I have never been a natural gardener. For years, I struggled to keep basic houseplants alive, only to kill them at the first opportunity. It was difficult and stressful to buy a home with a yard, but I knew that I might be able to learn what I was doing wrong and correct the problem. To start off, I focused heavily on the lawn, and tried hard to keep it trimmed and well-maintained. Next, I cleaned up the flowerbeds. It was a lot of work, but I knew that it would pay off in the end. When I was done, my front yard was gorgeous, and guess what--it even stayed alive. This blog is all about loving your little landscape.
If you have a hilly yard, you might be concerned with soil erosion. Rain can wash the soil away and cause it to collect where you don't want it. Fortunately, there are erosion control methods you can implement to keep this from happening. Here are ways to control erosion in the hilly areas of your yard.
Plant Grass Or Ground Cover
The roots from grass or ground cover hold the soil in place so it won't wash away. Be sure to consider how easy it will be to care for the ground cover you choose. Mowing a hill may be difficult or unsafe if it's very steep, so you may want some ground cover you won't have to mow. If you plant seeds, cover them with mulch since mulch holds the soil in place while waiting on the ground cover to grow roots.
Build A Retaining Wall Or Terrace
A retaining wall holds back the soil so it can't wash away. This prevents soil loss and keeps soil from flowing into other parts of your yard or on your patio. A retaining wall often provides drainage control too so water doesn't get caught behind the wall.
A terrace is a similar form of erosion control except it has flat areas that let rain seep into the soil rather than roll away. A terrace can be very attractive when the flat area is planted with flowers and shrubs.
Put Down Matting
Soil erosion control mats can be cut to the needed size and placed on the hills in your yard. The mats might be made of straw, wood, or other fibers. The mats hold soil in place but they don't keep grass and other plants from growing and taking root. Some matting is permanent while other types are biodegradable. You can buy matting according to the length of its expected lifespan so the matting will be gone by the time your ground cover is growing well.
Install A Drainage System
If you can control the flow of water, you can avoid soil erosion. Consider having a drainage system installed so rain rolls where it won't do any harm and so your soil is spared. You might use a drainage system alone or in combination with other erosion control methods.
Make A Rock Garden
You can use rocks of different sizes to hold soil in place and allow rain to drain. You might want to mix large rocks and pea gravel to create a rock garden on a hill. You may need to bury part of the gravel or rocks under the ground to facilitate rain drainage. A good thing about a rock garden is that you never have to mow it. Plus, the rocks don't deteriorate as mulch and matting do.
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