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Steep front yard hill

4 years ago

My house has a very steep hill. Right now, the hill is covered in weeds but even when i can figure out how to clear all of the weeds, it will be too difficult to mow. It also is along a fairly busy road. any suggestions for low maintence labdscaping? Trying to keep a fairly low budget too.


Comments (16)

  • 4 years ago

    Groundcovers are your friends! With no other info to go on, I'd look at prostrate or creeping junipers.

  • 4 years ago

    I've seen this in my neighborhood and it is very attractive: Gro Low Fragrant Sumac. The picture is accurate, but I might look for a better price point.

  • 4 years ago

    Hey skylar, do you have a recent picture from a summer month that actually shows the grade of the hill from the driveway? Tell you the truth it doesn't look very steep and to me looks like it could easily be seeded with grass and cut with a lawn mower.

  • 4 years ago

    I had the same impression as Kevin. Could we get a picture from the side that shows the whole slope?

    From what we can see here, it looks mow-able, especially with a rider. Mow straight up the hill, straight down the hill. Repeat.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I agree that from the pictures the slope does not look too great for the standard push mower and lawn tractor.

    In trying to interpret, the picture, the area in front of the bush may be steeper than the area next to the drive way. If there is a significant slope on the side with the bushes (pink circle), you may want to add a circular wall around it to make a terrace for the bush.

    The area in the middle it looks like it could be made mowable by cutting down the top edge of that slope. (the area in the white circle.)

    Remember that most lawn mower can do a 15 Degree slope with no problem greater slopes can be done by altering the mowing pattern.


    I have a slope in front of my house that I removed the top edge, to make it mowable. Removing that lip changed every thing.

  • 4 years ago

    I would not want to mow that slope and there is no reason too. Plant a groundcover.

  • 4 years ago

    Would you rather be pulling weeds by hand for decades, or run it over with the mower? Weeds still come through established groundcover.

  • 4 years ago

    Creeping juniper. It will spread to cover the whole area.

  • 4 years ago

    Would you consider a retaining wall somewhere between the top of the slope and the road/sidewalk, so that you have two tiers?

  • 4 years ago

    I have creeping juniper. Weeds come right through it.

  • 4 years ago

    Remove any strong perennisal weeds and tree seedings. Lay down either cardboard or layers of newspaper on the mowed slope. Cover with thick lsyer of woodchips ( free from most tree companies). Plant creeping juniper correctly spaced through the cardboard. You should not have any weeds emerging before rhe juniper forms an impenetrable groundcover. Choose a creeping variety rsther than s prostrate for denser coversge.

    Alternatively, consider a roboti mower. They look like Roomba vacuum cleaners. I saw them widely used on slopes in Scotland and believe they are catching on here.

  • 4 years ago

    Over many years in both my own gardens and in those of friends I have used and advised Geranium macrorrhizum (Big root Geranium) for shady areas and G. 'Biokovo' or 'Karmina' for sun as groundcover plants. They are extremely weed suppressing, deer resistant and attractive as well as being easy to control. Very, very little weeding required once they fill in.

  • 4 years ago

    I would build a retaining wall. Maybe 2-3' tall. Most places don't require a permit for that height. You can build it yourself for around $2k of materials or hire a company for maybe $10k. I just built a 35' foot long one in my front yard. Took about 4 full days.


    I still have to backfill. The hill was south facing in full sun. The only thing that can survive on it are lawn weeds.


    Without creating a flat surface, you'll always be struggling with something.

  • 4 years ago

    You don't mention where you live, and nothing in your photo screams, "TEXAS," but if you live south of Austin, Asiatic jasmine would be a popular choice.