Bath is built on hills, so many of the gardens we work in slope — sometimes steeply. A slope can feel like a problem, but handled well it becomes the most interesting feature of the garden. Here are five ideas we return to again and again.
1. Terrace into levels
Splitting the garden into two or three flat terraces, retained with rendered walls or oak sleepers, instantly creates rooms: a dining terrace by the house, a lawn in the middle, a seating area at the top. Our three-tier garden in Bath is a good example.
2. Use wide, generous steps
Steps are a design feature, not just a way to get around. Wide steps in porcelain or sandstone, lit from the side, make a garden feel calm and considered.
3. Add slatted screening
Horizontal slatted screens give privacy on a sloping site where neighbours look down on you, and they look far more contemporary than a standard fence panel.
4. Think about drainage first
Water runs downhill, and on a slope it runs towards your house. Every terrace we build includes proper land drainage and channels so the finished garden stays dry.
5. Light it
Low-level lighting on steps and retaining walls turns a terraced garden into something special after dark, and it makes the levels safe to use in the evening.
If you have a sloping garden you are not using, get in touch — we would be happy to visit and talk through what is possible.
