Terracing sloping orchard part 2

Last year we began the process of transforming a steep orchard area of apple trees and fruit bushes into a series of stepped terraces. This involved bringing in around 60 tonnes of stone thus far and the tallest of the terrace walls is complete. To flatten the area tonnes and tonnes of soil had to be brought in behind the wall as it went up. Now the area is flattened we have begun planting up the new bed. New fruit bushes have also been planted at the base of the wall.

Here, on the right, was the beginning of the large retaining wall. As it got taller the cavity behind was filled with soil.

Here is the completed wall, holding the tonnes of soil forming the upper terrace. We have also excavated some paths in the earth of the lower bank that will be a network of grass paths once the grass seeds germinate. Smaller walls are planned further down the bank to create a stepped terrace landscape.

Behind the terrace wall is a planting bed which will have a gravel path running alongside it edged with stone bricks. This will lead to the large slab staircase we already built. We are now working on a large curving wall that partly retains another level of ground that will be a hard standing area.