How to Make a Sloping Garden More Usable

A sloping garden can have plenty of character, but it can also make creating practical outdoor living space considerably more difficult.

Traditional landscaping often involves excavating large amounts of soil, constructing retaining walls and bringing significant quantities of hardcore and concrete onto site. Depending on the garden, this can quickly turn into a major construction project.

At Garden Ezee, we've spent years working with difficult garden levels and finding practical ways to turn them into usable outdoor spaces.

Creating Level Areas in a Sloping Garden

One of the most effective solutions is to divide the garden into usable levels.

A level patio immediately creates an area for outdoor furniture, dining, entertaining or simply enjoying the garden. Steps can then connect this area with the remaining garden.

The challenge is how that level area is constructed.

Rather than automatically excavating the garden until it is flat, we can often build above the existing ground.

Using the iGarden, iFrame System

Garden Ezee is the installation team behind the iGarden, iFrame system.

The system uses a precision-engineered galvanised steel framework to create the structure beneath porcelain paving, decking and other outdoor finishes.

Instead of relying on a conventional concrete patio construction, the steel framework can be adjusted to accommodate changes in ground level.

This means we can often create a level terrace while dramatically reducing the amount of excavation required.

Less Excavation and Less Disruption

This can be particularly useful where there is:

• A steep or uneven garden

• Poor access to the rear of the property

• Clay or difficult ground conditions

• Existing drainage or manholes

• Established trees

• Large differences between the house and garden levels

• A requirement for a raised terrace

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Because the structure sits above the ground, services and drainage can also remain accessible beneath the finished patio.

Porcelain Without Traditional Wet-Lay Construction

Porcelain tiles can be installed onto the iFrame using a dry-laid system.

There is no traditional mortar bed beneath every tile and no conventional pointing between them.

The finished surface still looks like a premium porcelain patio, but individual tiles can be lifted if access underneath is ever required.

This can be particularly useful around drains, services and inspection chambers.

Connecting the House and Garden

Changes in level often become most noticeable immediately outside the house.

Where appropriate, we can design the patio around the height of bifold, sliding or patio doors to create a much stronger connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces.

Steps can then be incorporated into the steel structure to transition naturally into the garden.

For larger level differences, the system can also incorporate structural supports, cladding and balustrades.

Every Sloping Garden Is Different

There isn't one solution that works for every sloping garden.

Sometimes excavation and retaining walls are still the correct approach. In other situations, constructing above the existing ground can be considerably simpler.

Our job at Garden Ezee is to look at the property, access, levels and intended use of the garden and determine the most practical way of creating the finished space.

After more than 25 years working in landscaping, we've seen just about every type of awkward garden.

And quite often, the difficult ones become the most interesting projects.

Planning a Garden Transformation?

If you have a sloping, uneven or difficult garden, send Garden Ezee a few photographs along with some approximate measurements.

We can take an initial look at the project and discuss the different options available before moving onto detailed surveying and design.