Garden Berm Ideas

Rock Garden

• Shape tiers into the berm, creating slightly uneven rows for an organic appeal. Intersperse native plantings on the front slope of the berm, utilizing the tiers to create plant vignettes, such as by color or shape, with the tallest upright plants occupying the crown of the berm. Plant sparingly as you want the plants to complement the rocks and accent the slope. Place large rocks and groups of rocks in the spaces between the plantings. Use enough of a variety in size and shape of both rocks and plants to obscure the tiers, making the slope appear more natural. Fill in the exposed areas with organic mulch.

Flower Bed

• A low berm in a front lawn adds curb appeal, breaking up the expanse of green and complementing the home's exterior. Shape a low berm, no more than one foot in elevation with gently sloping sides that blend into the surrounding lawn. The front yard berm is a borderless bed. Plant a small tree, such as the Japanese maple, just off center and a shrub off center to the other side. Fill in around the shrub and tree with a mix of annual and perennial flowers. Use upright growing flowers around the tree with smaller flowers around the shrub. Surround these with smaller plants, and add a border of creeping thyme or similar ground cover to define the berm garden without disrupting the slope's flow into the surrounding lawn.

Hardscape Berm

• Similar in shape to the flower bed berm, a hardscape berm may have a slightly higher elevation, a flattened crown and a well-defined border. The focal point of this berm garden is a water feature or sculpture. Position the focal point just off center on the crown of the berm. Opposite the focal point place a garden stool or oversized boulder for seating. Set three or five container plantings into the berm, burying the containers approximately two-thirds deep. Use a large-size gravel to fill in the rest of the surface of the berm. Create a border from stone, brick or block.