Show #35/6509. The Bones And Structure Of A Garden

Steep Slopes Require Different Planting Methods

With steeper slopes one must think about the plants that grow vertically and the plants that grow horizontally. If you have a vertical plant you want to be sure that when you plant on a steep slope, you dig back into the slope, then take that soil and use it in the front of the plant when planted. You've got to create a level surface when you plant the plant so it remains vertical because that was the way it was grown. If it is a plant like a juniper, or a cephalotaxus, or a dwarf hemlock, something like that, they spread out, and they're going to grow prostrate so you can dig a hole and actually plant them on the angle of the slope. But, it's real important, and it takes more soil, to plant vertically. For example, the plant behind Eric is a cut leaf dwarf dissecta maple. It had a very large ball of earth. So they dug out from behind, trying to create a level area to plant, but there wasn't enough soil to do that. So they had to bring in more soil to get that surface level so when the plant was planted, it would look natural. Then it sloped around and they had to put more soil in to blend into the steeper hillside. But it's real important to think about the slope and trying to make it natural.