Slope reinforcement: 9 inexpensive solutions for securing slopes in the garden

table of contents

Slope protection in the garden
Dry stone walls
Gabions
Plug-wall system (Stackton)
Slope stabilization with wood
Acacia honeycomb
Embankment stones
Planting rings
Scarf stones
plants

A flat and level garden is ideal for many because it is easy to maintain. However, this wish is not always feasible, and a garden with an embankment has to be made do with. And this piece of garden is often a big problem when it comes to design. One form of slope design is slope reinforcement. It not only serves to protect against slipping, but can also become a real eye-catcher.

Slope protection in the garden

Various things must be observed when building a slope reinforcement. The most important points to think about in advance are:

proper planning
Stability of the wall
Drainage or proper water drainage

planning

This point includes:

Wall height
Type of construction of the wall
Water situation on the slope

If the wall is more than 120 centimeters high, the wall must be planned by a specialist, as a standard safety certificate must be created.

Stability of the wall

In order for the wall to have sufficient stability, you must be aware of the slope or slope. Pay attention to the slope and the length of the sloping surface. The following applies: the steeper or the longer the slope, the more stable the slope protection must be.

drainage

The slope reinforcement needs drainage so that the water can flow away from the slope. This is dimensioned depending on the prevailing water situation on the slope. Since incorrectly planned drainage poses a great risk, it should be properly planned and carried out.

Dry stone walls

Dry stone walls consist of natural or concrete stones, the latter very similar in appearance to those of natural stones. They are solutions

for smaller embankments with a height of less than one meter
Optics: quarry stone masonry
Suitable natural stones: sandstone, shell limestone, greywacke, quartzite
Colors: reddish, yellowish, gray

Plants for the dry stone wall

A small selection for sunny and dry locations is for example:

Thyme (thymus)
Stone herb (Alyssum)
Blue pillow (Aubrieta)

A small selection for shady and damp locations is for example:

True ferns (Polypodiopsida)
Cranesbill (geranium)
Greater celandine (Chelidonium majus)
Larkspur (Corydalis)

Gabions

Gabions are a frame or a basket made of metal. They are filled with different materials.

for slopes of different heights
Baskets can be stacked
Provide good water permeability
easy to use
extremely durable

There are no limits to creativity when filling gabions. When securing the slope, however, you should make sure that the filling has the necessary counterweight to the slope. Examples of fillings are:

Stones
Rubble
granite
marble
plastic bottle
Plastic balls

tip: You can achieve a special effect if you integrate a background light into the gabions.

Plant gabions

There are various solutions for greening the metal baskets. One possibility is to top up the gabions. To do this, simply plant climbing plants in front of the baskets. The metal frame serves as a climbing aid for the plants. Another option is to plant from above. The top layer of earth is put into the gabions. Now you can place upright or overhanging plants in the metal baskets. But you can also embed plants in pots in the gabions. If you decide to plant from above, you need to make sure that you use gabions without a lid to fix the embankment.

Plug-wall system (Stackton)

The plug-in wall system (SMS) is an inexpensive alternative to conventional wall systems.

available in different variations: smooth, tumbled, split, brushed
Colors: anthracite gray, retro white, silver gray
ecological product for fastening embankments
Wall height with a retaining wall up to 260 centimeters possible

Slope stabilization with wood

not suitable for all slopes (maximum: 150 centimeters)
Palisades, posts or sleepers
Protect against damage to the slope side with bubble wrap or heavy industrial felt
does not last forever (natural material)

Note: Railway sleepers as slope reinforcement are now banned.

Acacia honeycomb

Acacia honeycomb = frame made of acacia wood
are filled with crushed stone, gravel or humus after nailing
durable acacia wood

Embankment stones

not suitable for every slope
pay particular attention to the statics
professional security necessary

There are different types of embankment stones:

Natural stones or Natural stone blocks
Bricks (with or without tongue and groove connection)
Decorative stones
Palisade stones
Trapezoidal stones, also available as plant stones
Multi stones, also available as plant stones

Planting rings

Appearance: natural effect in contrast to a monolithic wall
Arrangement: stair-like or straight construction
Shapes: semicircular, angular, wavy, rounded
Colors: different; natural nuances: beige, brown, brick red, gray (concrete look)

tip: If you already have a floor made of paving stones, then it is advisable to choose plant rings that look similar to them.

Greening

Plants that can tolerate drought
perennial plants with different flowering times
Combination of flowers, shrubs, ornamental grasses, ground cover etc.
Climbing plants such as: wild wall wine (Parthenocissus qinquefolia), clematis, wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) or climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)
Stone plants: Sedum species, blue pillows (Aubrieta), houseleek (Sempervivum)
Ground cover: phlox, blue pillow (Aubrieta), cotoneaster (Cotoneaster), boxwood

Scarf stones

Concrete shuttering blocks
Easy to build the slope protection
Planting possible

plants

In addition to artificial elements, you can also just use plants to fortify the slope. A mixture of different plants is ideal.

tip: You just want to Ground cover then you should combine them according to different flowering times.

Wildflowers

Wildflowers are a wonderful eye-catcher, but should be carefully considered for the embankment, as the slope has to be weeded in the first two years. Therefore, they are more suitable for less steep slopes. For example, the following are suitable for poor soils and dry locations:

Red vetch (Securigera varia)
Thyme (thymus)
Anthyllis
Carthusian Carnation (Dianthus carthusianorum)
Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias)
Real bedstraw (Galium verum)

Ornamental grasses

Ornamental grasses are ideal for greening embankments. Suitable grasses are, for example:

Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica) with bright red summer and autumn colors
Blue fescue (Festuca glauca)
Bearskin Grass (Festuca scoparia)
Mosquito grass (Bouteloua gracilis)
Japan mountain grass (Hakonechloa macra)