Episode 205: Gardening on a Gradient

This week’s guest is Carol Smith, garden designer, lecturer and author of the book ‘Gardening on a Gradient: Designing and Establishing Sloping Gardens’. Interestingly, the book is relevant to home gardeners and professional designers and covers everything from the initial garden site assessment and survey, right through the design process to the final stages of planting, as well as inspiration and ideas from sloping gardens around the UK. If you’ve ever faced the challenge of a sloping site, you’ll know how tricky they can be but fear not, Carol is here to help you tackle them.

Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Large hairy house spiders

What We Talk About

Main drawbacks to gardening on a gradient and any advantages

Is it more expensive than gardening on the flat?

Gardens that slope back towards the house and drainage issues

Making changes to levels and water run off

Soil moisture and temperature ranges across a slope

Surveying a sloping site

Retaining soil

More naturalistic ways to deal with a sloping site

About Carol Smith

Carol Smith is a professional garden designer and freelance lecturer. She has worked on several award-winning show gardens and teaches on all aspects of garden and planting design. 

Links

Gardener’s Guide to Gardening on a Gradient: Designing and Establishing Sloping Gardens by Carol Smith

Other episodes if you liked this one:

I Want to Like My Garden with Rachel McCartain 

Natural Stone with Giles Heap of CED

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