Ideas for Terracing

Mini-Step Garden

• For a small slope, creating a set of natural steps and surrounding them with mini-gardens can turn a boring and barren slope into a thing of beauty. Set stone steps into the slope by digging a set of small earth ledges and placing flagstones on top. Stagger or curve the path for a more natural look. Every 3 feet, create a terraced mini-garden by digging into the slope and creating a flat area to plant. Edge the mini-terrace gardens with stone that matches the steps. Plant a mix of flowers that bloom in each season.

Vegetable Terraces

• A functional terraced vegetable garden is visually pleasing and provides a bountiful harvest. Step each terrace up 2 feet from the last, building a front edge for each with landscape timbers set into the ground with re-bar. Dig down to create the terraced beds or build up by adding the timbers and filling with soil behind them. Plant a variety of vegetables, staggering the height for visual effect, or plant each bed with one type of vegetable for a neat, symmetrical look.

Container Terraces

• For a flat space, you can create a terraced look and provide an enclosed area by using containers planted with flowers and greenery. Use a shelf-type system that places a center level at the highest point you want your terrace wall. You can set concrete blocks and a wood plank to make a high perch for this level. Place another level about 18 inches down below the highest shelf on both sides, back and front, so the terraced wall is visually pleasing on both sides. Finally, position another one 18 inches below. You will also use the ground as your bottom level. Place planted containers, either boxes or a mix of pots on each shelf, making a cascade of plants all the way down on both sides.

Terracing Hardscapes

• You can terrace a slope without planting a thing if growing vegetation is not your goal. Create a meandering waterfall down the slope by building a small pond at the top and trenching a water run below it. Fill the trench with a liner and cover with natural rocks for an attractive and musical water feature. You can terrace large rocks at intervals up a slope and alternate sizes between; for instance, use large rocks as a barrier and fill a terraced space with smaller rocks before moving to the next level.