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Hi everyone,
Newbie here to the forum and hoping to tap into your collective wisdom! My partner and I are tackling our first landscaping project, and we're a bit overwhelmed by the options, especially when it comes to the sloped area behind our house.
Here's the breakdown:
Besser block wall: We're planning to paint it the same Paperbark Colour as our Colourbond fence to create a cohesive look.
Stone retaining wall: We'd love some suggestions for planting in front of this wall for added privacy. Any recommendations on low-maintenance, fast-growing plants that would thrive there?
The slope: This is the big question mark! We have no idea what to do with it. Any suggestions for plants, features, or creative ways to utilize the space would be amazing!
We're open to all sorts of ideas, whether it's drought-tolerant native plants, colourful blooms, or even incorporating some hardscaping elements like pathways or seating. Budget-friendly options are definitely a bonus!
Any advice, suggestions, or inspiration you can offer would be greatly appreciated! We're excited to transform our backyard and create a beautiful space to enjoy.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @JoJo09.
Good on you for tackling your first landscaping project. I know it can seem overwhelming at first, so I'd encourage you to break down your project into small and achievable parts. The guide How to plan a garden makeover has a lot of great advice about this process. Author @Adam_W has also shared the guide How to create privacy by planting, which you should also find useful.
Is your Besser block wall a retaining wall? In the photos it looks discoloured and that it might be a retaining wall, which could limit your painting plans.
I imagine our members will also be keen to know where you are based, what kind of soil you have and what kind of plants you like in order to make more helpful recommendations on what to plant.
And in relation to planting - were you wanting to plant in front of the stone retaining wall, where the gravel currently is? You might want to consider planter boxes or raised garden beds if so.
Another thought to kick things off is have you seen the popular project Training climbers to screen a fence? You could replicate it to cover your Colorbond fence.
If you could provide a little more detail and answer the questions above, I'm sure our members like @homeinmelbourne, @diy_hausdesigns and @EricL will be more than happy to share their thoughts.
Thanks,
Jason
Afternoon @JoJo09
Now thats a nice looking retaining wall 
By the way, Welcome to the Bunnings community page There are so many ideas in here for landscaping and how to's it is not funny! Everytime I think yeah I must have seen lots, nope there are so many things!
As to your questions about painting the Bessa block wall, I am currently removing the paint from my bessa block wall so I can repaint it (its next to a pool so I have that to factor in) You can see the water stain on your blocks, My thinking is if its holding soil back on the other side then water will want to make its way through the blocks and push the paint off over time. I have seen people put a stone face to their bessa blocks, using concrete mortar and pretty much going the same way as you base level retaining wall is.
I will leave the plant suggestions to others, I plant trees mostly not flowering things Tho I do like fig trees as in fruiting ones for shade and they seem to grow fast. They could be planted on that slope and provide a canapy for the area below?
As for seating, how about a low gabion basket seat style with a timber top? Gabion wall bench seats was where I used it to my advantage on a slope to retain it and use it as a seating area.
Will have a think about it as I go and remove more paint from those bessa blocks lol
Dave
Hello @JoJo09
Thanks for sharing your question about landscaping ideas for the back of your house. I agree with @Dave-1 there are numerous ways to decorate the area it all depends on the look you are after.
My first suggestion is to create an inspiration book by gathering pictures and ideas that you would like to incorporate into the design of the back yard. Since you mentioned that you want to cover your stone retaining wall, I suggest building a pergola that starts from the front and goes all the way to the back. Entering your back yard your eye is now drawn to the pergola not the huge retaining wall.
The next cover you can create is by building raised garden beds that you can put near the stone retaining wall. I suggest planting bamboo to create a green wall. Timber seats can then be spread along the area. In regards to the slope, I propose building timber stairs so that you have easy access to it. Build more raised garden beds and use that are as a vegetable garden or build a low-level deck and use it as a relaxation area.
Just remember that at this point no idea is too outrageous as you are just in the planning stage.
Here is one of my favourite makeovers - Mediterranean-inspired outdoor renovation by @LaCasaDIY.
If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.
Eric
Hello @JoJo09
I suggest having a peak at the bamboo selection on the website and at the store. But I believe that there is a bigger selection at the store depending on the season. I understand that you are after a clumping bamboo, but these types of bamboo often start to occupy more space as time passes.
I propose having a look at the 200mm Bamboo China Gold - Bambusa eutuldoides var Viridi-vittata. It can easily cover up that stone wall and its stems don't grow to be overly thick giving it a wispy appearance. The soil will need to be prepared before transplanting, but once the tree is established it is very hardy and draught tolerant.
Just like any plant, it's formation and height can be controlled with judicious trimming and strapping. Once you have the bamboo growing in the direction that you want, you'll just need to occasionally trim it so that it does not go past your established borders.
If you need further assistance, please let us know.
Eric
Nice one @JoJo09.
I hope Eric's reply was helpful. Experienced contributor @Adam_W is also a big fan of clumping bamboo. Check out his guides How to select and grow clumping bamboo and How to plant a clumping bamboo hedge.
Jason
Hi everyone,
I just wanted to send a huge thank you to all of you for the awesome landscaping advice you gave me about the Bessa block wall! It was incredibly helpful and made a big difference in the final outcome.
We just finished painting the wall, and I'm thrilled to report that waterproofing it was the absolute best decision. It looks fantastic and I have no worries about moisture damage down the line.
I've attached some photos of the finished wall so you can see how great it turned out.
Now we need to decide on what plants.
Thanks again for all your help!
Afternoon @JoJo09
That has come up so nicely!
How did you end up prepping the wall? (I have my pool bessa block that I have remove dthe paint from and need to paint again)
Worth the effort!
Dave
Hi @JoJo09
Thank you for sharing that update. I totally agree with @Dave-1, it has truly uplifted the appearance of the Bessa block wall. Not only that but it has made it less gloomy as the suns reflection off the paint has made the area look much brighter. All that's needed now are the structures and plants you'll decide to put in.
We look forward to your next update.
Eric
