If you’re lucky enough to have a great outdoor space to spend time in, then there’s never been a better time to give it an overhaul, with better weather, lighter nights, and warmer evenings on the way it’s a great excuse to get outdoors and enjoy quality time making your garden look it’s absolute best.
One of the most interesting ways to do this, which works especially well if your garden is on a slope, is to create an embankment design. They’re a worthwhile feature to add and can create lots of interest in an otherwise plain space. You can really think out of the box too, and create designs that not only fit in beautifully with your home but create oases for wildlife, flora and fauna too.
Create a space with retaining walls
A popular way of creating an embankment is with the use of precast retaining walls. These are strong enough to hold large quantities of soil and can create attractive spaces that can then be used in different ways, for instance, to create flower beds, vegetable plots, and communal areas you can use to relax and unwind in.
Why not think about having one as a barbecue space? Or if your garden catches the sun – somewhere to sunbathe and relax with a good book and a glass of vino on warm summer evenings when it’s too nice to be indoors.
Why choose precast retaining walls? Well, they’re infinitely safer and more secure than other types of retaining walls. They’re made and cast from super strong concrete and can hold back greater volumes of earth, too. Also, they’re developed sustainably – using reusable moulds, meaning that they’re more eco-friendly than other choices.
Use stone features
What if you’re not a fan of concrete – or it doesn’t fit in with your aesthetic? You can create the same types of embankment features using different types of stone. These will create a much more rustic, homely feel, and plants and flowers can be chosen to fit in with this too – it’ll work especially well if you’re living in an older ‘character’ property, or one that needs to be renovated faithfully.
It’s worth noting that while stone is strong, it won’t be as robust as concrete and may well require maintenance to keep it free of weeds and moss. This should be relatively easy to keep up with but it still needs to be considered. It can be factored in easily with other tasks, and it’s easy to find chemical-free weed and moss killers that don’t harm wildlife if you’re worried about that.
Consider terracing and decking
Terracing and decking are still really popular and work well in newer, modern properties with medium-sized to large back gardens.
They can add a lot of interest to otherwise dull spaces that need livening up and provide ways to have different areas of focus.
You could have a terrace with terracotta pots filled with plants – and another that’s made for socialising, with friends and family – keeping everything separate, but still with a feeling of togetherness. You can then keep your lawn free for dogs and kids to run riot on and enjoy themselves too!