Landscape Design - How To Create An Oasis of Peace

Wouldn't you love to come home after a stressful day on the job, walk a few steps into your very own back yard, and find an Oasis awaiting you? This doesn't need to be a dream. You can have this vision come true by hiring a good landscape design service.

Besides having a relaxing space, there are many benefits to creating a well-designed home landscape. It should be a pleasure to look at as well as have some function. It certainly ought to bring pleasure to your family and enhance the appearance of your neighborhood. And, it should definitely increase the value of your property.

Imagine wandering through stone pathways and strolling to the calming sound of a small waterfall or fountain. Enjoy reading a book or talking with your family over a quiet meal surrounded by beautiful and luxurious seasonal flora. This is living life how it was meant to be lived - in a garden.

One simple phone call to a landscape design company can bring all of these pleasures into your life in no time. And, most companies can design a layout with one or many amenities that are budget-friendly.

Be prepared to work right alongside your design professional. The design plan should be a joint effort between what your desires and goals are and what they can do to help you attain them. After all, you are the one who will have to live with them.

A few tips to help you plan your design:

1. Take the whole space into consideration in respect to what your goals are.

2. Try to think beyond just adding shrubbery, trees, and flowers.

3. Consider adding many great features such as a fountain, lighting, or a patio.

Be realistic when it comes to planning. You probably don't realize what certain items will cost, and that's where a landscape expert can guide you. Most, if not all, companies will come to your property and consult with you about your plans. There is generally a charge per hour for this service, though some companies may have a special. Next, a detailed plan will be created to scale with all of the features and plants you have agreed upon.

Does a simulated tropical paradise or a Japanese garden appeal to your senses? Can you imagine watching Koi fish chase each other around a pond even in the wintertime?

Your Oasis of natural beauty in your own backyard is only limited by your imagination. If you lack it, allow a creative landscape design professional to pick up where your creativity stops. They possess the expertise to enhance the quality of your life and personalize your space.

Landscape Design Ideas for Sprucing Up Your Front Yard

Do you see your front yard as little more than a space to cross in order to reach your home? If so, your front yard could use a makeover. Check out our front yard redesign ideas below.

For boring front yards....

The answer is a jolt of creativity. design/landscape gurus have several ways to jazz up dreary front yards:

1. Aim for Elemental Equality. Feng Shui teaches that equal parts fire, metal, earth and water are present in a visually pleasing design. Landscape pavers are generally considered as earth. For metal, think about adding a sculpture or a reflective ball. Vibrant yellow and red flowers can add fire, while water can be represented with a fountain or pond.

2. Use a Variety of Materials. People are suckers for variety. To spice up your front area, tell your landscape designer to incorporate a wide variety of materials. As an example, instead of using just pavers, you could use gravel and ground covers as well.

3. Think About How You'll Use Your design. Landscape designers who are worth their salt ask how their clients anticipate using their yards. Utility is a sure-fire way to destroy boredom. An "edible" front yard is perfect for lovers of fresh produce, while a built-in sandpit is a dream come true for parents of toddlers. Or, if you want a private retreat, add stucco walls to create a secluded sanctuary. When partnering with landscape design services, always start with a meditation on how you want to use the area.

For yards that don't jive with the traditional American style...

Choose a more harmonious design. Landscape techniques from around the globe can highlight your home's style. For example, if your house boasts Asian details, you can continue this theme in your front yard by adding an elaborate front gate and higher walls. (This style is common in places like Japan, where limited land lead landscape artists to create front-yard privacy.) Check with your landscape designer to figure out which garden fashions would best accent your house's design. Landscape design services usually delight in the opportunity to escape traditional Americana.

For tiny front lawns that don't justify storing hefty mowing equipment...

Talk to your landscape designer about ground cover alternatives to turf. Some, like Scotch and Irish moss, do not require mowing. In truth, there are multiple advantages to removing grass from your landscape design. Portland denizens, for example, are often interested in reducing their carbon footprint. For these environmentally enlightened homeowners, a lawn symbolizes unneeded energy expenditures - energy spent fueling mowers, creating fertilizers, and transporting weed killers, and that's just a start! Many non-tree-huggers have eliminated their lawns as well, simply because they abhor the inordinate amount of upkeep that a lawn demands.

If you need more space for entertaining...

Create an inviting space with short shrubbery, accent fencing, and trellises. These design elements can create an outdoor "room" that visitors will feel drawn to. landscape design services may also suggest building a short wall to create the sensation of a smaller, cozier space. Or, you may just decide to erect a patio cover and a front-yard deck to encourage outdoor socializing.

Five Basic Components of Landscape Design

There is something endearing and calming about gardens. Aside from contributing to a greener earth, a small patch of garden brings you in tune with nature. A home garden can take on any size, shape or form. Tight-living spaces need not be "green-less" as a group of potted plants accented by a stand-alone water fountain efficiently located in a corner yard is a garden. A pot or two of bonsai arrangements by the window adds a point of interest. Those who are into vertical living have found great opportunities to maximize roof tops for grassless gardens.

A garden need not be professionally done to be called a "garden". There is no need to buy expensive and exotic plants for a flower garden. There is no need to spend endless hours of labor sprucing up a garden as there is a great variety of low-maintenance plants that require minimal care.

To the avid gardener, landscaping would probably mean picking a spot in the yard to cultivate, planting flowers and shrubs, installing water structures such as wall or center fountain and adding light fixtures. For a bona fide landscape architect, landscaping is more than that. It is not necessary to go deep into the fundamentals of landscaping but there is a need to learn the basics so as to create a soothing and aesthetically-pleasing garden.

1, Unity
Landscape elements such as plants and flowers, cast or carved stone fountains, garden set and other garden accessories must complement each other. Even an immaculately kept garden will not be as restful to look at if one or two components are out of sync. For example, if the garden is a rose garden, a beautiful wall fountain or wooden trellis would blend well. However, incorporating a Japanese-style koi pond will not bode well with a predominantly Victorian rose garden. Some gardens are a hodgepodge of styles but transition from one style to the next should be evident. It is best to choose a theme for the garden and start from there.

2, Balance
A garden is either symmetrical or asymmetrical. Symmetrical balance is easier to achieve for it is merely dividing an area into two equal parts and designing them exactly the same way. This type of design is evident in classical designs. Asymmetrical is more interesting but harder to achieve. It involves balancing different-sized areas with varied landscape elements and garden accessories. An imbalanced garden will not be able to exude peace, tranquility and beauty.

3, Color
An explosion of color is not always a good thing in a garden such as in a Zen-like garden. Loud and bright colors have the tendency to make the view come forward while cool and light colors make the view recede or move back. A good mix of colors is good for the garden.

4, Proportion
Each and every component in the garden must be in direct proportion with the rest of the landscape elements. A rather large water feature has no place in a tight garden area. A smallish wall fountain could be more feasible. A small courtyard is no place to set a large statue or stone pool or a grouping of tall trees. Planting a row of low shrubs in a large area is not viable too. It is best to consider the actual mature heights of plants when planning a garden. Each element in a garden should be linked with each other in terms of its size, texture and type.

5, Line
A line pertains to the walkways and pathways in a garden. These paths make the flow from one area of the garden to the other flawless, seamless and effortless. A garden should be easily accessible. This means that the path should be clear from any obstruction or structure unless it's the end of the path.

Landscape Design: Adding a Rain Garden

While everyone's familiar with vegetable gardens, herb gardens, and flower gardens, many homeowners have never even heard of a different type of eco-friendly garden.

What is a Rain Garden?

Rain gardens are planted in depressions around areas of excessive water runoff around your property, such as roofs, sidewalks, porches and driveways. When planting these garden types, you should use native plants, as they are accustomed to the climate, therefore requiring less maintenance, and are good at absorbing excess water. The garden slowly filters water into the ground, reducing the amount of storm water runoff around your home.

Environmental Impact

In many urban areas, where most surfaces are covered by buildings or concrete, storm water can't be absorbed by the ground. It has nowhere to go but down storm drains, carrying pollution along with it. Rain gardens help reduce the amount of rainwater forced down storm drains, thereby reducing the amount of polluted water that ends up in rivers and groundwater.

Origins

These garden types originated in Maryland during the early '90s as part of a low impact design for landscapes. These were most common on larger-scale projects like subdivisions. However, many landscapers have recently started offering these gardens in their landscaping services for their increasing popularity, due in part to their ease of maintenance.

Why You Should Consider Adding a Rain Garden

On rain water's way to the storm drain, it picks up things like animal waste, garbage, road salt, fertilizers and pesticides. According to an EPA report, nearly 70% of all of America's surface water pollution comes from storm water runoff. Rain gardens greatly reduce the amount of storm water runoff your property produces, thereby reducing the amount of pollution to our streams, rivers and lakes. These gardens also help you maintain the rest of your yard by reducing the amount of standing water that may accumulate in it, eliminating places for mosquitoes to breed as well as helping you conserve water.

Installation

There is a lot more to installing a rain garden than your usual DIY gardening project. This is why it's a good idea to at least consult a professional landscaping design service before you get started on the project to get a feel for what's involved. That said, here are the basic steps for installing a eco-friendly garden.

1. Make a map of your yard. This map should show how water flows on your property, so that you can build the rain garden in the most ideal spot. As you walk around your yard, note any slopes, depressions or hills.

2. Pick a spot. From the information you've gathered mapping out your property, choose a spot. Some good choices are often downspouts or any other areas of your yard that commonly accumulate the most water.

3. Determine the soil's drainage rate. This step is a bit technical, which is why it should probably be done by a professional. It involves digging a hole and testing the soil's rate of water drainage. This information will help you determine the best type of rain garden to incorporate into your landscape design.

4. Determine its size. In most cases, rain gardens are between 6 to 24 inches deep. A landscaping service professional should be able to determine what size is most appropriate for your yard.

5. Start digging. This step is also one that's probably best left to a landscaping services company. This includes constructing the bed, planting appropriate native plants, and accommodating for water overflow. You may also need to create a rock-lined trench to direct water from downspouts to the garden.

6. Maintenance. One of the nice things about rain gardens is that you can easily handle the maintenance on your own. This involves simple things like pulling weeds, mulching and pruning. Most homeowners simply work maintaining their rain garden into their usual gardening routine.

Though they may be a relatively new landscape design option to most homeowners, rain gardens are becoming much more popular due to both their benefits as well as their natural beauty. If you'd like to incorporate an eco-friendly garden into your yard, there are many landscaping professionals who will be glad to help you work out the details of building your very own garden.

Landscape Design: Creating a Space for Winter Entertaining

Many people keep winter parties indoors, since their cold-weather gardens are less than attractive. However, with the right species, architecture and techniques, it's possible to entertain outdoors all year long, especially in temperate Pacific Northwest locales. The following are a few methods your landscape designer would recommend for creating a gorgeous wintertime landscape.

Install a Rain Garden

Not only are rain gardens an excellent method of protecting your property, they also attract wildlife and add peaceful beauty all year long. Basically, a rain garden is an area that is designed to soak up extra rainwater. It usually includes a hollow or depression, in which bog plants thrive. Rain gardens also protect local watersheds by filtering more rainwater through the soil, rather than dumping it into the streets to pick up heavy metals and toxic engine fluids.

Select Plants that will Shine in Winter Weather

In snowy areas, a landscape designer could suggest adding pavers that will retain heat and quickly melt snow, thus creating a stunning contrast during weaker storms. Around Portland, however, the near-constant rain has more sway over winter landscape design. Gardeners should begin to improve their winter landscapes by choosing plants that provide winter interest, such as those listed below.

1. Bamboo. Bamboo will keep your garden green all winter long. However, because many varieties spread very quickly, landscape design service experts usually recommend installing barriers that bamboo's rhizomes cannot cross. (They should be about three feet deep.) If you don't want to worry about this sort of thing, choose less aggressive clumping bamboo, or plant bamboo in containers.

2. Red twig dogwood. The red twig dogwood features small white blossoms in the springtime, but this is one plant that shines in the winter, as well. Its eponymous red bark is a striking rosy shade throughout the year. (This is an excellent choice for your rain garden; red twig dogwoods are water hogs.)

3. Ornamental grasses. Ornamental grasses can add verticality and texture to an otherwise boring design. Landscape gurus suggest experimenting with grasses that feature unusual striations.

4. Astilbes. These are the stars of the summer garden, with their feather-like flowers. However, too many gardeners decapitate these beauties too early. Instead, leave the dried flower stalks of these clay-loving plants in place all winter long.

5. Ferns. Ferns of the Pacific Northwest stay green throughout the winter months. A walk through lower-elevation woods in December or January reveals sword ferns still glowing green, for instance. When it comes to hope-inducing landscape design, experts recommend licorice ferns, which put out new growth around the first of the year.

6. Trees. Trees are any garden's "skeleton," especially in winter months when barren branches create webs against the sky. If you'd like to create a natural habitat and enjoy year-round greenery, plant a conifer. Otherwise, select tree species that feature unusual branching patterns.

Five Tips for Choosing Commercial Landscape Maintenance Contractors

Commercial landscape maintenance is a specialist job and therefore it's usually advised to hire reputable commercial landscape maintenance contractors. There are a few things you need to consider however. Here are the top 5 tips for hiring contractors to manage your commercial landscaping.

1 Finding a Reputable Contractor

Before you hire anyone, you need to be sure that they are a reputable company. You don't want to waste your money and you want to be sure that the work that's carried out is of the highest standard. Finding a reputable company using the web is as simple as typing commercial landscape contractors into Google and finding websites with testimonials for companies you're interested in.

2 The Right Budget Is The Right Choice

As well as finding a reputable company, you need to make sure that you communicate properly with the project managers so that you can discuss your budget. Making sure that you have a service that's appropriate for your budget is important to avoid any surprises when it comes to invoicing.

3 Timescales Are Everything

You also want to find a company that can work to your time frames. It's important that you have a serious discussion with any project managers so that you can arrange schedules for the work. You don't want any work to overrun and you also want to schedule the maintenance to fit in with your preferences and business requirements.

4 Your Goals Are Important

As well as arranging schedules and budgets, you need to make sure that the company you choose to work with understands what your goals are. Whether you are looking for simple regular maintenance or something a little more complex, you must make sure that the company you work with understands your goals.

5 Communication Is Key

In any business relationship, communication is key. When it comes to hiring a commercial landscape maintenance contractor, you need to make sure that you are able to communicate on a very regular basis. Companies with high quality customer service are the ideal choice.

As you can see, there are a few things you need to consider before you hire any commercial landscape maintenance company. There are a lot of areas where you can end up getting caught out if you're not careful. Before you hire any contractor - for any kind of work - it's important that you consider all of the above points.

Landscaping Tip - The Front Yard Patio - Why To Have One

We most commonly consider patios and all outdoor living spaces to be the exclusive domain of the backyard. After all, it is out back where we entertain our friends and relatives or just our own family in privacy, "far from the madding crowd." Keep in mind that the back yard may have the swimming pool, the hot tub spa, the horse shoe pit, the volleyball/badminton/tennis net, the children's play set with its swings and slides and monkey bars. Furthermore, here in the back we can create an outdoor kitchen, dining area, sitting area and outdoor bar; this outdoor living area becomes a natural extension of the comfort and privacy we enjoy indoors. However, why should the back yard be the exclusive domain of an outdoor patio? Of course we would not want most of these elements out front fully exposed to passersby but what about a simple sitting area at the front of the house?

It is time to reconsider the front yard patio; there are several reasons why to have one.

If we take a drive or stroll through any older, well established neighborhoods in any community across the country, those grand old houses with their large porches and verandas will be sitting there surrounded by large shade trees soaking up the appreciative glances cast their way. There may be homeowners sitting on porch swings or rockers or gliders or other types of patio furniture just whiling the day away, relaxing or reading or simply watching us pass by along the sidewalk. They may be doing the ironing or putting together a puzzle or building an antique model car or airplane. They may nod, or wave or even say hello and comment on the weather as we pass by. These grand old houses already have built-in front yard patios of a sort that project an old-fashioned romance which has its own rules of etiquette and procedure; they are warm and welcoming venues but we are only allowed to appreciate them from the sidewalk unless we are invited closer. We are allowed though to appreciate what these outdoor living areas offer their owners and consider how we can create or at least approximate the same kind of ambiance at home in our houses.

What we want then is to re-discover and re-invent this old-fashioned romance in our modern neighborhood.

The problem we face of course is that most moderately priced houses (if there is such a thing) built over the past twenty years in new surveys are not designed to contain this kind of grandiose patio setting on a large porch or veranda. This trend is a result partly of modern urban planning which attempts to make the greatest use of available land and partly as a means of creating affordable housing (if there is such a thing) in the face of today's skyrocketing real estate and construction costs

Thus, we need to consider creating our own version of the front yard patio and incorporate it into the design of the house we have.

The front yard patio is probably best incorporated into the front entrance of the house itself. Think of the hacienda style of the southwest where the entrance of the house leads first to an open atrium or courtyard. Our version need not be this elaborate but the concept is there nonetheless. If there is a sidewalk or pathway from the garage and the street incorporate them as the entrance to the patio. The floor can be a raised deck or rest at ground level using interlock brick, poured concrete or quality pavers. One option for framing this outdoor living area is to sink corner beams tied together by 2 x 10 joists at the top; stringers could be run across the ceiling to create a degree of shade. Another framing option is to simply use planter boxes and trellises connected by plank benches to create a border. In any event we want to try to establish our patio as a defined space. Cedar garden accessories such as arbors, pagoda arbors or trellis arbors serve well as inviting entrance ways into our patio and ultimately our home. Some type of garden feature is definitely another plus; the planter boxes, trellises and arbors function ideally here to add colour and living walls. The front wall of our patio though should, to some degree, be open to the street, perhaps as a large open picture widow framed by roses climbing the trellises; after all, approximating that porch or veranda effect was the original goal.

Finally, we want to consider the best furniture options. The porch swing idea can be achieved with an A-frame swing or pagoda swing set. Cedar garden benches, gliders, rockers or a scattering of adirondacks also work well, helping to create that feel of relaxation and comfort. Cedar patio furniture is an excellent choice because it stands up to the weather and its rich colour adds to the beauty and warmth of the approach to our home. Passersby will nod with approval at the inviting and friendly ambiance we have created; they may even be inspired with a desire to add a front yard patio to their own home.

Implementing the Perfect Landscape Design for Improving Your Home

Nowadays, having a nice home does not just involve the house structure and the interiors of the house. True, the first thing that a person sees is the aesthetics of the house structure and is furthered awed with how the interiors of the house is impeccably designed. If you are planning to sell your home, of course, you want to get the best deal out of it. You might have a really beautiful house however, the area surrounding it is unkept, and then chances are, the potential buyer will think twice about the price that you are setting for your home. Nowadays, a well-kept garden adds value to one's home as well. This is where proper landscape design comes in to help you sell the house.

It does not really matter where the main garden space is placed, be it at the back or at the front or even both. The important thing here is that it is well-kept and seen as orderly especially when there will be people visiting your place to check on it. True, having a huge space outside of your home is a chore to maintain but you will reap a lot from keeping it from growing out. That extra space has a lot of potential for other uses not just a play area for the kids during the afternoons, which your buyer can utilize.

There are two ways in which you can make your outdoor space pretty and presentable. If you have the time as well as the energy, you can go the DIY route, which is quite popular nowadays; thanks to reality television shows which show a thing or two about landscape design. You can go online and visit several websites to get inspiration and information on how to go about designing your own outdoor space. As for the supplies, which you need to achieve your desired garden look, there are a lot of places now that you can get your supplies from. Other stores even have websites too which you can order from and have them delivered the items right at your doorstep. Going DIY is easy as everything is within your reach. All you have to do is give in the effort in actually doing the dirty job.

However, if DIY is not your thing, you can always hire a professional contractor who will do everything from the landscape design to the actual process of beautifying your garden. However, be prepared to shell out more money when you go this route but you can scout for recommendations from other people who also did some beautification projects on their gardens. This way, you would know the on-going rate for their professional services as well as get the best one among those offering their services and not be duped with the exorbitant rates that they might ask from you. At least with a professional, you can still be involved with the plans and the renovation but not necessarily get your hands dirty.

So what are you waiting for? Do not let your outdoor space turn into a jungle. You might be doing double the work if you let that happen. It is time to check out some landscape design ideas at this website and start working on adding value to your home.

Landscape Design: What Makes Your Yard Unique?

Landscaping design trends seem to ebb and flow through cycles where naturalism is in one year and the next year well manicured lawns are all the rage. Personally I feel landscaping should reflect your personal style and be unique to each homeowner. The inside of your home should reflect who you are why the outside shouldn’t also is beyond me. The perfect place to begin exploring landscape ideas is by taking a “Sunday drive” exploring options of other people’s landscape design that you like and don’t like. Make sure to document with photos and descriptions so that when you are staring at your own home you are able to visually see what you desire.

Money is tight everywhere right now. Personally my budget for landscaping needs is very small but I still want the space to look and feel like me. In order to do this I went for a ride in the canoe. We are fortunate to have a beautiful river in our backyard to help accentuate our landscape design. I was so inspired by people’s creativity. The houses were all beautiful and the landscape of each home seemed to directly reflect the home and what I imagine the people inside were like.

There were several trends that I noticed in the homes along the river. They all seemed to make sense to me. People were conserving rain water, growing gardens and lit up with natural lightening. The landscapes were simple yet elegant, resourceful yet de-cluttered and beautifully natural. Here are the things that caught my eye the most.

• People reduced the amount of grass they needed to cut by placing large “gardens” throughout the lawn. I saw bird house gardens, rock garden, weed gardens that were full of beautifully colored weeds and one hose which had a tire garden. It was so neat and resourceful giving definite personality to the lawn.

• Many gardens were full of Michigan native plants. Being close to the water I saw many yards with cattails, loosestrife, lilies and other weeds that grow naturally with water. Many new weeping willow trees were spring up and I could tell people weren’t bending over backwards to make their lawns beautiful they just were naturally.

• I saw several rain water collections going on within the landscape designs. People had large containers made out of different materials that were linked to the gutters inconspicuously that would trap water for use later in the garden.

• Many neighbors had large vegetable gardens, tomatoes, beans, squash and melon made their lawns and gardens look fabulous while also being resourceful and help to feed their families.

• Lightening was also huge. Solar lights and hanging garden lights illuminated the area without the use of an energy source saving money and the environment. Often spotlights were used to emphasize trees and larger ornamental grasses.

• Many landscape designs defiantly served a purpose. The tire garden that I loved definitely did double work as a play/climbing area. Hammocks were placed between two shade trees for a nap area and one yard even played double duty for a place to practice yoga. Their yards said something about their personalities.

• Another thing I really liked is that our neighbors all incorporated the natural critters into their landscape. Bird house, bat houses, and squirrel feeders were abundant. Along with hummingbird feeders, butterflies, birdbaths and toad houses scattered through people’s yards.

The one thing that is truly noticeable is that people really used the resources available to them and accentuated upon the details. It was a great site to see. Many of the landscape designs were low key and maintenance looked routine. I was glad I took that trip down the river because instead of bringing in land fill and building a break wall I am going to enjoy the natural landscape that surrounds my home and make it my own with the finer details.

How To Landscape A Sloped Lot

While a house in a hilly area comes with a promise of stunning panoramic views of the surroundings, to their utter chagrin, homeowners quickly realize that working on a sloping backyard can be a harrowing task. However, the old adage, "More work equals to better results" certainly holds true in case of landscaping a sloping yard which presents innumerable opportunities for aesthetically pleasing inclusions that would otherwise look mundane.

When planning a landscape for a hilly yard, it is quintessential to include this topographical feature as a crucial consideration when deciding on every aspect of the landscape, from the type of plants that you intend to use to the design of the garden. Preplanning will help you to tackle the more cumbersome aspects of landscaping a slope while yielding astounding results. So, here are some tips on how you can landscape your sloping backyard to create a stunning medley of colors and textures.

Get to know the terrain

Grading the terrain: Before you draw up plans for landscaping your sloping backyard, it is imperative to study the terrain and the slope to ensure that your landscape will be able to efficaciously handle the drawback of gardening on a slope, while making the most of the natural features of the terrain.

A simple thumb rule to understand how the extent of slope will impact your gardening efforts is that the steepness of the slope will be directly proportional to the water you will need for your plants. Because steeper slopes tend to funnel moisture away from the plants, forcing the water and soil to flow downhill, it is vital to get the slope graded. As a matter of fact, most experts suggest that getting a sloping yard professionally graded can help you to save a significant amount of money on watering the steep terrain in the future.

Visual analysis: Alternatively, you could also do a visual analysis of the area. Gauge the severity of the slope and create a quick diagram labeling the steepest portions of the yard; make a note of the amount of sunlight that the different portions of the yard receive. You may also want to include comments on any drainage problems that may be encountered in specific areas.

List the various elements of the landscape: With the diagram in hand, you will be in a better position to place the various landscaping elements in the drawing such as tress, flower beds, fountains, walkways, boulders etc. It is crucial to accurately anticipate the area that the plants and shrubs will cover at maturity so that the landscape does not look too crammed.

Mark the areas for planting: Ideally the trees should be planted at the bottom half of the slope so that they can add stability to the landscape and prevent soil erosion. The steepest sections should have shrubs with deep reaching fibrous roots that will hold on to the soil while the wider plants that will cover large areas at maturity should be planted at the bottom of the slope so that they can create a neat hedge while affording you all the privacy that you need to enjoy your garden.

Preventing soil erosion

Stability and accessibility: Soil erosion is a huge concern when gardening on a slope; however, depending on the steepness of the area, you will also need to give a thought to accessibility requirements such as a ladder or other forms of assistance for climbing. The type of soil and the steepness gradient will also impact the stability of the yard.

Drainage and soil erosion: The direction in which the water drains from a slope will have a bearing on the extent of soil erosion; for instance, if the water runs down straight to the lower ground, there will be massive erosion. Using non porous material for landscaping on a steep terrain will further augment the soil erosion problem.

Solving the soil erosion problem: There are several anti erosion measures that can yield remarkable results such as:

Terracing
Laying garden paths across the slope
Using boulders and logs to reduce drainage
Building retaining walls with small rocks
Planting specific types of grass
Interlocking walls etc

Using the right types of plants can not only add to the aesthetic appeal of your garden but also help to reduce soil erosion. As a matter of fact, mixing different types of greenery is the ideal way to reduce the water from draining away too quickly. Plants such as deep rooted shrubs combined with trees like manzanita and juniper will hold the soil tight for the shallow rooted perennial shrubs and flowering plants like clematis and day lilies.

Preparing the ground

With a list of plants that you intend to use to reduce soil erosion, you are all set to prepare the ground for your landscape

The compass points need due diligence: Knowing the direction in which your yard faces will prove immensely useful when choosing plants for the landscape. Slopes that face to the south or west tend to drain faster and will have to be watered more than yards facing the east or north. So, if you are handling a western or southern slope, pick drought resistant shrubs or your water bills may go through the roof.

Ground cover will help: Although for regular areas, bare soil will be adequate to grow a bountiful flowerbed; the story will be different with sloping surfaces where the soil will dry up and erode quickly due to the slant. Use ground cover plants such as Vinca, Sedum and Liriope muscari for best results.

Use good ol mulch: This is a natural and affordable way to deal with soil erosion; also it helps to fertilize the soil. However, it is certainly not a permanent solution as the soil will drag the mulch away slowly, leaving bald spots in your landscape. Another issue is the fact that dry and dead leaves, twigs and branches are not exactly a visually pleasing sight.

Choosing plants for your sloping yard

Ornamental grasses: Local, ornamental grass varieties with their deep reaching root system that spreads horizontally is ideal for controlling erosion. Since grass is low maintenance, you will not have to worry about fertilizing the ground. Some attractive ornamental grass species include:

Little bluestem
Inland sea oats
Plains lovegrass
Texas beargrass
Estern woodland sedge

All of these grass varieties thrive when planted on hilly terrain.

Ground cover plants: For a slope that receives a fair mount of sunlight; prostrate juniper should work just fine while for a shady area, you might want to use creeping boxwood, also known as pachysandra. Other ground cover plants include wintercreeper and periwinkle which also flourish on hilly grounds.

The decorative varieties: Plants that can be used in different areas of the landscape include:
California Privet: This is a tall shrub that can grow to a height of 10 feet and has a foliage width of almost 4 feet; the shrub grows in part sun and part shade producing cream colored flowers. The plant is hardy and drought tolerant so it's an ideal choice for steep slopes.

Japanese Spirea: This is another plant that is a fabulous choice for a sloping yard; the deciduous shrub grows almost 6 feet tall with a foliage width to match. The leaves grow in a riot of colors from rich burgundy to bright green and every hue in between. The flowers are equally beautiful, an eclectic mix of purple and pink. However, the plant does need full sun and flourishes in warmer weather

Verbena: With its airy stems, the shrub can be coupled with plants that sport dense foliage. The plant is a superb choice for a sunny slope and works well as a foreground shrub. It grows about 6 feet tall with a foliage width of 3 feet. Its drought tolerant and the purples flowers can add a touch of color to your landscape.

Oleander: A favorite with homeowners all over, few plants can create a Mediterranean ambience like Oleanders in white and pink. The plant can grow tall to almost 20 feet with a foliage width of 12 feet. The flowers bloom in bunches almost continuously and are available in a myriad of colors such as yellow, white, pink, red and apricot. It's extremely drought tolerant and easy to grow.
You could also try growing hibiscus and roses on a terrace. Remember to water a slope; a drip hose will be more appropriate than overhead sprinklers.

Innovative planting ideas

Bordered Tiers: Use boulders or landscape timber to create the appearance of tiers. When using timber, you will need to stick the pieces together and drive a rebar through them to hold the wood in place. Use glue to stick pavers on the timber and your tiers will be all ready. Use plants such as day lilies, lavender or other flowering perennial shrubs. You can use decorative stone or mulch to hold the moisture in.

Planted slope: You could also use a combination of flowering shrubs, evergreens and perennial flowers scattered all over the yard. Alternatively, create neat rows of greens and flowers for a formal look.

A flowing deck: You could also build a series of decks, each falling successively with the slope of the yard. Try building a series of walkways and steps connecting the decks. Use flowering shrubs and solar lighting to create an enthralling ambience.

Plant in basins: Another innovative approach is to chuck the traditional rows of shrubs in favor of basin like formations. Each basin will serve as an exclusive spot for certain types of plants.

Completing the landscape

To add the finishing touches to your landscape: Remove the grass and other growth from the areas designated for the walkway. Use gravel, stone or any other type of hardscape material to cover the surface and pack pea gravel or sand in between.

Use large boulders placed across the yard to create a natural and earthy appeal; the large stones should be placed at the bottom of the slope away from the steep areas for safety. Once all the stones have been placed as desired; bury them one fourth of the way into the ground, so that you get stability along with a natural look.

Finally add the finishing touches with a fountain placed in a central location, you could also use ornamental lights or antique wooden benches or wrought iron furniture to complete the landscape.