A Berm Can Add A Nice Touch To A Landscape Area

What is a berm? It is a natural or man made elevated strip of land in a yard. It is different from a bank or slope as it can be anywhere from two to five six wide and the length will vary. The top is level and a great solution for planting a variety of trees, shrubs or flowers. Many of my clients have natural berms on their property due to the fact we live in the foothills of the mountains. Some people have also decided that this would be a nice added outdoor feature, and make their own. This landscape project is simple to create from scratch or develop from an existing area. I am in the process now of designing an entire backyard and thought it might be useful for you to get some suggestions on what to do in a natural berm area. Take a look at the two pictures below. This is of the same house.

View Of Left Side	View Across

As you can see there is some prep work to be done. The berm is located right in front of the existing trees. The first step is to remove the grass and any weeds from the area. Apply a grass and weed killer and wait one week for it to take effect. I recommend waiting that amount of time so the chemicals have a chance to completely work. In this particular job, a tiller can be use to work the ground. Keep in mind not to try and level the area. You can plant across the entire landing and also on the incline. Rake the area and remove any remaining debris. Both slope and berm planting with evergreens have similar preparation techniques as well as choices in plant specimens. When planting across the landing, think about what is your goal? Do you want privacy or are you looking for a unique and special garden look? Behind the clients property is a view of the mountains. They want some privacy, but also want to see the view. For height, one of my thoughts are using a few Emerald Green Arborvitaes along with some False Cypress.

Emerald Green Arborvitae	False Cypress

Both of these plant specimens will provide great privacy. They will be placed across the landing but not in the view of the mountains. Another couple of plants to incorporate around the trees are Ruby Chinese Pizzazz or Loropetalum, and some ornamental grass such as black fountain.

Ruby Chinese Pizzazz	Black Fountain Grass

The Loropetalum and Ornamental Grass balances out the landing and also allows the clients their view. There are a variety of other plants that will work great along the landing. The incline area can be planted with small junipers, perennials, mop cypress, and other smaller shrubs. I have seen the entire inclines planted in gorgeous colorful annuals and perennials. I like to see a few evergreens within these flowers to avoid dead spaces in the winter. Below are a couple of different ideas for this project.

Flowers And Bench	Variety of Plants

Many people love the idea of a bench on the landing. A possible addition would be putting a trellis behind the bench with a climbing vine. Creating an area with of variety of different plant specimens will give you different color and texture all year long.

Man made berms aren't not difficult to install. The main goal is to get good quality top soil. You will have the advantage over a natural incline as you can build this area as wide and long as you want. Prepare the ground like you would any other bed. Spray if needed,use a tiller and rake out remaining debris. Bring the top soil in and work from one end to the other building up the incline. Add any natural compost material with the soil. I also add bags of mushroom compost to enrich the soil. Tamper the soil throughout the process of building the incline and landing. If you don't own a tamper, most rental places carry them. The tamper helps secure the soil in place. Once the incline and landing are built, go ahead and plant. Pine straw or mulch both work well as the final step. Some people even opt to instill some lighting in this area. A wonderful accent to show off your plant specimens.

Creating your own or planting on a established berm is truly a simple landscape solution.To me, this is another garden feature for you to consider in a drab area of your yard. Go ahead, get creative and add some wonderful plant specimens and color for you to enjoy!