Large Hillside ideas

3 years ago

Good morning everyone,

I recently posted a similar thread, but quickly realized the scope of my post was too much and lacked detail. The questions and comments I got made me think about it in more detail. So hear goes with more specifics. I hope you all can help

Our Hillside is facing east, and the area I am looking to work on is about 120 feet long. Past that, on the right it continues into more wooded area which is still part of property. The stone wall on top of hill is property line, and to left its just about 10 ft past the invisible fence flags. Generally i would say it's full sun by midday at the lower wall area to full shade up by top wall. The shade is generally tall trees. Zone is 6a

The first thing I would like to tackle is to get a line of bushes along the back/top wall. Not for privacy really, but more for landscaping look/and to define the line. We like some color, but not forsythia as its everywhere here. Does not have to be hedge style really and bushes with edible berries and /or attractive to bird /bees ideal. Ultimate, these should be 6-8 feet high as a nice backdrop. Do you guys have ideas what to put here.

The second item we want to tackle is a area / band of ground cover on the bottom, going 10-15 ft from wall. Color and flowering important. Currently its filled with wild grasses, weeds etc and has good erosion control. It's a large area, so we can do it in phases.

What ideas would you recommend? Does it have to be the same accross the whole area or can we mix it up with ground cover that could compliment. For example, the left half of the area is where our patio, firepit, BBQ is etc. The right half is over a lawn.

The third phase will be the area between ground cover and back wall, but i have decided to leave that for now due to the size of the area.

See some photos below.

Thanks

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Comments (5)

PRO
Yardvaark
3 years ago
Say where it is, as the same zones occur in both dry and wet or humid environments.

While you may implement the solution in phases -- starting with the backdrop first, then by doing the foreground, and at some unknown point in the future, what is in the middle ground -- you would not do the design that way. The design would be done for the whole area all at one time in order to know that it is cohesive and will all work out in the end, regardless of the order in which it is implemented.

Reflecting on the prior thread, I'd suggest that Christopher and I were not in all that much opposition to one another in terms of the final outcome. We both saw the slope covered in more or less low plantings. The details of the plantings would be different, and exactly how one achieved and maintained it, would be different. I envisioned more uniformity and Christopher envisioned more variety. I envisioned a weed-killing maintenance program and Christopher envisioned an annual mowing maintenance program. As I said before, I wasn't necessarily against Christopher's scheme, it's just that it is not the kind of look or maintenance that appeals to me most -- not, not at all. I think it would be lovely. But I also think that weed free uniformity is lovely.

I don't think there is a difference enough to mention our view of the backdrop area, as everyone seems to agree that large shrubs are OK for that. But one would really need to know the direction of the overall middle ground in order to determine the foreground. With either scheme that's been mentioned so far, I don't really see any advantage to a frontal border that's distinctly different from the middle ground. In fact, I think it would appear as a disruption to whatever larger theme was established. This may depend on details though. To me, it seems it would make sense to keep the central and fore areas as the most plain and free of objects .... let it be the "white space," and let the objects occur nearer the sides and back of the overall space. The sides and back are already where the objects (the trees) occur. I'm saying that below them and in their vicinity is where filling in with other things makes more sense.
Christopher CNC
3 years ago
Yes I like more variety and particularly enjoy watching the seasons pass through a blooming, meadow community of plants. The natural setting and the size, 120' x 60?', as big as many suburban lots, also leads me to a more natural approach. I actually enjoy finding the incredible gardens nature can so abundantly supply with a little direction. Yes, actual gardening labor is involved in maintaining a meadow. Lawn mowing. It's easy … depending on the slope.

If this was a smaller slope in a more suburban setting I could be all over a more structured approach. Isn't this about the third such large hillside we have seen recently? Most of the slope owners went with more structured plantings. Nothing wrong with that when well done.

Some shrub suggestions for the top along the wall. Is that an old dry stack stone wall on your property line? Lucky you. South NY state right?

Winterberry, Ilex verticillata

Spicebush, Lindera benzoin

Acid soil?

Blueberries - rest assured the birds will love them. You got to be fast to get your own bowl full.

Rhododendron.

I'm still pondering a flowering groundcover for an east facing slope.
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PRO
Yardvaark
3 years ago
To clarify, Christopher, you are making suggestion for shrubs at the upper wall, not the top of the lower wall ...?
Christopher CNC
3 years ago
Correct.
mcmahonvincent
Original Author
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
@Yardvaark @Christopher CNC

Thank you both for the detailed responses. I certainly realize this is a bigger project. Unfortunately, Design is not my strong point. From your responses and further reading, I am leaning towards Christophers' idea of a wildflower meadow type plan in the middle section, and I am not opposed to having this theme flow down towards the front wall. I have tried to speak with local landscape companies/nurseries in the area and the goals are the same. This is what we have for sale and here is how it would look on your property, or they see the area I am talking about and see $$$.

@Yardvaark, I am in Southern NY State. Zone 6A. I like your idea of keeping it open, allowing what I do in the middle section (Wildflower /natural approach) flow down to the wall and adding design elements to the sides and back. Do you have any suggestions for the sides/ design ideas?

@Christopher CNC Yes a dry stone wall. It's in good shape. Do you feel that some ground cover would work by the lower wall, or would you flow wildflower meadow idea all the way down?

Also the shrubs you suggested for the wall, will they be ok in shade. Realistically up by the wall, it's pretty shady

open to talking offline to anyone who would work one on one to put together a design

thanks - appreciate it

Large Hillside ideas

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Large Hillside ideas

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