5 Landscaping Design Tips To Reduce Erosion In Your Yard

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Make Your Yard Come Alive

I'm glad you visited my website on landscaping. My name is Lucia Nash. I have a very busy and exciting garden. The feeder is always active with sparrows. We put a couple hummingbird feeders out and they visit us every summer. There are many types of birds that visit my yard. So many of my friends wonder why my yard is so busy with gorgeous animals, not the destructive kind, but the types that are just a pleasure to have around. The answer to that question is difficult to sum up in a few sentences, so I decided it was better to write blog posts on how to create a great yard.

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5 Landscaping Design Tips To Reduce Erosion In Your Yard

31 October 2022
 Categories: , Blog


Erosion can happen in just about any yard, whether they are hilly or relatively level. Water from rain and irrigation, as well as wind, are the culprits. Fortunately, the right type of landscaping features can slow or even stop erosion problems. 

1. Terracing

Steep slopes pose the greatest erosion risk in a yard. The best way to slow erosion in this location is to terrace the slope so it stairsteps down, as this will reduce surface water flow. Terracing can be as simple as cutting steps in the slope or slotting in railroad ties to create a stepped effect, or you can have a series of retaining walls installed to create level terraces for further landscaping.

2. Island Mounds

Breaking up the levels of your yard's terrain will naturally slow erosion, as flat and moderately graded yards can experience erosion just as much as those with heavy slopes. Island mounds are similar to raised beds but more natural in shape. Your landscaper will build up mounds of soil, symmetrical or more free form depending on your plan. Plantings will be put in to stabilize the mounds and make them look both attractive and more natural. 

3. Hard Edging

Not all erosion problems are big. Soil and plants washing out of their beds onto lawns or sidewalks is a small but frustrating issue. Installing hard edging materials, such as rubber, brick, stone, or wood, will create an erosion barrier between beds and neighboring areas. Edging works best when it protrudes a couple of inches above the soil or mulch line it is protecting.

4. Obstruction Accents

Placing an obstruction in the path of frequent erosion can stop it in its tracks. Obstruction accents are items like decorative boulders. Place these in the path of erosion, for example, and they act as an attractive dam that prevents water and soil from sheeting off a slope. Decorative walls or berms made of pretty stone can also be used to create low obstructions to slow erosion. 

5. Targeted Planting

The right plant in the right area can slow or even stop erosion. A creeping ground cover with a creeping or deep root system will anchor a slope against erosion better than a larger, shallow-rooted plant. Hedges can be used to break the wind to slow wind erosion behind the hedge. A landscaper can help determine the best plants for your specific erosion issue.  

Contact a company like Morlock Landscape & Design for more info.