and make living in the garden comfortable, it is necessary to build terraces, retaining walls and stairs on the slope. Among other things, you should pay attention to soil moisture. In sloping areas, the ground is usually drier and for good plant growth in such a garden, special attention should be paid to irrigation systems. In order to avoid flooding of buildings with storm water, drainage must be laid on the site.

Let's take a closer look at various landscape design activities:

Terracing the site

For the design of lands with a slope of more than 15 °, such a technique as terracing is perfect - the creation of special horizontal platforms reinforced with walls. The size of the plot and the degree of its steepness directly affect the number and height of the terraces. The platforms are connected with each other by means of ladders that are in harmony with the retaining walls.

The creation of terraces requires a lot of work, time and money, but the effort spent will not be in vain: after a while your summer cottage will become a model of beauty and comfort. Before zoning a site using terraces, it is better to consult with specialists, inviting them directly to the work site. Their advice should help you achieve these basic goals:

• protecting the soil from soil erosion and creating an optimal system for removing unnecessary moisture;

• ensuring convenient and safe movement of the owners of the dacha on the slope;

• creation of recreation areas, a garden and a vegetable garden on the site;

• construction of high-quality and reliable retaining walls;

• arrangement of space for relaxation in a comfortable place.

Terracing of the site is carried out in several stages:

1. To begin with, determine the degree of steepness of the slope. To do this, the difference in heights is divided by the indicator of the horizontal base.
2. After that, the location of the terraces is marked on the site. The size of each site should be sufficient to accommodate a house, an outbuilding, a garden, a flower bed or a bed on it.
3. Then they carry out geoplastics - artificial creation or change of the terrain. At the same time, the upper terraces are first built, gradually dropping down. The ground cut from above is the basis for creating the underlying plots. The height of the terraces can reach 1.5 meters, but do not forget that the creation of high retaining walls will require considerable financial costs.

The construction of terraces is a creative business. You can arrange them in one row, staggered or asymmetrically - the choice depends on the desire of the owner of the land. The design of a plot on a slope, the photo of which is presented below, is an example of asymmetric terraces:

Create retaining walls

Retaining walls are not only a way to strengthen terraces, but also a decorative element. What subtleties need to be considered when building these structures?

1. In order for the wall to look harmonious and fit into the overall design of the site on the slope, carefully select the materials for its creation and take into account the stylistic orientation of the garden. For example, retaining walls made of beams or logs will perfectly fit into the rustic style. A brick design with wrought iron elements is suitable for a modern-style garden, and an area with an emphasis on natural beauty will look wonderful in a frame of natural stone.
2. Materials for creating retaining walls can be very diverse. For structures that are small in height, sheet metal, wood, stone or reinforced concrete are suitable. Metal and wood must be treated with paint or varnish to protect against moisture.
3. The stone wall can be dry-folded or a cement mortar can be used to fix it. In the first case, the height of the structure should not exceed 1 m; it is better to lay out higher walls on a mortar.
4. Another material for creating retaining walls is concrete blocks. The structure made in this way must be protected from moisture in places of contact with the soil. You can also do the exterior wall decoration with paint, tiles or natural stone.
5. In order for the wall to stand firmly and serve for a long time, at the beginning of its creation, a reinforced concrete or rubble concrete foundation is laid.

Drainage system creation

Suburban areas with a slope are susceptible to soil leaching due to spring floods or heavy rains. In order to avoid such a nuisance, drainage is being laid on the territory. It is a pipe system made of metal or asbestos cement that is laid at the bottom of the wall. Sometimes the pipes are replaced with filtration holes.

It is possible to use water from the drainage system with benefit. For example, accumulate it in suitable containers and water the plants or filter it for the pool, if there is one on the site.

Construction of stairs

As a rule, in areas with a steep slope, the terraces are connected to each other using stairs. They not only make movement around the country house comfortable and convenient, but also are an element of the overall design. In order for these structures to harmoniously fit into the overall picture of the garden, you need to pay special attention to their construction.

1. The dimensions of the steps do not have to be in accordance with accepted standards.
2. An affordable option can be a staircase made of wooden blocks or boards. In this case, the riser is made of a board installed on the edge, fixed on the sides with wooden pegs, and tightly compacted soil serves as a tread.
3. A more expensive, but also more beautiful option would be a staircase made of stone, brick or monolithic concrete. In the latter case, you need to additionally make a wooden formwork.
4. If the staircase turns out to be too steep, a convenient handrail should be installed on at least one of its sides.
5. Too many steps are best broken up into spans of 8-10 pieces, between which there will be rest areas during the ascent. For more comfort, benches can be placed between the aisles.

The plot on the slope, the photo of which can be seen below, shows an example of a staircase made of stone:

Creating a garden on a slope site

Since the sloping terrain is an excellent viewing platform, a beautiful garden will look especially impressive on it. Alpine slide, various flower arrangements, artificial waterfalls and cascades - all these opportunities open up for the owner of the site on the slope.

Often, the soil of the hills contains a large number of stones and a very thin layer of fertile soil, but this problem is quite solvable. Stones can be used as a natural material for the design of retaining walls, and the land plot itself on the slope can be covered with a layer of imported black soil.

Design ideas for a relief area

1. In a relief cottage, you can grow a lawn. If the slope of the terrain is too steep, it will be quite difficult to do this, but on the slope, the grass and plants will anchor quite well and will have a spectacular appearance. If the territory is designed in the form of terraces, then there will be no difficulty in growing a lawn. Stepped areas covered with terry green carpet will look impressive when viewed from above.
2. The sloping terrain is an excellent soil for creating a rockery - an ornamental garden of stones. Here you can also place a rock garden or simply beautifully decorated flower beds. All planted crops will grow remarkably on the slope if horizontal holes are made under them, reinforced with boards. On the terraces, the plants will feel even better, and the height differences will provide a beautiful play of sun and colors.
3. An artificial reservoir is another trump card of the site on the slope. Waterfalls, cascades and streams will fall beautifully from the top of the hill, and a quiet, cozy lake can be located on the terrace area.
4. Cobbled platforms and staircases, winding serpentine among the greenery, are an important decorative element of the overall composition.
5. Junipers and ground cover crops can be used to decorate the slope. They are able to grow across the territory with a variegated carpet, and also successfully hide the flaws in construction.

Basically, in such articles they write how cool and beautiful it is, then they add that you are very lucky, because you have a site with drops, do everything in your hands. All these parting words are abundantly "fertilized" with a huge number of ideas and a bunch of beautiful photographs from all over the world, and at the end of the article some masochists definitely recommend smearing stones with kefir to root moss in the retaining walls. But that doesn't make it easier for us, really :)

And here we can safely say that we are part of society. On such dense urban, suburban and cottage areas, we feel like in an aquarium!

Then our main task is to create an isolated island for the rest of the whole family, through a gradual transition to a separate zone, an oasis of tranquility. I call this the third dimension. The first dimension is the official entrance lobby in front of the house. The second dimension is the area behind the house, and the third is the most sheltered, most intimate for relaxation and contemplation. Wind, noise, vanity is somewhere higher there ... ... ...
In this case, a site with a slope suits us very much, since the descent is always identified with shelter and protection. And with proper zoning of the site, we can develop and enhance this feature and as a result, get a chamber patio, a small lawn or a gazebo by the pond, hidden from prying eyes, that is, our main requirement create isolation.

Here's a good example.
Small area on all sides densely populated by neighbors... While planning and designing a garden in Raubichi, Minsk region, I isolated the most remote corner even more, and strengthened the feeling of intimacy with a general decrease. Moreover, he opened and strengthened the characteristic natural features of the sloping site by arranging from top to bottom a stream that falls into a pond under the patio terrace. The size of this cozy patio is the same as the terrace outside the house. Everything is made from natural materials. Everything is focused on solitude and relaxation after a working week.

• Important... In the city and the suburbs, natural materials - wood, land, plants, water, acquire even more importance than in a distant village, where we are literally surrounded by all these textures. Therefore, make the most of natural materials to enhance your ecological island.

Let's look at a common planning mistake.
Look, we can do the traditional way, just order the construction of a retaining wall made of concrete in Minsk, mindlessly pour it and we will get the lower terrace, or just 2 canisters crushing the most important territory of the garden.

It looks very disharmonious, but most importantly, these pencil cases subsequently determine the structure of landscape design.

In this example, we organized the retaining wall in the most active movement zone in the form of a closed courtyard near the bathhouse, and the second part, where there is much less movement, was designed in the form of a descending slope that can be formed in the form of another volume. Such an arrangement will strengthen the relationship with the house and the bathhouse, create a much more harmonious development of landscape design, and in the future your stay will be much more comfortable. It turns out that they both saved and strengthened.

Important. Use the golden ratio. If you decide to combine a retaining wall with a natural slope, stick to the one-third rule. That is, either the slope is 2/3, and 1/3 is a support with a ladder, or vice versa. Use the laws of similarity and identity. Use the dimensions of the house and materials for facade decoration in the dimensions of retaining walls, patios, terraces. Let's say you have a house 11 meters wide. If this size is used in the dimensions of a retaining wall, patio, gazebos, then such a direct interaction unites the separated volumes. Your main task is to avoid fragmentation of unrelated elements.

Example "island"... I designed and built this zone in the form of a semicircle, which forms the lower island where there will be a gazebo and around the lake. Pay attention, on the side, in the retaining wall, there is a bridge for connecting two ponds, and the composition will be completed by a waterfall falling into the lake from the retaining wall.

This example demonstrates a fragmentarily arranged retaining wall with a staircase leading to the bath complex, the rest of the area I organized in the form of a natural slope.

Practice shows that many individual developers do not consider one of the best and more logical options placing stairs, retaining walls and leveling the height difference on your site, on the side of the house, let's consider this option.

Each house has passages between the wall of the house and the fence on both sides, usually narrow.
These walkways are ideal for staircases and retaining walls.
1) With this arrangement, a staircase with a retaining wall will be located in narrow, little-used zones, as a result of which this gives us the opportunity to use the most important territory behind the house without drops and piling up concrete walls, for example, for .
2) There are many more options for technologically linking the landscape design with the construction of a staircase, retaining wall or a group of stairs, terraces, since there are two verticals, a fence and a wall of the house. In which the purlins of the stairs can rest. In addition, it is easy to use structures for vertical gardening here.

And here is a clear example of a drop of 1.5 meters, equipped on the sides of the house.

When designing the space of your site, always try to perceive retaining walls as an important element that must form any isolated zone... That is, retaining walls are always more harmonious when they predetermine or highlight the adjacent volume with their shape.

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