Slippery Slopes?

You thought that beach house or house on a hill would be paradise, until you tried to garden on a rolling, rocky slope. Fortunately, you're not in a California mudslide area. Besides, rocky slopes with less-than-ideal soil are perfect for elevated gardens. Some of the advantages of terraced garden designs include:

• Better views--the bay windows from that beach house will show off your sloping terraced garden.
• When deciding how to build a terraced garden, you can choose a mix of shallow and deep-rooted plants.
• You can use attractive circulation pathways for easy access to your elevated garden.
• You can break a long slope into short slopes with slanting timbers or stones--just be sure to prepare the ground and soil composition the way you would for a raised garden on a flat slope.
• You can use a drip irrigation system--works great for water conservation!

Now that you've built your new terraced garden, you can feel flush and relaxed as you lounge on your deck before tending your garden...unless it looks as if your beach is sliding into the ocean!