If your home is built on a hillside or steep slope, landscaping and outdoor activities may present a challenge. You may also encounter erosion and drainage problems that can lead to structural damage for your home. If your back yard is sloped or hilly, consider a terraced landscape with multi-level patios or decks so you can enjoy being outdoors.
Terraced Landscapes
Terraced landscapes work well for steep slopes and hilly yards. By creating multiple terraced levels you can provide easier, safer access from the yard to the house, as well as good irrigation and erosion control. Terraced levels will make the slope less steep and create different areas for outdoor entertaining. You can create a beautiful, footpath between terraced levels with wooden steps, flagstone pathways, or pavers in stone, concrete or brick that offer safe, non-slip surfaces. Landscape lighting along pathways will provide extra safety and protection after dark.
To supply adequate water to grassy areas and plants, consider a drip irrigation system instead of a sprinkler system. A drip irrigation system provides slow irrigation to plant roots and creates less runoff than traditional sprinklers. To help prevent slides, landscape with plants that will reduce irrigation needs and provide a more stable landscape.
To control erosion, plant trees, shrubs, and plants in your terraced landscape areas. Large rocks, stones and mulch around plants will also help to prevent soil erosion by reducing the amount of water that flows down the slope. Mulch helps to absorb and retain moisture for plant growth and prevent unwanted weed growth, especially in shaded areas. For best results, choose a heavier mulch like bark chips or shredded redwood. Lightweight mulches like hay and straw often wash downhill in a heavy rain.
Multi-Level Patios and Decks
Multi-level patios and decks are great for sloping or hilly yards that are difficult to use. You can build a multi-level patio or deck into the hillside and connect the levels with stairs or garden pathways. The top level should be close to the house for convenience and easy indoor access. It will provide a great area for family dinners and outdoor entertaining. The lower level, further from the house, will provide more privacy for relaxation and quiet conversations.
Multi-level patios and decks can be built in various sizes and shapes to fit your landscape terrain. For extremely steep slopes, decks offer an advantage because they can be elevated off the ground with shrubs and plants below to help with drainage and erosion problems.
If you have a sloped or hilly back yard, you don’t have to give up backyard activities. To learn more about creating a terraced landscape or building multi-level patios and decks, talk to a local contractor in your area.
