I can't afford to flatten my Sloping Garden. So any suggestions?

Our previous garden was on a slope, and I loved it for the challenge. I thought I had gone to Heaven when we moved here, with a flat garden, but, you know? It doesn't have half the appeal! Our gardens are like our bodies - there is always something we dislike or would change about them. Work with what you have is a gardening maxim. I did in my previous one. In the first year I simply bought 5.8m lengths of 6" fencing timber from a timber yard (less than £4 each) and the same lengths of 2"x2" square lengths to cut for fixing posts. As I worked down the slope, making these retaining walls, I stapled black polythene (bin bags, weed fabric, whatever), then pulled the soil down and planted up. I did the whole thing in four terraces in 3 weekends. After the plants (and me) were happy, I then was able to think about the colour of woodstain to use. Do you know? This was the best garden I ever had (sorry, cannot make a sloping garden instantaneously level, but thanx 4 the memories)

Funnily enough, I was going to suggest terracing - but David beat me to it! I think if your garden is very steep, it would be worth doing. If you have plants that need to go in, then just re-pot them into bigger pots for a while. They won't mind!

Oh yes, Spritz! I forgot about potting up into larger containers. You could do that, -lucy, and plant the potted plants (to look more natura)l, then, later, do the real thing. Putting your plants into pots buys you time, and you can then re-arrange them into a display which pleases you. "Plant" the potted plants this year and disguise the pot rims with a mulch of your choice - barkchippings/slate/gravel/whatever! After all, the best garden show displays employ this tactic. Hope we have helped! Although - I kind of think that to really transform a sloping garden into a flat one might incur major drainage probs! Good Luck!!

My previous garden had a very gentle slope, but I terraced it into two flat levels, and it was well worth it -- it meant I could have a level patio to spend time on.

I did pay to get the work done -- but that was just sheer laziness on my part, and knowing I didn't have the expertise to lay a patio myself tidily in any reasonable time frame. David's technique looks cheap and achievable.

Hi David my gardens Up&Down all over the place which i like myself until it rains heavy& floods it in places ,But iv Planted all my plants in them areas into pots so they come 2 no harm that way :)

Hi, have a look on my homepage on page 2 of my pictures. My back garden was a slope and I have terraced it using fence plynths and gravel. The plynths will be covered in plant life sooner or later and the gravel is more environmentally friendly than paving. I think local authority planning departments are bringing in new guidelines so any block paving has to have permission before using because of the flooding we have had. Gravel will absorb it better. You can put areas of interest on each level and plant grasses and small shrubs through the gravel. Take a look at the pictures of my back garden and some may inspire you.