Land use affect the levels of nutrience and pollution in soil. Any activities that expose soil to wind and rain can lead to soil lose. Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting.

For heavy erosion in areas of concentrated flow, the most effective solutions are check dams or terraces.

1. Replant Vegetation Suited to Site Conditions. Well-established vegetation can stabilize the soil in cases of light erosion.
2. Footpaths with Exposed Soil: Cover with Mulch or Gravel.
3. Terraces.
4. Build Check Dams.

How to prevent soil erosion

• Crop Rotation: Rotating in high-residue crops — such as corn, hay, and small grain — can reduce erosion as the layer of residue protects topsoil from being carried away by wind and water.
• Conservation Tillage: Conventional tillage produces a smooth surface that leaves soil vulnerable to erosion.

Planting Vegetation as ground cover: Farmers plant trees and grass to cover and bind the soil. Plants prevent wind and water erosion by covering the soil and binding the soil with their roots. The best choice of plants to prevent soil erosion are herbs, wild flowers and small trees.

The four most common soil erosion prevention methods are vegetation, geo textiles, mulch, and retaining walls.

CAN utilises several methods for slope stabilisation including:

1. Soil nailing. This is a cost effective method for long-term stabilisation of over-steepened soil slopes, on or around your site.
2. Slope drainage. Slope drainage is an important part of ensuring the future stability of a slope.
3. Facing systems.
4. De-vegetation.

Vegetation helps stabilize steep forested slopes chiefly by reinforcing the soil through tree roots and by changing the soil water regime. Most slope failures occur during major storms when the soil is saturated.

Our top 5 plants for banks and slopes:

• Jasminum nudiflorum AGM.
• Lonicera japonica var. repens AGM.
• Hedera colchica ‘Dentata Variegata’ AGM.
• Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. repens AGM.
• Euonymus fortunei ‘Harlequin’

Steep, sunny slopes are perfect for perennials such as daylilies, creeping phlox, lamb’s ears, stonecrop and a variety of ornamental grasses. A number of woody plants can also serve as good groundcovers, especially creeping juniper, fragrant sumac, bearberry, and Russian arborvitae.

Shady locations benefit from: Japanese Pachysandra. Vinca. Beach Strawberry….Either seed the area with wildflowers native to your region or choose some ornamental perennials that are hardy to your area such as:

• Violets.
• Daylilies.
• Deadnettle.
• Roses.
• Spring bulbs.
• Coneflower.
• Russian Sage.

So if you’ve hit a dry spot in your garden, why not take a look our top 10 plants for dry soils, below.

• Foxtail lilies (Eremurus)
• Stachys byzantina.
• Bearded iris.
• Lavender.
• Sedums.
• Cardoon (Cynara)
• Knautia macedonica.
• Melianthus major.

10 best drought-tolerant plants for your garden

• Mescal agave, Agave parryi. This agave from Mexico is a brilliant architectural plant that will look good all year round.
• Striped-stemmed aloe, Aloe striatula.
• Palms.
• Rock rose, Cistus.
• Angel’s fishing rods, Dierama.
• Watsonias.
• Mediterranean spurge, Euphorbia characias.

In general, for most hydrangeas except the panicle types, plan to give hydrangeas both sun and shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade works beautifully in the South and warmer regions. In these zones, afternoon sun sizzles and can easily fry hydrangeas.

Liriope muscari is a tough perennial that copes even in the darkest and driest of conditions.

• Japanese anemones.
• Astrantia.
• Euphorbia amygdaloides var.
• Fatsia japonica.
• Hellebore.
• Hydrangea macrophylla.
• Ivy.
• Ivy-leafed cyclamen.

Perennials For Shade That Bloom All Summer!

• Geranium – Perfect Flower for Shade Gardens!
• Astilbe – Shade Perennials That Are Repeat Bloomers.
• Spiderwort – Perennials Flowers for Shade or Sun.
• Hardy Fuchsias – Part Shade Perennials That Bloom All Summer.
• Campanula (Bellflower) – Blue & Purple Perennial Flowers for Shade.

Here are five kinds of perennials that will thrive in your shade garden.

• HOSTAS.
• Recommended Hostas:
• LIGULARIA.
• FOAMFLOWERS (Tiarella)
• CORAL BELLS (Heuchera)
• Recommended Coral Bells:
• FOAMY BELLS (Heucherella)
• Byline:

Related Items

• 1 Hosta. One of the most tried-and-true shade plants, hostas are low-maintenance with hundreds of varieties to choose from.
• 2 Lungwort. Another shade-loving plant that tolerates dry soil is lungwort.
• 3 Bleeding Heart.
• 4 Coralbells.
• 5 Hardy Ferns.
• 6 Ajuga.
• 7 Bigroot Geranium.
• 8 Cushion Spurge.

7 Heat-Tolerant Plants that Love the Sun

• Lantana.
• Lemon Verbena.
• Cosmos.
• Marigold.
• Geranium.
• Salvia.
• Sedum.

For damp shade, you can plant:

• Astilbe (False Goat’s Beard)
• Astrantia major (Hattie’s Pincushion)
• Carex flagellifera (Sedge)
• Geranium sylvaticum (Wood Cranesbill)
• Hosta (Plantain Lily)
• Ligustrum ovalifolium ‘Aureum’ (Golden Privet), which can handle even deep shade.
• Primula (Primrose)
• Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

10 Great Plants for Shade

• Heuchera (Coral Bells)
• Lamium Maculatum (Dead Nettle)
• Tiarella cordifolia (Foamflower)
• Pulmonaria (Lungwort)
• Astilbe.
• Digitalis (Foxglove)
• Hakonechloa (Japanese forest grass)
• Primula (Primrose)

Fruits and Vegetables That Grow in the Shade

• Kale. A tried-and-true favorite that’s experienced recent popularity, kale is prolific in cool seasons and in shadier areas of the garden.
• Broccoli.
• Cauliflower.
• Cabbage.
• Brussels Sprouts.
• Beets.
• Radishes.
• Carrots.

Here are a few examples of ground covers that tolerate full shade: Spotted deadnettle (Lamium maculatum; zones 4 to 8) Creeping myrtle (Vinca minor; zones 4 to 9) Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior; zones 6 to 11)