Last updated on February 11th, 2012
Do you have a severe slope on your property? That is, a hill so steep that it can’t be mowed, let alone gardened? I had to address this problem, too, in my own yard. And that’s how the Serpentine Garden was born.
Here’s the back-story: One summer, our former lawn-man – I’ll call him “Kamikazi Keith” – toppled his tractor on my property’s steepest slope not once, not twice, but three times. Although Keith was never injured, my partner and I realized that such an incline would have to be corrected. A winding path, we agreed, would be the best cure; it would also provide us with an easy access to the kitchen-, woodland-, and pool-gardens, located at the top of the hill.
The Serpentine Garden was carved into the hill the old-fashioned way: entirely by hand. The only tools used were a pick-axe, a shovel, a leveling device, and a very strong man named Paco, who completed the job in about six weekends.
The Serpentine Garden in early May (photo: R.H. Blackburn)
The path has an extremely gentle contour, each rise no higher than five inches, so that garden-lovers both young and old can climb it with ease. I designed a seating area at its midway point, beneath a Yoshino cherry tree, where one can stop, rest, and enjoy the view before continuing the winding ascent.
Beds between the path’s many twists and turns are planted with hundreds of major bulbs, including tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. Puschkenia, a minor bulb with lovely clusters of purple flowers, forms a circle beneath one of several crabapple trees in the garden. Vinca minor, which you can scarcely see in the photos, will, with nature’s grace, produce a thick, verdant ground-cover for each of the beds.
Tulipa ‘Carnival de Nice’ (photo: R.H. Blackburn)
And that’s how my steep, dangerous hill became a slice of heaven called The Serpentine Garden. I’ll show you more photos of this enchanting path as the summer progresses.
Do you have your own “hell-hill”…or something like it? Do tell us about it in the comments section below.
See you next time.
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Anonymous says
Omigosh! That is so gorgeous — although I don’t have any steep slopes in my apartment unless you want to consider the warped linoleum in my kitchen! But seriously folks, the stone path is stunning and reminds me of something out of Wuthering Heights…Could Heathcliff be near?? Judy
Kevin says
Judy – Glad to see you here, and thank you for your kind words! Yes, the Serpentine Garden DOES have the feeling of the Yorkshire Moors about it!
Jed Swift says
Hi Kevin
The photos are exquisite and show what a ton of work you have done on the old place. I do not have any hills on my property but if I did I would come to you for guidance.
Thank you for continuing to let me know when there are new things to admire and read here. Do you do your own photos too?
Best, Jed
Janet G. Metzger says
Kevin,
Thank you for getting me to the blog site. Again, the ideas have been inspiring, and a student has volunteered to dig up my yard this summer. Thank you for getting me started!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi, Jed – photos are by R.H. Blackburn; I don’t have that skill.
Janet – Thanks for stopping by! How lucky you are to have a volunteer digger-upper! What will you be planting? Keep us posted…
willswift says
Those tulips are absolutely beautiful! They make spring allergies seem relatively worthwhile.
Dan Bauman says
Beautiful job you’ve done. I have an arid slope and have found that irises (which are taking over) and garlic have done well. The pachysandra (mutilated that spelling) has been eaten by deer. Hopefully the vinca will take.
Anonymous says
Kevin: what a delightful solution to a dangerous (to tractors anyway) problem. I look forward to the opportunity to ascend the serpentine steps.
–Greg
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Greg – thanks for stopping by!