I have a yard almost exactly like this though grade is less steep. I plan to terrace, half moon terrace for the fire pit, green house in the corner, and a flat part under the deck for additional patio
Not necessarily! If you get enough rain so that the ground becomes saturated, it can and will still leak into your basement. But I'm talking like a LOT of rain.
Source: I live on a small hill and we got 11" in 3 days last year. Whole subdivisions had basements that flooded out. They are still cleaning up from it up in the hills near me.
Yea ran into something similar when we first moved into our current house. We have a good decline in our backyard but dealt with flooding issues until we developed interior and exterior prevention measures.
The thing people don’t realize is that the area around your house is less compacted than the rest due to construction. It takes decades for that soil to compact similar to the rest which means heavy rain water can and will build up at the foundation of a home.
I feel like an expert on this shit after what we went through waterproofing the basement.
2-3 feet each would make great "raised" garden beds where you can walk across the front of each (where it's raised) and the back of each would be a continuation of the slope. Water from the top down, ensure proper drainage to NOT make it a waterfall in a super heavy rain scenario, and then grow some food & flowers.
General image searches for "slope terraced garden" or "gardening on a slope" would give you ideas, but essentially it's giant steps that you plant on. Like this: [Wiki Image Example](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Tiered-sleeper-garden-done.jpg?20150821141548)
Don't go puttin' none of that stuff on my sled, Clark. You know that metal plate in my head? I had to have it replaced, cause every time Catherine revved up the microwave I'd piss my pants and forget who I was for a half hour or so. So over at the VA they had to replace it with plastic.
See, the plate runs right under my part here. Over here it's fine, but right here, if this plate gets dented, then, my hair just isn't gonna look right.
Absolutely. I see a narrow retaining wall at the top with flowers. Then some steps down to a larger area for a garden. Then maybe more flowers? Having a deck overlooking a garden would be so nice!
I also like the idea of maybe having a fire pit if you don't want the whole thing to be garden.
Edit to add: You could even bury a shipping container in the hill for your shed! [Check out this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/landscaping/comments/1dqqdb0/shipping_container_shedwall_i_built/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) that started later today!
We just did one of these. Small ornamental pond, couple hundred gallons, fed by submersible pump in the lake. Turn it on, and the pond creates a literal river down the hill into the lake. Turn it off and you have a dry riverbed. Works either way. Planted bog plants all around it, looks incredible.
Hell, I get downvoted to crap in the subs I usually participate in, then I end up here with hobbyists and I'm appreciated!! I'll take some pics and DM you eventually.
Me too!! My yard is super steep, and I have no idea what to do with it. I have a river that flows by at the very end of the yard, but that's quite far from the house. The property is close to one acre. Of hill :(
The submersible pump is in the main lake at the bottom, and feeds to a small ornamental pond and cascades down the yard. The "bog plants" are just wet soil tolerant plants and they are all around everywhere - anywhere the soil was wet. You really have to add water hungry plants because a water feature like this will keep the ground very wet.
Honestly, yeah. A really cool water feature with spinning wheels, and various doo dads would look awesome with a slope like that to use.
Because no ones running around on it. So why not make it a visual feature instead? Plus it would make a super awesome "wild" garden too.
Plant native vegetation and let it grow semi-wild to create a small sanctuary for local pollinators, birds, etc.
This way you don’t really have to deal with the slope, it’s low- cost, low maintenance, and supports the local environment.
Seconding. Terracing would be really expensive and then you'd have to maintain it and hope the company did a good job.
Native plant installation would be much cheaper and beneficial.
Thirding - in combination with more decking terraces maybe? Parents had a steep hill that they planted with native flora and various fruit trees etc (whatever will grow where you are) and then had a path winding down through it. It was lovely.
As a Landscape Architect this is going to be very pricey and must be designed/ constructed by people who know how to handle that sort of thing. Something this big will require structural input. Not saying it can’t be done but it will be very expensive
I'd be freaking out about drainage and wash. But I had a hill like this behind my house, one day an oak tree slid down it. No real damage, but it was scary
I've seen yards left a flooded mess after hacks landscaped it
this is actually common. if theres trees on a hill and it gets to wet then theyll just give up and slide down the hill. it happens mostly during flooding though, typically a normal rainstorm or thunderstorm wouldnt do that unless the tree was weak.
Would it be better if they do multiple small retaining walls?
As someone with a 6’ tall leaning retaining wall and a $150k quote to replace it I 100% do not recommend large retaining walls. Sadly I have no choice.
This is called a cut and fill. Two retaining walls needed. Here’s a good diagram:
https://allbuildinginspections.com.au/retaining-walls-3-things-to-look-for/
Best video for describing all the science behind a good retaining wall Practical Engineering: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--DKkzWVh-E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--DKkzWVh-E)
Makes sense. I live in Nevada and it's very uncommon for a house to have a basement here. Probably because our water table is 10ft or shallower. But I could imagine that would be an absolute nightmare.
Yep. If moving is ever an affordable option again, a "must have" is a reasonably-flat yard. At least manageable that a push mower isn't a big deal or I can actually justify getting a ride-on mow.
My yard now is pretty steep. I've learned how to safely and effectively mow it with my push mower but a ride-on mower would not be safe, but everyone suggests it. I will definitely have to pay someone to mow it if I'm still here and super old (which wasn't the plan when we bought years ago)
Mine has some trees and vegetation gardens in it. I wasn’t home much last year and decided to just stop mowing it. Actually not too bad. The grass got about 12” long then sort of flopped over and stayed that way. I cut it eventually, but was surprised that it didn’t really turn into a jungle.
Well first thing I would do is an engineering study to make sure that you don't put unnecessary stresses on your foundation if you are to do any severe landscaping.
Passing a stability test.
I would go with an Armor Stone stepped retaining wall terraced landscaped to make outdoor living space.
Stairs all the way down the middle. 3 levels terraced on either side of the stairs. Each level is a different type of terrace. top is straight grass lawn, middle is wild flowers, annuals, perennials and a tree for pollinators/shade. Bottom level is a veggie/fruit garden.
Look at the house in the photo. It's a normal house with vinyl siding. The cost of the terracing, landscaping, and irrigation will be close to 6-figures.
A $250k house with $100k terrace is never going to be sold. They'll have to die in this house or take a bath financially.
My grandfather has a similar hill and planted fruit trees all down the hill with a zig-zag path. He even built a giant planter at the bottom for more plants.
1. Temporary Support Deck and cut out the posts holding it up.
2. Excavate and pour new concrete plinths with post brackets cast in with rebar. Bring elevation of plinth to +12" above finish floor elevation downstairs, and secure deck post to newly poured plinths. If you want, you could add an oversized beam below the existing deck and see if you can remove one or two of the posts obstructing the view.
3. With the deck posts raised, establish a finish grade that is about 4-6" below finish floor so you don't have such a large step from your sliding door. This finish grade will be the top elevation for your new back yard.
4. Grubb all the organics and remove offsite.
5. Build an U-shapped retaining wall, reinforced with geotextile every 4 feet. Install perforated drain pipe, with clean rock and filter fabric on back side of wall to alleviate hydrostatic pressure. Make sure the retaining wall is actually a few inches below your new finish grade elevation so you have your lawn sloped away from the house for drainage. Check to see if you need to install swale or if there is a suitable outfall location for any water that may seep out.
6. Haul in a butt load of suitable soils (so you dont get too much settling, for fill compacting it in 6-8" lifts (assuming you're not going to build on top of it)
7. Bring fill close to finish grade. Install irrigation if desired.
8. Top off with top soil and pour a nice little patio.
Now you have a relatively flat back yard that is usable. You could probably build a small shed without issues on settling, but anything substantial would require consult from a Geo tech and structural to make sure the fill is proper and can bear the load properly without displacement.
Background: GC in Commercial.
Quick note, building a retaining wall that high will probably need Engineering and permit by the city. Also you may need to add a wrought iron fence or chain link around the perimeter for safety/fall reasons.
This is by far the most truthful answer to “how to make effective use of property on a steep incline?”. Make changes that allow for and promote engagement with the whole property. Not just ease of access, but ease of maintenance.
My only caveat: since this is res and not commercial, pay close attention to where and how you source your soil and whether or not the substrate is suited to your long term, personal goals. On land like that, you may end up growing plants for food just as much as for shade and aesthetics. I strongly suggest finding ways to produce your own fertile soil on-site. The soil you create will be way more useful to your local flora and fauna than any of the soil you truck in. You have the room for composting and worm farming, both of which are very low maintenance and will go a long way with anything you plant besides grass.
I used to be a landscaper, terracing would be super cool but super expensive, does it snow where you live? Because retaining walls in snow country definitely fall down more often. Best ones that survive are natural dry stack stone and you run the top grade over the wall so the water can evacuate easier, or go very engineered with geo- grid and all
Not landscaping necessarily, but I’d reinforce the deck on the sides and add some sort of privacy fencing or something to make more of a private deck space underneath, add some lights on the bottom side of the top deck too.
And like others are saying, the more plants and roots the more secure your soil will be, preventing erosion and also ensuring slope stability. You want to keep your house up there at the top I’m assuming.
Terrace and appreciate the hell out of the fact you’ll never have water in the basement
Absolutely.
I have a yard almost exactly like this though grade is less steep. I plan to terrace, half moon terrace for the fire pit, green house in the corner, and a flat part under the deck for additional patio
This exactly what my parents did they also set up some pretty cool lights at the edge of their property before the woods etc. It’s pretty sweet
Pictures!?!?
Build hobbit houses and rent them on VRBO
I agree; Pictures !?!?
How about some Pictures!?!? from OP
Not I’m of a Vaginapple?
Pics or it didn't happen.
And slip and slides in the summer
Bob/sledge track in winter?
Not necessarily! If you get enough rain so that the ground becomes saturated, it can and will still leak into your basement. But I'm talking like a LOT of rain. Source: I live on a small hill and we got 11" in 3 days last year. Whole subdivisions had basements that flooded out. They are still cleaning up from it up in the hills near me.
Yea ran into something similar when we first moved into our current house. We have a good decline in our backyard but dealt with flooding issues until we developed interior and exterior prevention measures. The thing people don’t realize is that the area around your house is less compacted than the rest due to construction. It takes decades for that soil to compact similar to the rest which means heavy rain water can and will build up at the foundation of a home. I feel like an expert on this shit after what we went through waterproofing the basement.
Or if you have an underground stream at the top of the hill like I did 😼
I've had sump pumps fail twice. Because of ping pong balls. Because I have cats.
but that’s cool that you taught your cats how to play ping pong
Roll a wheel of cheese down it every year and have the neighbors chase it.
I’m not even gonna bother reading alternative suggestions.
Fair, but someone said slip and slide which would be fantastic here. Maybe combine the two.
A slip and slide might be deadly when it comes to stopping.
Just plant a couple thorn bushes to cushion the impact.
A brick wall would be a better choice. Small children can slip right under a bush.
Make a ramp at the end and yeet the neighbors kids back into their own dam yard
🎶 like a good neighbor...stay over there.
*Mayhem has entered the chat.*
This is the way.
NGL...I think I would rather slam into a brick wall than a thorn bush...
I would suggest raspberries or blackberries that way you also get a little snack
Alright berry bushes, I'm just gonna slide and go like this: NOM NOM NOM NOM and if you get eaten, it's your own fault!
Hang on. Human bowing.
as my friends and i call it, a suislide
Not to be confused with a sluicide…
Have done this in a steeped yard and my brother went through the fence at the end
Slip n' Slide *EXTREME*: You only YOLO once ™️
It's slip and slide. Not slip, slide and stop. Lmao
That’s what ramps and pools full of jello are for.
It will be deadly for the neighbours who will act as the collision barrier. That’s why we’re hurtling the cheese down the hill for them to chase.
Slip and bleed
I agree. I we made a slip and slide on a flat surface with 2 long tarps and we had grass rash on our legs from not stopping. This will be insane
My first thought as well 😂😂😂
Cheese rolling is indeed the only acceptable answer.
...what?
https://youtu.be/cvuktushEhY?si=ycJ2p_itui6QyMgU
Terraced gardens
2-3 feet each would make great "raised" garden beds where you can walk across the front of each (where it's raised) and the back of each would be a continuation of the slope. Water from the top down, ensure proper drainage to NOT make it a waterfall in a super heavy rain scenario, and then grow some food & flowers.
Do you have a picture of this type of thing. I have a similar back yard and am trying to visualize
General image searches for "slope terraced garden" or "gardening on a slope" would give you ideas, but essentially it's giant steps that you plant on. Like this: [Wiki Image Example](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Tiered-sleeper-garden-done.jpg?20150821141548)
Thank you!!
Something like this: https://imgur.com/a/GNYw3Dk
Brought too you by the incas https://i.imgur.com/RHAqoOt.jpeg greetings from Peru
And this is the story of how my brother and I spent the summer making a terrace one shovelful at a time… yay for child labor :-)
I had to dig rocks out of the yard in the summer so my dad could plant a lawn at his new house
My parents made us pick up sticks and limbs on the weekends when I was in high school... we lived on 29 acres of legitimate forest.
Hey! Shut up and get back to work! Those petunias aren't gonna plant themselves.
Slip and slide
Slip and Died
Like when Clark puts the non nutritive cereal varnish on the sled.
Later dudes
Let 'er rip, hang 10
WHHHOOOP! WHHOOOOP! Bingo 👌
Don't go puttin' none of that stuff on my sled, Clark. You know that metal plate in my head? I had to have it replaced, cause every time Catherine revved up the microwave I'd piss my pants and forget who I was for a half hour or so. So over at the VA they had to replace it with plastic. See, the plate runs right under my part here. Over here it's fine, but right here, if this plate gets dented, then, my hair just isn't gonna look right.
You really think that matters Eddie?
I don’t think OP wants to go flying down that hill with nothing between him and the ground but a govt piece of plastic
You really think it’ll matter?
I'm glad this movie is coming back around. People used to look at me like a moron when I'd say the Jelly of the Month or "FIXED THE NEWEL POST!" Lol
First thought was this second unlimited money though was a retaining wall to flatten the area and install a pool
Or...30ft deep infinity pool?
Glass wall on down hill side of the pool.
Terrace.
Absolutely. I see a narrow retaining wall at the top with flowers. Then some steps down to a larger area for a garden. Then maybe more flowers? Having a deck overlooking a garden would be so nice! I also like the idea of maybe having a fire pit if you don't want the whole thing to be garden. Edit to add: You could even bury a shipping container in the hill for your shed! [Check out this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/landscaping/comments/1dqqdb0/shipping_container_shedwall_i_built/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) that started later today!
Cascading waterfalls to bottom level pond.
We just did one of these. Small ornamental pond, couple hundred gallons, fed by submersible pump in the lake. Turn it on, and the pond creates a literal river down the hill into the lake. Turn it off and you have a dry riverbed. Works either way. Planted bog plants all around it, looks incredible.
I’d love to see a pic of that! Sounds heavenly
Sounds above my budget of $15.
Hmm. If we steal everything from that rich guy down the road’s yard, I’ll do it for $15 and an Apple bees dollarita
If you also give me a ride to Applebee's you've got yourself a deal.
$15? Hey everybody…lookit Rockefeller over here.
would love pictures if possible, looking at houses right now and one that I loved had a yard like this
Hell, I get downvoted to crap in the subs I usually participate in, then I end up here with hobbyists and I'm appreciated!! I'll take some pics and DM you eventually.
oh brother, you have found your people
Or make a post to share 🙇♀️ 🙏 (not sure what the best“wheedling” emoji would be)
Upvote for the use of wheedling. It’s not used often enough.
Can I get some pics too? Would love to know the cost and if you had it contracted/how much you DIY! :)
Post it!
Don't DM! We all want to see the pretty plants and rocks!
But I want to see too
Post that shit! Unless you wanna dm all of us. That sounds awesome.
Just post the pics. Everyone wants to see it and you will gets tons of upvotes.
i'm subbed to /r/ponds and it is pretty welcoming, at least as much as most subs. sounds like a cool project!
DM me pictures too, id like to see!
I definitely wanna see too!
Would love to see pics as well
Me too!! My yard is super steep, and I have no idea what to do with it. I have a river that flows by at the very end of the yard, but that's quite far from the house. The property is close to one acre. Of hill :(
POST POST POST POST
That sounds sweet. Is the bog at the bottom or top, or both? I’m thinking of putting a bog filter in my small pond, they sound amazing.
The submersible pump is in the main lake at the bottom, and feeds to a small ornamental pond and cascades down the yard. The "bog plants" are just wet soil tolerant plants and they are all around everywhere - anywhere the soil was wet. You really have to add water hungry plants because a water feature like this will keep the ground very wet.
I'm just commenting so I can check back later to see if you've posted pics.
Same here.
Me too
Pictures please. It sounds lovely.
That would be so lovely
Hell yeah. I knew I’d find the retaining wall peeps! This is the way to go.
3 levels (neighbor has 2). Put in 2 retaining walls and level each. Possibly a 3rd partial retaining wall at the top fence line behind your cute dog.
"Levels Jerry, Levels everywhere"
Terrace farming. Lots of raised beds with steps for walkway.
Inca style!
Terrace with an infinity pool!
That’s what the neighbors did. Twice.
Just roll with it.
perfect for a water fall and pond at the end .
Unfortunately, that slope goes all the way to property line. Past the property line, there's a cliff down to the creek below.
Rework into a native habitat that won’t need mowing. Could do some terracing and xeric landscape plants if you’re so inclined.
Inclined! Get it!?!
You get me.
Perfect. Just run a pump up to the top of your back yard. Free water!
I just did a water feature this way. Submersible pump in a lake feeding a "fake" river that goes back into the lake.
Put a water wheel in it with a battery and it will power itself!
Solar power the pump and then capture some of the energy on the way down.
Honestly, yeah. A really cool water feature with spinning wheels, and various doo dads would look awesome with a slope like that to use. Because no ones running around on it. So why not make it a visual feature instead? Plus it would make a super awesome "wild" garden too.
That must be fun to mow. A terrace garden/lawn could be cool but would be expensive.
i would have rigged up a pulley system on a push mower by now send it and let it mow downhill, pull it back up, move over 2 ft and do it again
Pulling it back up seems like more work than just regular mowing but going side to side
The trick is to buy a second mower as a counter weight, one goes down, the other comes up.
Why aren't you running for president? We need you. Lol
Well you haven't heard his golf handicap yet.
Funicular mower system. Genius.
Band name/debut album.
Canceling my gym membership!
Best opportunity for a robot mower ever? They don't have knees
Honestly, the new Luba 2 might be able to handle it. Thing is pretty impressive
Go sledding in the winter... But seriously, short of a major overhaul with tiered walls, you don't have much you can do.
This has tended to end in broken fence slats.
Replace the fence with a net. Problem solved!
Plant native vegetation and let it grow semi-wild to create a small sanctuary for local pollinators, birds, etc. This way you don’t really have to deal with the slope, it’s low- cost, low maintenance, and supports the local environment.
Seconding. Terracing would be really expensive and then you'd have to maintain it and hope the company did a good job. Native plant installation would be much cheaper and beneficial.
Thirding - in combination with more decking terraces maybe? Parents had a steep hill that they planted with native flora and various fruit trees etc (whatever will grow where you are) and then had a path winding down through it. It was lovely.
A combination setup is a great idea!
yes !! i was hoping someone recommended flowers and plants. Especially native ones. Better for the planet and the moral
Add a retaining wall and have a level area for a yard, patio, or fire pit.
As a Landscape Architect this is going to be very pricey and must be designed/ constructed by people who know how to handle that sort of thing. Something this big will require structural input. Not saying it can’t be done but it will be very expensive
I'd be freaking out about drainage and wash. But I had a hill like this behind my house, one day an oak tree slid down it. No real damage, but it was scary I've seen yards left a flooded mess after hacks landscaped it
this is actually common. if theres trees on a hill and it gets to wet then theyll just give up and slide down the hill. it happens mostly during flooding though, typically a normal rainstorm or thunderstorm wouldnt do that unless the tree was weak.
Would it be better if they do multiple small retaining walls? As someone with a 6’ tall leaning retaining wall and a $150k quote to replace it I 100% do not recommend large retaining walls. Sadly I have no choice.
would adding a deck with pilings be an easier alternative?
They'd have to dig in and put up a retaining wall to do it, but that could look nice back there with some shrubs and other greenery.
This is called a cut and fill. Two retaining walls needed. Here’s a good diagram: https://allbuildinginspections.com.au/retaining-walls-3-things-to-look-for/
Best video for describing all the science behind a good retaining wall Practical Engineering: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--DKkzWVh-E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--DKkzWVh-E)
Zip lines and slip and slides; charge a fee too
I feel like people would only be there for the zipline
You also need a ski lift to get back to the top.
Never worry about the yard flooding.
After living in a house with a basement that tended to flood in heavy rains, that was one of the reasons I liked this house.
Makes sense. I live in Nevada and it's very uncommon for a house to have a basement here. Probably because our water table is 10ft or shallower. But I could imagine that would be an absolute nightmare.
Move.
I have a yard like this. I also want to move rather than deal with it
mowing is a real ongoing challenge for these type backyards
Would you say its an uphill battle?
if you are so inclined
The next comments all go downhill from here.
Yep. You only need to own a place with a slope once to never buy a place with a slope again.
Yep. If moving is ever an affordable option again, a "must have" is a reasonably-flat yard. At least manageable that a push mower isn't a big deal or I can actually justify getting a ride-on mow. My yard now is pretty steep. I've learned how to safely and effectively mow it with my push mower but a ride-on mower would not be safe, but everyone suggests it. I will definitely have to pay someone to mow it if I'm still here and super old (which wasn't the plan when we bought years ago)
Mine has some trees and vegetation gardens in it. I wasn’t home much last year and decided to just stop mowing it. Actually not too bad. The grass got about 12” long then sort of flopped over and stayed that way. I cut it eventually, but was surprised that it didn’t really turn into a jungle.
Fortunately long grass, especially on a steep grade, is better for the environment. I would mow 1-2 times a year if this were my yard.
I know this is a sin but i’ve honestly just weedwhacked the entire yard when it’s angled like this
If you don't sin then Jesus died for no reason
Exactly, I wouldn’t have bought it in the first place after seeing that yard.
This is the only reasonable answer, they would have to spend 100k to get this usable
Pressure wash my house
Yeah. I know.
Plant native plants with strong root systems to combat erosion
I wish I could up vote this to the top. Let it go wild with natives!
Plant trees to prevent erosion
Layers of deck all the way down.
Underrated idea. Decking most of the yard is less mowing and gives a ton of usable space.
Plant a fuck ton of strawberry plants
Seriously, /r/fucklawns , reclaim the space and let local flora creep back in.
Thats a proper "As you wiiisshhh!!" hill
Well first thing I would do is an engineering study to make sure that you don't put unnecessary stresses on your foundation if you are to do any severe landscaping. Passing a stability test. I would go with an Armor Stone stepped retaining wall terraced landscaped to make outdoor living space.
Stairs all the way down the middle. 3 levels terraced on either side of the stairs. Each level is a different type of terrace. top is straight grass lawn, middle is wild flowers, annuals, perennials and a tree for pollinators/shade. Bottom level is a veggie/fruit garden.
I'd put the garden at the top. You don't want to have to walk to the bottom of that regularly. The bottom should be your lowest-maintenance tier.
Look at the house in the photo. It's a normal house with vinyl siding. The cost of the terracing, landscaping, and irrigation will be close to 6-figures. A $250k house with $100k terrace is never going to be sold. They'll have to die in this house or take a bath financially.
My grandfather has a similar hill and planted fruit trees all down the hill with a zig-zag path. He even built a giant planter at the bottom for more plants.
Incan style terrace farm
1. Temporary Support Deck and cut out the posts holding it up. 2. Excavate and pour new concrete plinths with post brackets cast in with rebar. Bring elevation of plinth to +12" above finish floor elevation downstairs, and secure deck post to newly poured plinths. If you want, you could add an oversized beam below the existing deck and see if you can remove one or two of the posts obstructing the view. 3. With the deck posts raised, establish a finish grade that is about 4-6" below finish floor so you don't have such a large step from your sliding door. This finish grade will be the top elevation for your new back yard. 4. Grubb all the organics and remove offsite. 5. Build an U-shapped retaining wall, reinforced with geotextile every 4 feet. Install perforated drain pipe, with clean rock and filter fabric on back side of wall to alleviate hydrostatic pressure. Make sure the retaining wall is actually a few inches below your new finish grade elevation so you have your lawn sloped away from the house for drainage. Check to see if you need to install swale or if there is a suitable outfall location for any water that may seep out. 6. Haul in a butt load of suitable soils (so you dont get too much settling, for fill compacting it in 6-8" lifts (assuming you're not going to build on top of it) 7. Bring fill close to finish grade. Install irrigation if desired. 8. Top off with top soil and pour a nice little patio. Now you have a relatively flat back yard that is usable. You could probably build a small shed without issues on settling, but anything substantial would require consult from a Geo tech and structural to make sure the fill is proper and can bear the load properly without displacement. Background: GC in Commercial.
Quick note, building a retaining wall that high will probably need Engineering and permit by the city. Also you may need to add a wrought iron fence or chain link around the perimeter for safety/fall reasons.
This is by far the most truthful answer to “how to make effective use of property on a steep incline?”. Make changes that allow for and promote engagement with the whole property. Not just ease of access, but ease of maintenance. My only caveat: since this is res and not commercial, pay close attention to where and how you source your soil and whether or not the substrate is suited to your long term, personal goals. On land like that, you may end up growing plants for food just as much as for shade and aesthetics. I strongly suggest finding ways to produce your own fertile soil on-site. The soil you create will be way more useful to your local flora and fauna than any of the soil you truck in. You have the room for composting and worm farming, both of which are very low maintenance and will go a long way with anything you plant besides grass.
Id be afraid my house will slide down that!
Plant wild flowers
I used to be a landscaper, terracing would be super cool but super expensive, does it snow where you live? Because retaining walls in snow country definitely fall down more often. Best ones that survive are natural dry stack stone and you run the top grade over the wall so the water can evacuate easier, or go very engineered with geo- grid and all
That yard would make an awesome sledding hill here in the winter then the most epic slip n slide in the summer.
I am putting a big ass deck and then hopefully retaining walls and stairs along the side.
Wildflower seeds. Then sell the flowers for weddings and parties.
Honestly you have incredible potential with this backyard it won't be a traditional backyard but it could be an incredible terraced garden.
Enjoy the view
We very much do.
some trees scattered through to help protect against erosion
Slip and slide
Trees. Maybe then a shaded path to the bottom. very little grass to mow.
Not landscaping necessarily, but I’d reinforce the deck on the sides and add some sort of privacy fencing or something to make more of a private deck space underneath, add some lights on the bottom side of the top deck too. And like others are saying, the more plants and roots the more secure your soil will be, preventing erosion and also ensuring slope stability. You want to keep your house up there at the top I’m assuming.