PLANTING ON A SLOPE

Nafray® Pennisetum

Don’t let a hilly area be left to waste. Due to difficulties maintaining slopes, they often become overgrown with weeds. Depending on the steepness of the slope, it is often not practical for a lawn and some clever planting choices have to be made to make the most of it.

Aussie Flat Bush™ Rhagodia Slope

The most common approach to slopes is retaining walls and terracing. This is a great way to convert your hill into horizontal space however, it involves major landscaping and usually is quite expensive. Don’t worry if this option doesn’t work, there are still plenty of great ways to turn a slope into an oasis with Ozbreed!

Aussie Rambler™ Carpobrotus Retaining Wall

Plant choice is everything when creating a sloped garden. Slopes are exposed to the elements, copping wind, sun and dry spells worse than other areas in your garden. You need to choose plants that are hardy and low-maintenance as access to them can be difficult. Native plants are the best choice in this harsh environment.

Katie Belles™ Creek Bed

Plants with deep root systems bind the soil together to prevent erosion which is a big problem on slopes. Any plant will strengthen the soil, but our erosion control research has found that that strappy leaf plants and grasses performed the best due to their extensive and fibrous root systems. The best being Lomandras like ‘Katrinus Deluxe’, Nyalla® and Katie Belles™; Dianellas like King Alfred®, Lucia™, Breeze™, and Tasred™; as well as native grasses like Nafray® Pennisetum. Read all the research on the website here.

'Katrinus Deluxe' Slope

Weeds and water run-off are also a problem on slopes which can be combatted by planting thick groundcovers. Some great choices are Aussie Flat Bush™ Rhagodia, Blue Horizon™ Eremophila as well as Low Horizon™ and Mundi™ Westringia. These groundcovers disperse the rain on their leaves to reduce topsoil run-off and smother weeds with their thick and fast growth.

Mundi™ Westringia and Tanika® Lomandra Slope

What about looks? Weeping groundcovers look great on a slope as they cascade over rocks. Yareena™ Myoporum is the perfect for that look and even has delicate white flowers throughout spring and summer.

Once you’ve chosen the perfect plants for your slope to smother weeds, prevent run-off and control erosion, there’s a few more things that you can do to make the most of your sloping green space.

Mundi™ Westringia Slope

Firstly, you can stagger your plantings and avoid planting in rows. This stops run-off turning into rivers by breaking up the water’s path as it travels down the hill. You can also divert water at the top of the slope to a drain or rocky areas to reduce run-off on your planted area.

Secondly, you can plant in smaller sizes to reduce digging and soil disturbance. If the slope is particularly large, this also brings down the cost of your project. Just make sure you account for the plants size at maturity.

Ozbreed Aussie Box® Westringia

Finally, chunky wood mulch or jute matting can be used to help stabilise the banks. If using mulch, make sure it is a thick layer between 60mm to 75mm and that it is chunky with few fines. This prevents weed invasion, stabilises the slope, holds in moisture and looks after your lovely new plantings.

With these tips and good plant choices, a slope can become a gorgeous low-maintenance garden that attracts wildlife and improves the overall look of an outdoor space.

Tanika® Lomandra Staggered Planting Slope

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