Have you considered terracing that slope?

We have but we just don't want to spend that kind of money on it, at least right now because for the same cost we could use that money to level out the rest of the backyard and remove all the dead trees. Our neighbors got a couple quotes to do something similar to their backyard and the price was around $10k. Massachusetts is crazy expensive. Also with it being close to the house I'd be afraid of trying to do it ourselves in case we get it wrong and we direct water to the house lol. But in theory, if money weren't a consideration I would LOVE to terrace it. It gets pretty great sun and I'd use the sunny part to grow veggies and the less sunny part to do leafy greens. Ah we can dream lol.

Show us both ends of this slope.

I'm having a bit of a hard time getting the correct size of this slope (height, depth, length). Especially when you said 10K to terrace, lol. Wow. Can you just do a diy retaining wall and fill it in? I know that's easy for me to say since I'm not paying for it or doing the work, lol, but perhaps an option?? And then plant something nice and trailing like creeping phlox along the top edge?

Personally I would plant the slope with groundcover(s). I like that better visually, and IMO the mulch will be almost as bad as the rocks, in terms of maintenance. Yes, you would have to maintain a garden too but the visual payoff is so much better, imo. And it would hold the slope and not affect drainage.

Good luck! Let us know how you proceed!
:)
Dee

I'd get rid of the rock, plant grass and mow it for low maintenance. If you want better suggestions, you'll have to post pictures that actually show the slope, because what I am seeing isn't worth a retaining wall.

And take a photo looking at it from one end to the other so we can see how much slope

hi everyone, thanks for the info! I will take pictures that show the slope better and photos from the opposite side. It looks less steep in the picture than it is in real life. Once I get out of all my work meetings I'll take a break to take the photos.

Rock is currently functioning as a mulch, replacement with organic mulch will result in a lot more weeds than are coming up now. And organic mulch would have to be replaced at regular intervals because - unlike the stones - it decomposes.

okay so here are the photos I promised lol

Oh wow, lol. That is MUCH higher than I thought! Originally I thought it was only about three feet high!

But I still think I would stick to my original idea. Ideally I'd love a retaining wall at the bottom, maybe three feet high, with trailing plants (even annuals) over it. I think grass on that slope would be too difficult to mow. Not impossible - my father-in-law does it on his front slope- I mean, his front yard, lol, and I always worry that he and his tractor will topple down the hill! So yes, not impossible but possibly dangerous!

Since this is right at the end of your driveway, you may want to put in shrubs along the top to give some privacy for the back yard. I still think a garden would be nice visually, although the steepness may make it difficult to maintain (but likely no more difficult than weeding rocks lol). Perhaps some shrubs, groundcover roses, and other lower-maintenance plants? Geez, even pachysandra IMO would be more visually appealing than rocks.

There was a thread here years ago where someone had a huge slope in front of their house and they planted it gorgeously. I wish I could remember who it was.... Their slope was much bigger than yours but you could have gotten some ideas. I'll see if I can find it somehow.

:)
Dee

Grass and mow it. Unless you would prefer a garden there.

Dee thanks so much! I'd love to see what they were able to do with it. Yes it is VERY big - if I laid across the rocks with my.toes touching the driveway and my arms stretched towards the top, even laying down on the rocks I still wouldn't even be close hahah. So glad you mentioned plants at the top, currently we are looking into shrub options. the problem is the area closest to the house is almost always shady, and I'd want the shrubs to all match, so finding a plant that can thrive on shade and afternoon sun, while also being a neat and tidy border, has proven difficult.

I love making the house and property our own. It's our first house and we've only been here about 4 years this fall. So I really appreciate everyone's advice.

I remember whose slope you may be thinking of ,Dee, and I thought of it as soon as I opened this post. Thyme2dig still posts here and has an amazing planted slope. Her photos have been posted a few times. Try searching for it and if it doesn't come up you could just contact her and maybe she's archived it and can easily send it. If you can't find it, I'll contact her.

thank you Marie!!

That would make a great terraced rock garden with phlox subulata and that kind of plant with some larger decorative rocks interspersed, if you wanted the work of installing it. But I see from your Original post that you are trying to reduce the work of keeping it up. I wouldn't put mulch there, because I would expect a good rain to wash it all down into your driveway.

If you wanted something that was as little work as possible, I'd think about ornamental grasses, daylilies, salvias, agastaches, perennials that enjoy good drainage, something that is bullet proof once it is established. But I'd assume that anything you put there would benefit from a little terracing about midway down the slope just to slow down the runoff. Vinca is a great ground cover for a slope like that. Very little could be easier.

Another idea might be to lay down landscape fabric and top it off with rocks which might keep the weeds down.

Or you could install some shrubs or a line of flowering trees. I've seen that done with a similar slope near me.

Marie, is this the one I/we are thinking of?

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/1869748/very-steep-hill#n=15

Kali, scroll through this till you get to thyme2dig's photo. I thought the slope was higher/bigger, but this might be what I was thinking - either way, you can see from her photo what can be done on a slope. Beautiful!

Thanks Marie! Glad someone's memory is better than mine!

:)
Dee

My phone did not pick up the photo. But if you say it is there I believe you! im Sure we’re talking about same hill. It really is extraordinary. It should be on Fine Gardening. Remember though Susan,the gardener , is not a professional . She had a vision and worked on it over time. I’m sure you could approximate it.

It will be a lot easier to dispense with weeds by spraying them with herbicide. Using Preen on a schedule after that can help you keep them away. Long term, it looks like a groundcover slope to me. It would allow you to dispense with the rock as plants would hold the soil against erosion. Too steep for mowing.

Definitely groundcover--perhaps Geranium 'Biokovo' or 'Karmina'. (If they'll grow where you are--we don't know your zone.) They will thrive in both sun and shade.

Dee and Marie thanks so much for helping to find that thread. I plan on going through all the info today during my breaks :)

Lacey thanks for the suggestions! Also I am in zone 6a, whoops forgot to mention that haha. Those geraniums look so good!

Yardvark - I'm pretty sure my husband would have a breakdown if I planted grass there. It's already so hard to mow nearly all of our property haha

Kali. I don't know why this did not occur to me before . Where do you live? I live in lexington ma.

I have a huge sloping shady hill in back of my house covered in I geranium macmaccrorizhome ....sorry auto_misspell will not let me spell correctly --maccrorhizome

"Spessart" ( whitwhite) , geranium sanguinium mamagenta

Doronicum. SStylophorum both yellow

These could cover tththe hillside while you fill in with choice plants over time. They suppress weeds and are pleasant to look st while blooming over different times, I know some people will holler they're invasive but none are . They are spreaders that are easily pulled out by the hahandfull.

Goodness my keyboard is doubling my words, how odd.

Let me see if I can get a photo

No hurt feelings if you reject this

"Yardvark - I'm pretty sure my husband would have a breakdown if I planted grass there. It's already so hard to mow..." You are probably confusing my answer with someone else's as I would never consider grass on a slope like that. I said groundcover. I would never say shrubs either as those become too tall and are hard to trim down. Groundcover would be perennials that are capable of growing solid and covering the slope. While groundcover is usually just one type of plant across the whole slope, some are encouraging a garden look with a a variety of perennials. I see your choice between the two as how much gardening maintenance you're willing to do. Other than that, it wouldn't make any material difference.

marie.. who i believe used to be ida been??? offers an old post ... https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5931811/another-slope-the-cheap-fast-one#n=6

the rock might also be working as a retaining wall on some level ... not sure you would want soil.. dirt.. mud and mulch down on the driveway.. and into the garage ...

ken

see.. i still have some level of .. whats the word.. lol .. oh yeah.. focus ...

Marie - I am out in western MA, lol it's like the boonies out here! My keyboard does that too on my phone but only when I am using Houzz so I think it's just the website.

gardenho - love the pictures those are gorgeous!! I especially love the hostas.

yardvaark - ah yes most likely confused it with another comment, I have also noticed sometimes the Houzz app displays the comments kind of weird, either one lol. But good point the rocks could be holding back water and dirt and such. Ah so many options! Yeah for me it comes down to how nice I can make it look with the least amount of effort haha.

Very nice, gardenho!

:)
Dee

Kali,

Here's a link to my slip-slap slope that filled in over the last 5 or 6 years.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5931811/another-slope-the-cheap-fast-one#n=7

woops, that's just one photo. If you can find the actual post further down there are 3 phots. too tired to repost now.