CH&I lovesé SLOPING GARDENS

The house sits high on the plot and when Calista and Steven first moved in, the garden felt very removed, whereas they were keen to feel a connection with the outdoors from both inside the house, and as soon as they went out onto the deck.

• Steep banks and slopes always pose a challenge for gardeners, and planting them is a great solution, explains designer Nic Howard. ‘Planting can absorb a level change and is not only softer to look at than terraces created from hard landscaping materials, but is also much more cost effective.’ • Using plants also has the advantage that the roots reach down, binding the ground and preventing soil erosion. • Once established, planting helps to ‘ground’ a house, bridging the gap between building and garden, making it sit more comfortably with its surroundings.

• ‘We also use naturalistic planting to soften level changes in a garden, especially if it is near the boundary,’ points out Nic. ‘It’s low maintenance, increases wildlife and blurs the transition between the boundary and surrounding landscape.’