Need ideas for sloping front yard?

[oldmatenicko]

Hi, 

We have a sloping front yard and looking for ideas- it’s currently got bark in there however thinking of:

laying down grass

japanase boxus close to the house

I was hoping to gather some ideas on what to do with the section between our place and the neighbours with shrubs or some idea of dealing with the slope. 
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. 

  

[Remarka6le]

Hey oldmatenicko, 

I hate slopes and much prefer flat ground, so I’d start by building integrated steps from the letterbox following your driveway down to your home, turning that slope into a proper entry feature instead of dead space. Wide, shallow steps in concrete or masonry would look clean, improve access, and instantly give the front yard some structure.

Next to the stairs, you could cut the slope back and create a flat garden platform, supported by a low retaining wall along the boundary and a fence or screen for safety and privacy. That gives you a usable, level section for lawn, low hedging, or structured planting, instead of trying to fight the angle with mulch and patchy grass.

It’s a bit more work upfront, but it completely transforms the area. You get proper access, better drainage, easier maintenance, and a big lift in street appeal, instead of constantly battling erosion and uneven ground.

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @oldmatenicko. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about front yards.

Grass would actually solve a lot of the challenges you are facing. Grass is very good at binding the soil together, which helps prevent erosion on sloping blocks, and it is generally easier to maintain than bark or loose mulch on an incline. Provided you install some solid edging along the driveway and between the lawn and the garden bed for the Japanese box near the house, it will be easy to keep everything defined, neat and simple to trim.

The slope itself does not look too severe for turf to perform well, and that would be the option I would personally be leaning towards in your situation. It will also visually open the space up and make the front yard feel larger and cleaner. Between your place and the neighbours, incorporating a line of shrubs or a few feature plants is a great idea. This can soften the slope, add privacy and create a nice transition between properties without making the area feel overplanted. Choosing shrubs with good root systems, such as lomandra and Westringia, will also help stabilise the soil further.

Another option, if you wanted to change the look more dramatically, would be to split the area into two levels with a small retaining wall and flatten each section. That can work well visually, but it does add cost and can make maintenance a bit more fiddly, as you end up mowing and maintaining two separate lawn areas instead of one continuous space. If you are happy with having grass, keeping it as a single sloped lawn will usually be the simplest and most practical solution.

One thing to keep in mind is that the section between your property and the street is often council verge, either partially or entirely. It would be worth checking with your local council to see what is permitted there, as many councils prefer verge areas to remain grassed. Once you confirm where your boundary lies, you can confidently establish garden beds and planting on your side, knowing it complies with local requirements. Overall, a grassed slope with clean edging and some well-chosen shrubs sounds like it would work very well for your front yard.

Here's a helpful step-by-step guide: How to lay turf.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[Jason]

Hi @oldmatenicko,

Great to see you receive a couple of helpful replies already.

Might I suggest you take a photo from further back on the street so members can have a better idea of what you are working with?

I think you'll get some great inspiration from projects on the site. Our Top 10 most popular front yard projects might be a good place to start.  

Jason