Need berm-building advice

Hi gang!

DH and I want to build a berm in the front 'yard' of our house. I envision aspen, tulips, crocus, columbine, and other blooming things that I don't know about yet in this shady haven. (I have a great imagination, I know.) Anyway, on to the technical stuff. I have about 6 cu yds of nice compost in a pile near the target spot. Should I get some fill dirt hauled in to mix with the compost? What is a good mixture for a berm? We naturally want stability, but also have all this delicious compost now, so I'm also expecting to get some good results from planting.

On another note, I noticed this morning that I have a gardener's tan....my hands, to just above my wrists are about 2 shades lighter than my arms....gardening gloves. LOL

Thanks,

Suz

How high will the berm be? What direction will water flow when it rains?

Hi GJ,

THe berm will be around 2-2.5' tall and when it rains, water will flow from the direction of the house toward the berm somewhat.

Suz

What is the distance from the foundation of the house to the proposed berm?

What is the (estimated ) dimensions of the roof + any other hard surface where water will run off?

Where we want to put the berm is about 55-60 ft away from the house. I'd guess the square footage of the roof to be about 1700. We do have guttering all around the house and one gutter is at that end of the house toward the front.

Okay, I will admit to my ignorance. Is the idea of a berm a water catching/slowing device? I am new to all this xeric stuff but am always interested in good ideas. How do you keep the weeds out?

You keep the weeds out by weeding, of course!

the reason i ask about the impermeable surfaces & distance from your foundation has to do with not ruining you foundation or the drainage necessary to protect it. I will work on the calculations over lunch & get back to you

What makes a berm better than a raised bed? It is easy to mulch a raised bed, but I can imagine that in a berm the mulch slides down the sloped sides.

Many people here use roadside berms to block the noise & view from the road, or to manage erosion. I don't know the motivation of suznk, so I'm going with her original question.
Initially I would say 60% compost /40% colorado clay will give you stability and a good planting environment.

It *will* settle, so it isn't a bad idea to do it in stages overwinter to allow for settling before you install trees & plants.

Interesting. I don't think very many people build berms around here. I know of 2. One is definitely to block the view of a major street. The other, I am not sure. Maybe suznk will explain to me why she wants one.

Why do I want a berm? Hmmmmm. Uhhhh.

hehe Seriously, our front yard area is pretty flat and I think that a berm would add some interest. Plus, we do have a 'view' out there that I wouldn't mind not viewing. Plus, everyone in this area who is growing aspen has them in a berm, which I'm guessing is to give better drainage.

Thanks GJ, for helping me with the combination!

Looks more natural than a raised bed, easier to do as well. My lasagna bed is like that. Using creeping thyme along part of it. Put a rough concrete mix between it and the Ky bluegrass, that is about 4-6" deep(keep out invading grass). Have bad photos, so maybe have to do a before and after thread.

I like the idea of a berm to add privacy. I wish I thought of this before I started the corner bed. It would have helped alot. It can also look natural especially with the hills and foothills around here. Only question I have is do I really need the extra drainage!

Thanks, guys. I can see that it would be quite good at blocking a view, especially if you put some aspens in it.

I'm glad you asked what a berm is paja...I was sitting here thinking, I must have missed something, typo maybe? Lol. Very interesting information! Suz, will you post pictures as you go or when you are finished?

I definitely will, Susanne. I don't imagine we'll be starting very soon as we need to get some fill dirt hauled in to mix with the compost, but I will post pictures of our progress.

I would like to see your pictures, too. I don't know a whole lot about berms, but I would love to learn from your efforts! (I'm not lazy or anything.)

:) I'm not lazy or anything, either. But, hey, why re-invent the wheel? I think that the $20 for membership to DG is probably some of the best 'landscaping' funds I've spent because of all I have access to and am learning. (Now if I could only be in Denver on the 22nd, rather than Buffalo, NY.)

Buffalo, NY..... ooh. At least it isn't Buffalo, NY in January. Maybe the leaves will be turning?

maybe you could bring some home for your compost?

Now there's an idea. I wonder what TSA would say if they inspected my luggage to find one suitcase full of fallen leaves? Oh, that makes me laugh just to think about it!

Betty, that's what I thought too.....Buffalo....at least there won't be 6 ft of snow on the ground!

It would be great fun to see TSA checking a suitcase full of leaves. Only thing is they might arrest you for suspicious behavior.

This message was edited Sep 16, 2007 7:53 AM

How interesting that you ask this question - I asked the same question but in a different forum (the Garden Design forum) because I am having problem with soil eroding off the berm I am trying to construct (its half done). My husband thought it was because the sides are too steep, but my berm, like the one you plan to build, is only about 2-1/2' at the tallest point and it is at least 5 - 6' wide. Here is what I figured out - because I have a lot of clay in my soil, I added quite a bit of sandy loam that I hauled in - too much in fact. It's just not holding together the way it should and I am going to have to go back and add some of my native clay. What I learned from my post on the Garden Design forum is that I should have started the process in layers - building 12" at a time. I wish I know how to provide a link to that thread here, but it would be easy to find it if you are interested (go back one page). What I am going to have to do in the places I don't want to tear down and start again is use a special burlap material that is constructed for berms or steep hills like the ones we are talking about. I am building my berm for the same reason you are - to create a little visual interest, in my case between two gravel paths. I'll be interested to see what you do. I am in Zone 5 as well.

2sequoyah, I'd read your thread on the Garden Design forum when I was searching for info. We're planning to approach in layers. Still need to get some fill hauled in here. It's always something, I think. I'd love to be kept up to date on your progress, too.

2sequoyah -- you mention a special burlap material -- what is it? I've been working on my brother's front yard, and he has one of those short but steep slopes. I've had a tough time keeping the soil in place, and I'm thinking this burlap stuff might be just the ticket. I had been thinking along the lines of trellis netting tacked down to the soil, with creeping groundcovers planted in the spaces, to hopefully spread enough to keep it all in place. But not thrilled with that idea...

Trisha - right after someone else mentioned using burlap to help hold the soil in another post, I just happened to notice burlap material at a nursery I'd stopped at in Bozeman, MT. They had two types of burlap - one the solid type of burlap you are probably familar with, and the other which was mentioned as being what was used for revegetating slopes and is the kind I bought, which is a woven burlap material that starts out as a band of solid material at the top and then progressively makes wider gaps as travel down the width of the material. I don't know if that makes sense or not ..... it looks like it is very loosely woven, kind of like the macrame we used to see in the 60's ...... I imagine you'd start with the larger gaps at the top, ending with the solid burlap down towards the bottom of the material. I had never seen it before but that is probably because I'd never looked for it. Maybe you could find it on-line if a local garden center didn't carry it? It wasn't very expensive .....good luck.

Thanks 2sequoyah, I'll look for it at the garden centers. Your description makes perfect sense to me -- I think it'll work great, and hopefully once the plants are established the roots will hold the soil after the burlap falls apart.

Trisha - I just noticed both Lowes & Home Depot carry burlap, in roles. It isn't exactly the same as I found at the garden center, it was a solid burlap material, but it would probably work just fine if you can't find the other stuff. You could just cut holes where you wanted to plant. And I do think the burlap material will just disinegrate over time .... I plan to cover mine with a mulch.