Terracing (sp.?) is hard work. We have a very steep hill in our back yard which is still a work in progress. I have just planted there without creating terraces. I have a several trees (Nellie Stevens hollies and dogwoods), azaleas, mountain laurel, and plenty of weeds at this point. I plan to clean it out and fill in with smaller things like hostas, but I definitely want things that don't require a lot of upkeep since the hill is difficult to navigate, especially as I get older! Nonetheless, if you are willing to put in the hours, terraces would be really nice. Railroad ties should work and would look nice with plants tumbling over them. In fact, once you finish there, feel free to head here!!! :)

Is there any easy way to determine if its too wet at the roots? I usually give the plant a good soaking once a week and by the next watering the container feels fairly light. The potting mix is just the basic miracle grow potting mix which had worked well for my indoor herbs (basil, oregano, chives etc) in the past. Also, if the roots being too wet is the problem, what would be a good potting mix for this? I cant find much info on the soil type for chamomile other than well draining. Would adding some perlite or sand to this mix suffice, or should I repot the plant with a new mix? This post was edited by Sureshot2 on Thu, Sep 18, 14 at 19:55

I was in a very similar situation a couple years ago. I wanted a midcentury modern home but it had to be in a specific area. Prices were still depressed at that time, but I knew they were bound to increase soon. I had been watching a home online that was built by one of my favorite 1950's architects. I had seen black and white pics of the house from the 50's and it was beautiful then. Unfortunately, the previous owners had altered much of the architecture. The price was much too high. When the price decreased significantly, the realtor and I went to look at it. It had also been abandoned for 10 yrs. There was major water damage EVERYWHERE. The ceiling ballooned out all over the place. The patio overhang and soffit had areas of rot. The carpet had water damage. The realtor and I walked out laughing that anyone would think they could sell the house for the asking price (which was still above my budget). We looked at more homes, but the bones of these homes did not compare to the damaged home. The home had walls of glass, amazing views of the city and mountains and in my opinion had great potential. When I wanted to make an offer on it, the realtor was shocked. He tried to talk me out of it. But I felt it was a matter of time before I was priced out of this area and despite the terrible condition of the home, it had other things going for it. Before making an offer, we had a roofer look at the roof. Like your roof, it had been replaced in the last 10 yrs. All I can figure is that no one had bothered to repair the extensive drywall damage. The exterior soffit damage was from condensation in AC vents (yes- they had AC on the patio!). After haggling with the bank (shortsale), I finally got the house. I remember that night thinking, WHAT HAVE I DONE? The house has taken extensive investment. It is not done, and because of the expense, I am taking my time with it. I did put in new floors, new roof, new electrical, new kitchen, drywall, opened the floorplan up, etc. The house just appraised for much higher than I paid. If I were you, I would have a roofer look at the roof to verify it is intact. Try to get a contractor out there also to give you his/her opinion on the source of the water damage elsewhere and his worst cost estimate. Think about the WORST possible outcome with the water damage and decide if you are willing to pay this for the house. I was fortunate that for my house the water damage, although it looked awful, was negligible for cost. If you really want the house, repairing the issues may be worth it. Dont forget that other things might need repair/replacing - HVAC system, etc.

I am coming to the party late and skimming replies so this might be repeat. I caught Biondanonima's recommendation to skip the weed barrier/landscape fabric and "second" that this is good advice. As she says, weed roots grow through it, locking it to the ground but doing nothing to stop weeds. While the "surprise" plants might be welcome when they come, they might not be the basis of a good design unless they are in sufficient quantity. It would be hard to predict how you might use unknown things. Maybe you can get these plants identified and quantified and then someone might be able to calculate how they might be used. Keep in mind that too many different things, randomly organized, can make the yard end up looking like a junk repository. If we were to "dissect" what architectural element (floor, ceiling, wall, furniture, etc.) would be the most important in creating a nice finished product out of this slope, it would be a FLOOR. With that element alone you could have a pleasant, serene looking space. (Some walls and ceiling -- tree canopy, retaining wall and fence -- are already in place.) While a floor ALONE might not create the highest glory, it is the beginning. I suggest you begin with a groundcover that is low (so as not to feel oppressive to the adjacent spaces) and does well for your area. If it was evergreen that would be a "plus" but whether you can have it that way depends on where you are. In addition to a groundcover, other plants will help add more interest, but it's hard to make much in the way of specific recommendations because we cannot see a cohesive total scene or a "to scale" plan of the area. I suggest you draw a simple plan showing the existing major elements. To show a complete scene, place the camera at a central position opposing the scene, and then take a series of slightly overlapping photos that pan the scene from one end to the other. In addition to a groundcover, it's likely that most other plants will be placed at the back of the scene, not the foreground. There is no point to screening the back of the scene, which presumably you will make look good, with taller plants placed at the front. Other plants, if they are single, must be large enough if they are to captivate an audience. If they are not large enough on their own, they must be in groups that are large enough. Having small, unrelated plants does not make a nice scene. Unless you are creating a "wall" (hedge) as a backdrop, avoid placing plants in lines. It usually doesn't look good. Instead, place them in masses/blocks.