If your backyard has a sloping pitch and you are at a loss as to how to landscape it, then this guide will help you out. It might seem like a difficult problem to handle, but it can actually create lots of interesting design ideas that a normal, flat yard wouldn't be able to accommodate.

Front Your Retaining Wall With Decorative Rocks

If your current retaining wall is made of old, pressure treated wood, or bland cinder blocks, then spice it up by adding a decorative facade. You can either have fieldstone brought in and laid out, or you could choose a precast stone façade to go over the current wall. The advantage to a precast façade is that they go up much quicker than a fieldstone façade. With individual fieldstones, the stonemason will need to fit each stone and then mortar them together. The precast stone façade can be placed in complete sections right up against your current retaining wall.

Choose Plants That Prevent Soil Erosion

You should also choose plants that will hold the earth tightly with their roots and prevent soil erosion. For ground cover you should look at autumn sage or common yarrow. The sage has a beautiful fragrance and the yarrow produces beautiful tiny white flowers.

Gravel And Flagstone Pavers For A Seating Area

If you have an area that does not have an extreme pitch then you can set up a seating area.  It's best to create a foundation that will allow water to drain through. This will prevent water from pooling up in the low corner. For this reason you should avoid a poured concrete or brick foundation. Instead, lay a bed of sand and then top it with gravel and lay flagstone pavers on top of the gravel. The rain will seep right through the gravel and you won't have large puddles.

Connect The Upper and Lower Sections With A Precast Stone Stairway

If you want to really create a dramatic effect, then have a contractor come in and cut out a space in your retaining wall for a precast stone stairway. This will visually divide the yard into two sections, and will give you a beautiful staircase as a focal point. You could arrange for the upper section of the yard to have the seating area and for the lower area to have the garden. You could also set potted plants to either side of the steps.

To learn more, contact a company like Harristone Pre-Cast - Merrillstone Natural Stone Products - G. S. Harris Co., Inc.