We think that one of the first impressions people have of someone’s home can come from the entry way leading to the front door. A homeowner may think they’re out of luck in ever being able to build an attractive and inviting entry design to their home if their front yard is on a slope. Where would you place the various elements of the design?
When houses are built in areas with hilly topography (like in the photo to the left), homeowners can be presented with difficult design challenges. But a sloped front yard doesn’t mean that the homeowner would have to fore-go that idea of creating a great first impression.
Working With the Slope
Working with some inclines is not necessarily a difficult task. Many times there is still an opportunity to create a comfortable level gathering area along the walk and near the front door where people can linger and have some elbow room to move about. Leveling the area would require adding fill (dirt) and then retaining it.
We think these are 2 great examples of just that.
This entry way design uses a retaining wall and a layering of border plantings to define its edge in this sloped front yard. The retaining wall allows the space behind it to become a level area, and along with the plantings, a more visually interesting space.
Close up of design –
This design uses a retaining wall nearer to the street to level out most of the front yard. The entry way and its surroundings create a relaxed and more comfortable gathering space that a sloped area may not be able to provide.
Closeups of the design –
Note: if you have an area that is severely sloped, you should hire a professional landscape architect or engineer who would know what is structurally needed to implement your design. Without being constructed correctly, your project will have many problems over time. We have seen projects out there that have failed because proper construction methods were not used!
