Design Ideas for a Backyard With a Steep Hill

Terraced Patio

• Installing terraced patios on the slope takes advantage of the hill. Unless you are an experienced landscaper or contractor, hire a professional to complete the job ensuring that the structures are safe. Start with the largest terrace on the bottom and make them smaller as you go up. Place a lounge chair on one of the upper levels, a card table on the middle and a dining set on the bottom level.

Natural Terraces

• Create natural levels down the side of your backyard hill for a terraced look that is just for show. Reinforce the each terrace's edge with cement forms, stone walls or wooden holding walls. For a natural look, leave the top of each terrace grassy. For a lower-maintenance design, cover each terrace with small landscaping pebbles.

Stairs

• Create a strong visual impact in your back yard with stairs. Stairs can bisect the hill or run along the side. Choose a construction material that fits with your home's design. Consider stones for a fairytale feeling or use wooden stairs for a beach house or a traditional home. The stairs might wind around the hill's surface or head straight down connecting with a walkway on the top or bottom.

Wild Garden

• Planting your hill with a variety of bushes gives your back yard the look of a wild garden growing right up to the house. Hire a landscaping professional to analyze the type of soil and choose plants that will not slide down the hill because of shallow root systems. A professional will choose a reinforcing method like erosion-control netting and organize plants and irrigation systems to work with the natural character of the hill.