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Sloped Yard Landscape Design

New home on slope

Do you have a large hill or slope in your yard? You may be thinking “how do I design a landscape for a sloped yard?”. It’s very common for homes to have changing grades and elevations on their lot, also known as slopes, in the front yard or backyard. Having a sloped yard isn’t a bad thing; it typically means your house has a higher elevation or you have a walkout basement. However, it can be tricky deciding how to landscape your yard if you have a significant slope. Working with a team of professional landscape designers can help you turn your sloped yard into a useable outdoor space.

Some common challenges with a sloped yard are decreased flat areas for seating or playing, it’s harder to walk on and more difficult to maintain the grass. If your yard has a significant slope, you may also struggle with proper drainage and the risk of erosion! Another common issue with slopes is water drainage, your neighbours around you may have varying slopes that create drainage issues in your yard.

Sloped Backyard Landscaping

How To Create Useable Space In A Sloped Yard

Based on the grades in your yard, here are a few ideas for creating more useable space with a sloped property:

  1. If your yard slopes away from your house drastically, retaining walls can be built and backfilled behind to raise and/or level the area. However, based on the degree of the slope and location, further engineering may be required to ensure the walls stability. Decks and landings can also be built to cantilever over the sloped area, essentially maintaining the existing slope below while also creating single to multiple tiers of living space. Again, based on the degree of the slope, further engineering and building permits may be required to achieve this.
  2. If your yard slopes towards your home, retaining walls can be built to cut the earth back to create a more level living area, as well as ensure proper drainage away from the home. Other options for homes with slopes include utilizing existing grades – as long as water still drains away from the home – to create tiered living areas and various “destinations’ throughout the yard.

Backyard Pool

Landscape Features For A Sloped Yard

Some landscape-feature ideas for sloped yards include:

  1. Decks
  2. Landscaping tiers
  3. Stairs
  4. Destination at the bottom
  5. Versatile vantage point

Contact an MPS designer today to design a landscape for your sloped yard!

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