Privacy Landscaping:
Side of property on a downhill

by Andrew
(Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)

The side of our property is on a hill that slopes steeply about 6 feet down where the neighbors property line is, at the bottom. Our small house is maybe 10 feet from the edge of the slope and the neighbors house sits maybe 10 feet from the bottom of the hill.

Our neighbors get to enjoy our hillside and it's basically unuseable property for us we don't enjoy. We also would like some privacy there. What are our options?

Currently periwinkle and lillies of the valley are on the slope with a couple of med sized maple trees at the top of the slope. Our neighbors just put in a front porch where they now sit and can look right into our living room bay window.

We thought a retaining wall would be our best option for both increasing our useable property and then we could at least build a fence without basically loosing that hillside.

Any thoughts would be helpful.



Answer from our professional landscaper:

The retaining wall will be the best and most expensive fix for your problem. Just consider how much actual usable space this will create. Most walls step back 3/4 of an inch per six inches of rise. So six feet tall will be 9 inches of set back. If this area is going to enhance your landscape, then I say do the wall. If not, a screen of trees may be better.

Chas Hendricksen
Ask The Landscaper