You have a very nice natural looking area.

Below is what I did with my steps, I had to go for something sturdy instead of keeping it more natural. I'm up there at least once a week including when steps are wet or frosted and feel no danger of slipping or falling.
You may not be able to tell but there is 2 6x6x24 inch landscaping timbers per step. I figured 12x24 inches is big enough for anyones foot. Look near the top you can see 2 per step. I anchored each timber with 2 foot rebar on both ends. I used 4 8-foot timbers and sealed the ends of them with marine varnish once cut in 24 inch lengths.I put myoporum along the edges as I have it elsewhere also. The block retaining walls were already there but I have raised them.
There used to be just 1 railroad tie per step but they started to rot away and too much erosion.
I think your aussie will just wear away the flagstone and soil and any groundcover in between.

{{gwi:531886}}

Have you thought about terracing the slope with the stairs? It would be labor intensive now, but if you remain in this home through your older years, you will find it easier to tend to the plantings. And it would eliminate the problem of erosion. My dogs love the terraces I created in my 40's & 50's and now in my 70's, so do I!
Beyond that suggestion, pictures of both yards are lovely.

gobluedjm, your hillbank and steps are very nice. I am a little worried about our dog being pretty hard on any groundcover. If I can just get it to establish, then it's not such a big deal. He runs up the steps about 3 maybe 4 times a day, so it's not persistently, just when he hears or smells coyotes out behind our property (it's an 80 acre abandoned orange orchard.) Barb, we did think about terracing, but we'd have to tear out some much established vegetation that it was just not worth it. We went with pathways, instead. Just way, way too much work and money, and loss of established plants.

Patty S.

Patty, maybe along the edges on your steps you could put some temporary inexpensive fencing until it gets established. Maybe a few stakes with wire or rope.
You might look at the site below for ideas.
Putting the steps in really was just a couple hours.

I understand about the wild animals...I have them also.

Here is a link that might be useful: stepables

Your yard is beautiful.

My father-in-law used railroad ties, and they have lasted a while. Not as pretty as yours, though.

I have been able to grow both Elfin and Wooly Thyme between flagstones. They take the heat well, whereas the dichondra I grow from seed dies off for much of the year.

Renee

Hoosier: You might consider edging the walkways with rocks. I'd go with some that are about cantaloupe-sized. You may already have a pile of them somewhere on your property. Or broken concrete, for that matter. If you can't make terraces, planting a few boulders on the hillside might be one way to control erosion. For groundcovers, you could try some of the succulent sedums with the tiny leaves. Some of these don't need full sun or much water, for that matter.

It looks like you have a Mediterranean theme in mind, so in keeping with that you could plant sempervivum here and there on your slope. I think it would look great growing from the vertical surfaces between your steps.

gobluedjm , good idea about using some temp fencing on the steps until the ground cover can get established. And I forgot mention the REAL wild animals - we have a huge bunny problem. We're slowly fencing off with snake fencing (have a few of those, too, along with an entire condo complex of ground squirrels, but surprisingly, no gophers.) Once we get the perimeter surrounded with snake fence, we should be able to keep the critters to a minimum, and I can actually grow things beside the stuff they absolutely won't touch (hence the limited plant palette.) Thanks for the web site, too, great site. And Renee, I was considering using some sort of Thyme, so I will definately look into that as an option. As well browse through the Stepables web site.

Patty S.

www.myspace.com/artisticdesignconcepts)..
This was on craigslist and has some good ideas.