Backyard help!! Need Ideas

15 years ago

We have an odd shaped lot (1.17ac.) it is triangular. The majority of our land is on the left side(if facing the house.) But the further to the left the more angular the property goes. And we are quite set back from the road which is nice and private.

THe problem is mostly the backyard - its very closed in..

We have a VERY large deck and then there is a steep hill, and a flat wooded area above the hill. Approximately 20+ ft beyond the top of the hill is ours. It is angled so the right side goes back much farther than 20ft.

We originally wanted to clear the hill and part of the woods and build a retaining wall. We aren't sure what we want and so we have been waiting to get some quotes

The other option would be to create steps that would lead to a cleared upper tier of the yard. I was thinking of maybe still clearing a little of the hill and making a raised bed/retaining wall. And since removing all the trees and such - the tier shouldn't be as large as it is now -I think?

Any opinions on these options. We are open to any advice/suggestions anyone may have. We are DIY'ers when we can. I am not sure which one of these options would be the least expensive either. But unfortunately neither of them are DIY - except maybe taking the trees down?? still a lot.

If anyone has any pics of "tiered yards like the one I described above I would appreciate any pics for inspiration. I have looked on the net but mostly see small tiered gardens. As you can see in the pics we have started clearing a lot of pines out so far to make room.

Pics of backyard:The closer area in the picture has more land behind it. The further you get past the deck it angles in.

View of back deck - well is by the right bottom corner of this pic.

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View from other side - this is the side that is narrowist by the corner of the house - still a decent amount on the other side of those pines.

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Most of our property is on the side - here is an old picture - many of the trees have started to be cleared in this area as well. Out property on the side goes beyond the cleared area in the middle.

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I can try and take some better pictures tomorrow.

Please help - I would like to have some ideas on my own before we call for some estimates.

Ruth

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Comments (8)

bullthistle
15 years ago
Why bother with a retaining wall? You might want to take the stumps out because you could get sucker growth worse then what you cut down. Get some stones/boulders and bury them into the soil and plant perennials and some woody plants. Don't know what your sun exposure is but if cutting down some of the trees on top to let some sun in all the better.
roorezzi
Original Author
15 years ago
We get afternoon sun.

We really want to clear some more area in the back. It feels so closed in - so that is why either we are considering excavating the hill and putting in a retaining wall - or doing the tiered yard.
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Both Oakleaf hydrangea and Bottlebrush buckeye can handle sun and shade, though they may need more water in sunnier conditions (and especially the year you plant them, when they are getting their roots established.) You are correct that the oak will cast some shade when mature, but that will be years down the road, so you could definitely get started with some fruits and veggies now, and worry about shade later. I'm also in 7b, and I've had luck this year growing strawberries and figs, and understand that blackberries/raspberries also do well in this zone. Blueberries can be tricky because they love cold winters. Another native shrub,American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), LOVES sun and grows tons of magnificent magenta berries. The birds will love them in the fall, and/or you can pick them to make jelly (they are a bit bland right off the bush). (By the way, I made some plant names link to articles about their growing conditions, one my screen it shows up as green text that I can click) Butterflies will love species like Phlox paniculata, Mountain Mint (genus Pycnanthemum), and Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), plus many others. If you see butterflies on flowers while you shop for plants at a local nursery or botanical garden, that's a pretty good endorsement that they'll like it planted in your yard too. Your oak will also be great for attracting butterflies, since many of their baby caterpillars eat oak leaves (usually minimal so you don't notice, especially once the oak gets tall). American beautyberry in fruit: Painted Lady butterfly on my blue mistflower last fall:
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stevega
15 years ago
It looks like you have identified what you want-to feel less closed in. You can remove the "unwanted" trees (and stumps)in the area above the slope (you may want to keep a few specimens). I agree with bullthistle, the slope does not appear to be drastic enough to require a retaining wall, plus that would add to the feeling of enclosure. Bury boulders, make a nice stepped path to the cleared area. If you plan to have a lawn in the cleared area, make sure to include access for a lawnmower.
It looks like you have a great site to modify and keep it natural and relaxing looking.
karinl
15 years ago
It's odd, but there are some things for which the internet just doesn't match books. I suspect a few books or magazines on landscaping or on wall-building will net you more information than the net. Maybe it's that it is tough to search for pictures, since they don't often have enough words associated with them.

Anyway, I think the points already made are good ones. Perhaps you also need to think about wall materials; after all you will be looking at that wall very much. Is there any material you would want to be faced with all the time, or would other options - sloped lawn? rock garden on the slope? - be more pleasing to you? There is a thread around here somewhere about gardening on a hill - a search might find it. That would help you think about what the hill could look like and what process and maintenance would be involved.

KarinL
Frankie_in_zone_7
15 years ago
Try taking a photo with your back to your house wall, and looking out to the hill and woods.

Does the deck itself contribute in part to the enclosure--do you need the back rail along the whole length, or could you blend a long step into the hillside? Or maybe instead, the rail helps lift your eye up and is less confining--I don't know.

In general I can't tell how much open feeling you'll get by clearing the top of the hill as opposed to pushing back the lower part of the slope so your "flat" area extends a bit farther from the deck; and if there's any way you can get that same feeling without actually excavating a lot.
roorezzi
Original Author
15 years ago
stevega - the top of the hill is over 5ft from the flat area - I am 5 ft and it is taller than me when I stand on the flat areas. I guess the retaining wall would be more so if we decided to excavate the hill.

Frankie - I will try an take that picture tomorrow - I do think that the railing is holding us in - but we don;t want to redo the deck until we have a better idea if we are clearning the hill or not.

I want to be able to walk out the sliding glass door and right onto the deck and I was thinking more about something that was more of a platform with some wide step areas or steps spanning the entire platform. Maybe curving around when we first go out the door and opening more to grass and have the deck more to the left. (does that make sense?)

I agree that I am not sure what will make it more open -but I just want to feel like I am utilizing more areas of the yard. My husband was thinking about one of the boulder walls - if we did something like that.

I wonder if clearing the top area and taking out the stumps will lower it a lot and then we can have a slight grassy hill up to cleared area. Have it be much more slight.

Thanks for all your ideas and comments.
Ruth
timbu
15 years ago
A path sounds like a good idea. Where would it lead? What would you like to see at the end of a path?
My friend in Sweden has a cliff in his backyard - big solid mass of granite going higher than his roof. On top of the cliff, the previous owner had built a kids' play house - now used as a guest bedroom (the guests have to climb a ladder to reach it). Kind of a fun arrangement.
Saypoint zone 6 CT
15 years ago
Keep in mind where the afternoon sun is if you clear a lot of trees out. It might make the heat there unbearable.

Backyard help!! Need Ideas

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bullthistle

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Backyard help!! Need Ideas

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bullthistle

roorezziOriginal Author

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stevega

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Frankie_in_zone_7

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timbu

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roorezzi
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roorezzi
Original Author