Terracing your landscape can have some great advantages. For one thing, terraces hold back rainfall, reducing runoff and allowing rain to soak into the ground. They can minimize or maximize exposure to sunlight depending on the slope, allowing more consistent growth of plants and lawns. Regarding maintenance and mowing, a terrace is flat therefore removing any dangerous slopes and allowing garden beds to be accessed easier from below. From the ancient Incas through to Japan, terraced farming methods are used all over the world, and have been for centuries. They look great while having practical advantages. Why not apply these principles to your own landscape?
For retaining under 1m, corten steel bands are ideal given that they are thin, strong, durable, and can be curved. Not only that they are relatively inexpensive compared to traditional retaining alternatives like concrete and timber sleepers, boulder walls and linkblocks. Note that the maximum ‘bandwidth’ of corten is 300mm so for a drop of 900mm three bands will be needed. The spacing of each band should be at least equal to the height of the band.
Retaining walls less than 1m can look a bit bleak and often the softening effects of landscaping can improve the look. By using small terraces you can achieve the same look with a lot more landscape softening. While the terracing might take a bit more space, the look achieved can be much more aesthetically pleasing and incorporates garden beds into otherwise sterile spaces.
Note that retaining wall rules in Queensland state that any retaining wall over 1m requires Council/engineering approval. Terracing in the manner described above can apply to walls over 1m high so long as there is adequate space (1.5m) between the terraces to account for the change in slope. All retaining should be backfilled with an appropriate free draining material to avoid ‘damming’ water behind the wall.
A professional design can help to workout the best terracing fit for your landscape, incorporating appropriate planting and suitable terrace heights. Lowndes Landscapes offer professional designs from as little as $550.
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