Landscaping Magic Fixes a Dangerous Sloped Yard

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Landscaping Magic Fixes a Dangerous Sloped Yard

Landscape architect Michael Glassman usually has to walk a property before he begins to analyze a site’s challenges. But when he visited Larry and Beth Goldberg’s home in Sacramento, California, he wasn’t even out of the car before the problems became apparent. “I couldn’t find a place to park,” he says. “The house is on an incline, and the street goes up a hill, which people race down. You take your life in your hands getting out of your car if you park on that street.”

Here’s how Glassman opened up the landscape and made it work for the family.

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Comments (31)
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Pamela Bateman Garden Design
I love the steel retaining walls. Beautiful job!
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STILLSON GENERAL CONTRACT
Excellent solutions! I think I may try those walls at my house.
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Cat Rowe
Really nice home, and the new design of hard and soft scape brings out the beauty of this home and property. excellent work!
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Jay Sifford Garden Design
Very cool video. I've not seen one like that on here before. Hearing the homeowners speak about their space always brings more value, I think.
My sloped garden has been seen enough here so I won't post any photos. I will say, however, that a challenging site, in the right hands, makes for the most spectacular garden.
Thanks for sharing.
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barknwoof
Love this! What was the cost?
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B, H.
The night time lights are fabulous. They really make the house look beautiful day and night!
   
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suuleebrr
Amazing.
1 Like    
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americandreamdyn
Is this now a U-shaped driveway?
I can't see if both driveway pieces connect.
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Sauve
This is a beautiful exterior grounds renovation. We are currently looking to buy a house in department 78, Yvelines region of France. It seems that every home I like is set on such an incline and have massive yards. I'm still stuck in what I, as an American, find attractive but I want our yard to be a blending of American and French sensibilities while also terracing the slope simply because I'm slightly handicapped and cannot manage a sloping surface. Does anyone know of a landscape architect in France that they would recommend to me?
   
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janmariearts
Wonderful and inspiring. I also love the night time video. I recently bought a house in Napa, CA with a severe sloping front yard. The previous homeowner planted mainly rosemary. I am searching for ideas to landscape the yard.
   
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ladypin56
Love the design! I have a slope very similar to this one but smaller. I am having a hard time trying to figure out what to do with it. My slope is rather steep, I was wondering if the steel retaining wall comes in smaller sizes? Where can I find them in Ohio?
   
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macyjean
Great video, so interesting to hear about the process. I would never have thought of using modern steel with a traditional house like that, but it looks amazing. Beautiful transformation!
   
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bevlawson
beautiful transformation. the use of the rusted steel is amazing. the video is fabulous!
   
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kendacho
Could someone help to provide some photos of house on small triangular plots: I have purchases a triangular corner plot measuring 130ft by 89ft by 80ft. This translates to about 35000sq ft. I would like a maisonette design with garage for 2 cars
   
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ramseyruss
Very nice solution. Love the steel walls but how do you keep them from leaving rust stains all over the driveway??
2 Likes    
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LinleyMosier
I see what you mean about "scary parking;" there appears to be a ghoul hanging above the car, in the first 'before' picture. Yikes! haha. ;)
1 Like    
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Liza Hausman
It's not u-shaped. It's a rectangular parking pad that is not attached to the main driveway. If you watch the video you can see it much more clearly.
   
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migibson
Good solution. I would weather the white concrete though, it doesn't fit in the color scheme.
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bethgoldberg
Charis Landscape did a fantastic job.
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junipergirl
Terrific job! I loved the video as well. Great to see and hear the people involved. I always thought it was spelled 'crepe' myrtle as in crepe paper due to the peeling bark, but ....meh...whadda I know, eh?
   
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arlissb
happy to see this but my steeply sloped yard is tiny (pizza shaped lot wide in back but almost pointed in front on a culdesac) There is a drainage ditch in front and the front yard is only about a car length before the neighbor's drive comes out. Any clues for this situation? not room for a circular drive and yard is not long in front. (Current drive is on the left going straight down to the two car garage on the left. If I find a way to curve it over the ditch to make it longer it would be even harder to back out of it. and if I widen it it would cover a majority of my front yard (the only view from the front of the downstairs is the exising drive and that little snatch of front yard inclinding UP rather than down. I tried putting in smaller bushes near the ditch to give the illusion that they are farther away but that is all I could think of. Anyone out there have any ideas they'd care to share? Thanks!
   
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macyjean
junipergirl, I've noticed it is spelled crape in the US and crepe in Australia. I always thought it refers to the flowers. I wonder what the true origins are :-)
3 Likes    
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User
I love the steel retaining walls and and in the market to replace retaining walls in my yard. Are these available for purchase outside of Sacramento and easy enough for a diy project?
   
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Clearview Window Cleaning
I wanted to use corten steel or something like these, but my builder says they are too heavy to handle. How are these installed? Do you need heavy equipment to get the panels down to the site? Where might a Missouri gal find them?
1 Like    
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marsia
I love the landscaping and especially love the video of the homeowners and landscaper. So great to see a video illustrating how the process went and what went into it!
   
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georgiewitehira
Georgie
Great solution to a difficult access issue that has also brought out the beauty of the house itself. It has gone from ordinary to special. Well done.
   
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nloughne
Just bought a house on a slope. It needs an easier access to front door plus parking. Who do I start with...architect, general contractor, landscape artist? I am clueless.
   
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bethgoldberg
Start with landscape designer..then the contractor that is familiar with the designer. It will go so much smoother
3 Likes    
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Antuaniece Campbell
This house is truly amazing. I hope to mimic it one day!!!!!
   
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skydive
Hillside parking. Great
   
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nlharrison360

Curious why they didn't use stamped concrete on the parking bay?