I live on a corner which has a steep hill on both sides of it. It was impossible to grow a decent lawn and to mow the lawn. It looked terrible all the time. I tried to plant a few things and found it was also impossible to dig a hole of any size; apparently there had been large trees there and an old retaining wall. I got a quote for a contractor to build a retaining wall - $10,000 for just one side of the hill, and he said I would have to also install a fence so that childfren wouldn't climb the wall and get hurt, because my corner is a main elementary school crossing. I couldn't afford that. I also got a quote for a contractor to install a rock outcropping sort of arrangement; that was $6,000, not including any plant materials. I couldn't afford that either. So I decided to see what I could do on my own. I did some figuring and then ordered 4 tons of field boulders and 6 yards of garden mix, and had it delivered all together. My kids and my neighbors all were sure I had completely lost my marbles, and when I saw the materials I was rather inclined to agree. I figured out how to move the boulders using a furniture dolly and a rope, and away I went. Here are photos of the creation of the garden and how it looks now.

The rock retaining wall is wonderful. Looks like a lot of hard work, but well worth it.

Thanks Stilldew...that work has more than paid for itself in reduced lawn maintenance and better erosion control.

Beautiful transformation photos

gardengus!

Awesome is a much overused word but it certainly applies here!

Thank you, Veronica. I appreciate your kind words!

Wonderful transformation ! Really nice choices for your plantings, such a nice variety of foliage.

Thanks again, Geof. This particular project turned into more than I ever imagined both in terms of effort to complete, and results, but I'm very happy with what I did. I don't think I would ever try it on my own again though

Herewith an update to this project. The steepest side of the hill had finally all filled in by the end of the third summer. I received an award from my local municipality for the project. About a month after I received the award, I got notice of a large construction project scheduled for the next summer, along with a hefty property tax assessment. I immediately contacted the municipality and construction manager to inquire whether my landscaping would be at risk, since it abuts the sidewalk on both sides of the corner. I was assured there wouldn't be a problem. However, they did not tell me that one of the utility companies would be replacing lines and would be removing the sidewalk on one side--I simply arrived home one evening to find the east side of the garden about 90% destroyed. I sat down in the dirt and cried for hours. I won't bore you with the details of the summer from hell, but the icing on the cake was when the sidewalk was finally replaced at the end of the summer, about two tons of the boulders that had been sitting around were tossed on top of the few plants that had survived. Everyone told me that I would have no chance of getting any of this fixed, but I had good photographs of the landscaping before the project, and had taken photos of the various stages of damage. Long story short, they did have to pay a landscaper to do a restoration. Of course, you can't restore mature landscaping, but we did what we could. The hill is starting to fill in again now after again battling erosion for a couple of years. It's not really my own creation any more, either, but what can you do?

Anyway, here are some photos of the corner from the last couple of weeks. I still have one or two problem spots, and I decided to move the bush clematis; it's protesting a bit, but it will come back. And my large groundcover junipers suffered terribly this winter, as all the evergreens in this area did, so I cut them way back. I don't know if they will even recover; only time will tell.

What a horrible ordeal! I would be so mad, it was good that you had pictures and at least got some help in restoring it.

Susie, I would use the word "enraged" at the very least. I don't think I ever felt that way before. It was an experience I hope never to repeat!

Its just beautiful Jeanie.

I don't think there is a word in any language to describe that kind of outrage. I am so sorry you had to endure it.

Thanks to all for your empathy. In the greater scheme of things no people or animals were physically hurt, so it's just things that can be replaced. We live and learn.

Still painful. But, yes, learn and move on.