flower beds on a slope?

[shelbistar]

I'm VERY new to gardening. I have a very rectangular back yard that I'm wanting to line w/ flower beds, however, the sides and back of my yard have 2' slopes for drainage.

is it possible to create flower beds on these slopes and still allow for drainage? if so, do I need any special materials to do this?

I hope that makes sense! thanks!!

[opabinia51]

Well, I would personally recommend digging trenches down the slops first that are about 2 feet deep and lying gravel along the bottoms of the trenches. You can cover the gravel with some mulched up leaves that will retain moisture for the soil. Then, place the soil back ontop of the leaves and plant your flower beds on top of that.

The gravel should allow for drainage down the slope but, the leaves will retain moisture for the plants and also provide nutrients.


Any other advice anyone?

[The Helpful Gardener]

Not sure I'd go there, Opa; a lot of decomposing material does not a stable slipface make, and it doesn't address the slope. The ancient Chinese secret would be terracing; made all the easier by the modern miracle of landscape block (if you don't like the look, wallstone still works Or logs for a woodland garden). Build your soil inside the retaining wall, and use those dug trenches as footings for your wall. But simply digging trenches would make destabilizinng the slope face a possibility, just what we don't want to do.

I might even use the slope to full advantage and try alpine plants that appreciate sharp drainage and skip a good bit of the compost in favor of loam and sand...sedums, dianthus, and even odder beasties. Check this...

[url]https://www.nargs.org/gardening/rockgardening.html[/url]

HG