I am preparing to start two vegetable gardens in my backyard, which is sloped. Last summer when we bought the house I removed a small patch of the sod and transplanted my potted herbs. They loved it!
Now we've dug up a larger space around the herbs and started another area across from it. We intend to try and terrace the gardens a bit - but we're working on a budget of almost nil. We plan on scavenging some wood from the local landfill/ recycling center. They have pallets there, as well as free mulch and compost (of low quality). I've already tested the soil and it's pretty much "neutral" on all counts. I don't need to add much, although I will add compost.

Currently the slopes are about 45* and the gardens are 3m X 3m. I would appreciate any advise on how I could easily turn this sloped garden into a functional space.

Additionally, above the one garden is a third space where a small fir tree once stood. It blew over end of winter. Now there is a stump and a lot of weedy soil in its place. I'm hoping to plant around the stump and maybe use it for climbing plants. Or, would it be better to remove the stump and roots? I was hoping to just let them naturally return to earth and feed the soil.


(Here's the yard in February. The future gardens are now tilled. The one on the right already has some herbs, hidden behind the tree.)

My slope is all clay and I'm using sticks and branches as my "fence" to keep what little soil I have in place. The problem being that they have to be replaced every year because the decompose. Some day I hope to have a yard that is flat but not yet.

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Looks good and very rustic!!

I love it

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