New house and a sloping garden

If you decide to plant shrubs this might help (from a nursery website):

'Some of the best evergreens for clay soils are Cotoneaster, Escallonia, Euonymus, Gaultheria, Mahonia, Pyracantha and Vinca. These varieties will help provide year-round structure and form to your borders even on the heaviest of soils.'

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We found it impossible to grow anything on our slope because it was under trees which sucked all the moisture out of the soil, and any rain or attempt to water just ran off. So we terraced the slope.

My son and his wife also have a VERY steep garden . They have a patio at the top and have made steps all the way down to the bottom. Without the steps , you could not access the slope at all as it was lethal.
He’s now working on the steep banks so a lot of the advice on there is very useful.

Terrace it.

Only today out on a 90 min bus trip and noticed broom in full bloom on a lot of sloping areas, banking in gardens. Looked lovely. Absolutely no experience of gardening on clay slopes. Good luck, sure you will find a lot of useful suggestions on GN.

I have steps up my very steep garden (the top is higher than the roof of the house) but still have to access the steep banks on either side. I never stand on it, it is just too steep but put on overtrousers and get about on my bottom. Have planted shrubs which are now starting to look good. I mulch just around plants as any larger areas of mulch just wash away. Good luck. Trial and error will teach you a lot.

Our fist house after marrying had a back garden slope away from the house. We split the slope making two lawned areas with a stone wall between. Loose stones piled on top of each other and I planted between the stones, it made for a wonderful display of colours on and off all year.
It was very hard work especially for my husband as he did all the moving of soil. He lost over 2 stones (which he needed) in weight doing this.

We have made a start today and are putting in stone steps to access the first section of slope. Just a few steps in and access is already easier and, with all your helpful advice I am now feeling more confident that we can get on top of things. Hard work but I am hoping it will help me lose some weight like jeanie99's husband.

I've been shuffling about on my bottom too haddersmum

4allweknow - Broom is an excellent idea and as we have it in another part of the garden I might be able to take cuttings. I'm finding plants so expensive.

Wolfie59 - your garden is beautiful. Just the inspiration I need to persist with ours.

Nicolenet - I so agree about the butterflies. We are going to leave the far section of the slope as a wildlife haven and there is already a buddleja there for the butterflies.