Here in East Tennessee, we love our rolling landscape, the mountains, the hills and valleys but with that comes landscaping challenges such as planting on a slope. How many times have you seen planting beds with the mulch sliding off landscape cloth and exposing the soil to weeds and erosion like the photo above? Or other times when you watched someone trying to mow a grassy hillside and thought “that mower is going to roll over!”

So, you ask what do I do with a slope? Some might try seeding or sodding turf grass. But grass seeds can wash away before getting established. Grass from sod has roots that are too shallow to successfully hold soil on a steep slope. Others might try terracing and/or adding retaining walls of blocks or stone. For terracing and retaining walls you will need heavy equipment, strong backs and lots of money.

A team of Master Gardeners created a planting bed of small trees, shrubs and perennials on a sloped site at the Blount County Extension Office on McArthur Road in Maryville. Initially, the team used heavy cardboard to kill the grass on the slope and to serve as a future weed barrier. It continues to work splendidly to discourage weed growth. They secured the cardboard with landscaping pins and then placed a layer of coir cloth over the top. (Coir cloth, or jute mesh, is a heavy net material woven of coconut fiber.) The coir cloth kept the layer of mulch in place on the steep slope so it didn't wash out in the rain. (If mulch is placed on a steep slope, it definitely needs a stabilizing element.) After plantings were in place, a heavy layer of mulch was spread. Two more layers of mulch since the initial garden was installed in 2023 and the cardboard has since degraded.

The original soil substrate was marginal at best, but with the degradation of the cardboard and mulch, along with the organic plant material and leaves from the Redbud trees, the soil is now ideal with a rich organic component. Weeds are less of an issue and relatively easy to control.

Many thanks to the Master Gardeners who created this TN SMART Yard Slope Garden as well as to U.T. Professor, Andrea Ludwig, who provided grant funds, technical expertise, and physical labor. The coir cloth can be purchased at Knoxville Seed as well as other garden suppliers.

• Thick cardboard held in place with landscape pins will control weeds and grass.
• Coir cloth placed on top of the cardboard will help prevent mulch washout.
• Tiering with stones helps retain plantings and add visual interest.
• Wood mulch provides moisture and weed control along with a rich organic media as it degrades.