Phil's bespoke retaining wall and steps
A retaining wall design that creates a more accessible sloped garden
Our customer Phil was eager to turn this steep, sloped area of his garden into a usable space that he and his family could enjoy. Whilst being functional, the sloped design also had to create an attractive garden view from the house and flat patio space that sits in front of it.
The previous garden space featured a few shrubs and plants, some raised planters that had been built into the slope and a railway sleeper retaining wall at the bottom. The whole sloped area had been covered with bark to suppress the weeds.
The garden before ---->
Planning the sloped garden
Phil had a good idea of what he wanted to create in order to make the space more accessible and use it to its full potential. He sent a series of initial sketches and measurements through our Free Design Service that featured an integrated design which included steps, walls, planters and seating.
Within 72 hours, we had created a detailed design pack that brought his landscaped vision to life! Working closely with our designer Calum, Phil was able to suggest changes to the design to ensure it worked perfectly for him.
Preparation and building
Phil found it easy to build his integrated WoodBlocX structure on his sloping garden. The ground spikes and interlocking layers ensured that everything was fixed in place and sturdy. Once the bottom layer was built and level, using a spirit level and guide string, Phil found the building progress very quick.
Phil's top tips for building WoodBlocX on a steep slope/incline are:
- Recycle earth to fill in new borders, under steps & in seat cavities
- Bag up excess into rubble bags that can be easily lifted to take to the recycling centre or empty into a hired skip
- Dig out when soil is not too dry as it is easier to remove
- Pace the job as preparing sloped area is hard work!
During the build Phil wanted to make some slight changes to the design and our Design Team were able to work with him to visualise it, understand the parts required to make it happen and how to keep the build structurally sound.
The garden was built in two phases; the first using a bespoke WoodBlocX structure which was designed by us and for phase two, a set of steps, a retaining wall and a seat were added above the original design that linked the top of the garden to the new retaining wall / planter area.
The finished design
Phil's sloped landscape project is a great example of an integrated WoodBlocX design that combines function with form. Two sets of steps provide direct access to the various areas for the tiered garden and the walkways between the tiered raised beds also doubles up as extra seating too! There is now plenty of accessible planting space, making the garden much more usable and attractive for all the family.
Key features
Landscape your sloped garden using WoodBlocX
Our Free Design Service is the perfect place to start planning the landscaping of your garden. Read our Split Level Garden Ideas blog or take a look at our Customer Garden case studies. We have 100s of pre-designed retaining wall and raised planter kits to buy on our website too.
