zenpicker
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Joined: Fri May 14, 2021 12:09 pm

Dealing with a sloped area

Hello gurus,

I'm in the early stages of converting my long, narrow, partially sloped backyard to a Japanese-influenced space with a combination of hardscape (gravel, stepping stones) and native Colorado shrubs, grasses and groundcover. I am fortunate to have an abundant source of beautiful moss rock close by, most of it pale sandstone with pale green and rust lichen. Have already hauled some good-sized boulders into place and experimented with how to set them. Next phase (I think): bring in hardscape material, kill off the scrappy remains of a grass yard, put down landscape fabric and begin to lay the gravel out. I have a general design for the layout sketched out, but it's all open to change and refinement at this early stage.

Two immediate questions I could use some sage advice on:

1. Gravel color. I brought in some medium-grey stone, 1/2-3/4", and have used crushed mountain granite elsewhere around the house (mostly for fire mitigation perimeters), which is smaller and has some sparse reddish components that tie to the sand tones of the boulders.
(https://www.pioneersand.com/products/de ... in_granite)

Neighbors working with the same type of moss rocks sometimes use more of a sand or tan colored pea gravel. Any opinions on these three options? Basically, a) medium grey (greatest contrast with the sandstone undertones of the boulders); b) crushed mountain granite combining grey and reddish undertones; c) sand/tan. Or something else entirely! I'm leaning toward the mountain granite but would really welcome input. It seems a big decision indeed.

2. How to handle the slope. About half the space is raked at about 30 degrees, descending toward the house and therefore the primary viewing position. I've been playing with a five-boulder, somewhat asymmetric arrangement, with one unique vertical standing rock as focal point, a small triangular Fuji-esque boulder split off to suggest landscape distance, and some low, substantial, horizontally-oriented rocks. I've seen designs that allow the low rocks to follow down the slope, but others where they're partially buried and made level, with no suggestion of a "slide." Thoughts?

Also, should I consider some kind of terracing here, in part to keep the gravel from washing down the slope?

I'm a beginner at this, so open to any and all suggestions! I'd like to avoid dumb mistakes and redo, of course. If helpful, I can post a few pictures. I'd like to get the central elements in place soon so there is still time to begin planting.

Thank you in advance for any input - it is very much appreciated!

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Ooh. I would love to see some pictures, photos, before and after ....

I’m no expert, but I was thinking terraced levels even before you mentioned it as a design component. You could evoke terraced rice paddies and also it may allow you to create mountain range like rock arrangements? Maybe if you have an appropriately shaped boulder, it could bridge from one level of a terrace to another and create a sloped mossy formation?

zenpicker
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri May 14, 2021 12:09 pm

Thanks! Glad the terraced thing makes sense to you. It would really change the visuals...especially because immediately behind the area (and a fence) the slope gets even steeper, trailing off into pine woods. Forgot to mention that part.

At the risk of breaking the internet I'm going to attach a few pics, quickly shot. Sorry a couple are a bit shadowed. As will be evident, the area is a blank slate, essentially...during a long construction project the contractors stored equipment in the back and left the yard as you see it. We planned to remove the grass, so we gave our permission. Now it's showtime!

Pics show the two different gravels, examples of the boulders I have (there are many more if I can find a way to get them there), as well as views of the main "garden" area taken from a balcony above, the patio in front and the other end of the yard. That's what we have to work with....

View from patio:
view from patio.JPG
View from balcony above:
overhead shot.JPG
View from other end of yard:
yard looking north.JPG
Crushed mountain granite:
crushed mtn granite.JPG
Grey rock posing next to boulders:
grey gravel Lee Hill.JPG
A few moss rocks:
moss rock 3.JPG
moss rock 4.JPG



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