It's always a bit sad to see grade problems that came with a new house because the builder didn't want to fix them in the first place. Whenever shopping for a house, Always buy one where the grade drains away from the foundation walls, not toward them.

Don't know where you are, but for starters I'd be looking for a plant that spreads with underground root parts, or is viney and spreads by rooting wherever it touches the ground. Maybe you already have such a plant in the mix, I can't tell. Or maybe what you have could be divided so that it becomes solid more quickly, which is always the goal with groundcover. It's necessary because it is part of what keeps weeds out of the bed. This project will be much easier (and I think much better looking) if you have a SINGLE groundcover covering bank. A mixture that looks like odds and ends, just looks messy ... especially with weeds. If this were in Atlanta, I would consider English Ivy as a possible groundcover as it has many good qualities. But as with most groundcovers, one MUST learn how to control its edge. I don't know where you are so have no specific plant recommendations.

Besides learning to control the edge of a groundcover, one MUST keep the weeds out, and here, it looks like the weed-free ship has sailed! This creates problems of such magnitude that, often, it's almost better to start over from scratch. If a commitment to keep a groundcover area weed free is not made at the outset and maintained diligently, the battle will never be won.

Let's ascertain ... what groundcover plant is there now, and does it have the ability to be divided so a solid groundcover can be created?

Peggy, where are you and what zone? What are the light levels like? Like Yardvaark, I would use a dense groundcover, and I would add a good layer of mulch of the most textured variety available (so it will knit together and stay put a bit better) to keep down weeds while the plants fill in. I did that in one spot on my zone 5 property in full sun, but won't suggest plants that may not work in your area. I haven't replaced the mulch in recent memory since the plants now totally shade the area. I weed once in late spring and once in the fall, and since there are few weeds, it only takes a half hour or so each time. I agree that an edging that works with the particular planting you have done is important.

I live in Pennsylvania - am about an hour northwest of Pittsburgh (not sure what zone that is). The lighting varies along the length of the hillside, with shade from the house and a couple of tall trees. Toward the front, there might be about 6 hours per day. The back gets 8 or more. I'm not sure about the use solely of ground cover for this slope. It's a very large area (maybe not well depicted in the photos). It seems it may need something to add a little more interest?

Hi! I would consider installing a retaining wall at what looks like approximately 10' away from the house so that you can "swale" the grade below the wall (between the wall and the house). The grade below the wall should direct water towards the street. The grade should be corrected here before you do any plantings. The grade between the wall and the home should slope away from BOTH the wall and the home so that there is a low area (not as dramatic as a 'ditch') that directs water towards the street. If there is still a slope above the wall, then you can plant on that slope. Hope this helps!

Thanks, Tom, for your thoughts. I'm not sure that we want to get into the expense of a retaining wall. There have been a few comments about water. We've not run into any problems with water, though, and have been in the house for twelve years.

Peggy, in order for people here to understand it, you need to convey the scope of the project by showing the total scene, in a single connected span. To do this, since the area wraps around the house, you'd need to stand exactly at the corner of the house, next to it, where you can see, when looking both ways, all the groundcover area. Begin by shooting the far left of the scene (part of the house will show in the picture) and then pan the camera rightward, taking slightly overlapping shots until you have captured the far right end of the scene (where another part of the house will show in the picture.) Post all the pictures and then we can SEE for ourselves how large the area is and if there are special conditions that should be discussed.

Just to put in 2 cents, since you said "I'm not sure about the use solely of ground cover for this slope. It's
a very large area (maybe not well depicted in the photos). It seems it
may need something to add a little more interest?":

It looks like there are two somewhat distinct areas - one adjacent to the patio and the other alongside the house where there's probably not much traffic. I would go with a solid groundcover along the side where you won't be looking at it much. You could have more variety next to the patio where you'll have more of a chance to enjoy it (and are more likely to notice the weeds and stay on top of them).