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Extreme Hillside Makeover

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Frank Tansey Add to Journal

Extras

It was the middle of 2005 when I first saw this landscaping project that transformed this rural roadside hill. Soon the roadside was exploding with color and the eroding hillside was reinforced by the rapidly spreading plant selection. These photos taken in January 2007 give you a sense of the before in the immediately adjacent property and the after in this extreme hillside makeover.

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County road hill landscaping
Photo Credit: Frank Tansey
A beautiful transformation of a countryside road hill.
Tips
  • When grouping plants on a hillside, consider the way in which water would naturally run downward and site plants to slow down or break that flow of water.
  • Use landscape netting to reinforce the hill while the plant root systems are establishing.
Tools
  • It isn’t always easy to garden on slopes. Try using a wooden plank to step on – secure it into the soil when working in a particular area, then move it as needed.
Facts
  • Planting hillsides is not only aesthetically pleasing, but good for the environment. Plants hold the soil in place and prevent erosion, the level of noise from the nearby road can be mitigated, the area can be more supportive of wildlife (mainly birds and bees) and the diversity of plants lessens the chance of pests and/or diseases ravaging the entire area.
 
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