This last year we had to level our yard to address drainage issues that would have compromised our foundation.  We removed the lawn and leveled the yard and now had a blank slate to work with, so we decided to create a berm.

A berm is a raised mound that gives a garden dimension instead of just flat spaces, and it also can serve to direct water flow.

Berms are recommended to be 4 times in length to height. We created a peanut shape to add some more interest to the yard.  We also wanted 12-18 inches in height and created three layers to build it.

The first 12 inches of the berm were comprised of our native soil which is heavy clay. We created a homemade filter to screen out roots and large rocks to re-purpose the soil for our berm. We used a tapper to keep the foundation firm. We then mixed our native soil with 1/3 compost purchased at Recology for only $12 per yard. This was the best price in town, and I have had a lot of luck with this compost in the past.

We continue to add layers of soil/compost mix tamping every 6 inches in height until we reached our desired height.  We will be adding some granite rocks as edging around the berm to help it keep its shape and avoid a runoff. We will be purchasing our rocks from Brickyard Building Materials in Concord and will allow you to purchase a few rocks or only part of a bin if that's all you need. This saves you money as well.

Lastly, the planting begins! For berms to have the best appeal, you will want to create height, texture, and dimension so you can get creative with what you want in your berm. I wanted something to have color all year round and a pollinator berm. My color theme will be purples with a touch of orange.

To save additional costs, my plants have come from propagation, the UCCE Master Gardener plant exchange, and planting by seed. In this picture, I started with what I had on hand including Salvia, Yarrow, and  Leonotis leonurus "Lion's Tail".

Here is the picture of our new berm and I look forward to sharing the progress in another post.