I'm doing some second-guessing here, but it seems that you must get stormwater from the back yard to the front. Since the former french drain is non-functional, I'm wondering if you can change it to a slot-covered trough drain that collects water at the critical places and then directs it via underground pipe to an outlet somewhere toward the front yard... ?? Since you won't be hiring a hydraulic engineer, I would lean toward keeping it oversized... thinking about those big storms and the fact that drains tend to collect "stuff" and become clogged. 4" pipe is too small. 6" or a pair of them would be better. (If you can figure a way to keep it above ground, even better.) The exact details of how you constructed it would depend much on how the plan shapes up and what else you're constructing. Being as it's your own yard and your doing it on the cheap, you might even consider constructing a removable slotted grate made of treated wood. It wouldn't last like other materials, but you could get a few years out of it. In regards to planting on the hill, I'd be in favor of getting rid of all grass, thinking it's not fun to maintain, creating instead a solid small flowering tree canopy that would be limbed up with a high ceiling. Below it, a single, solid groundcover. Trees that come to mind would be redbud or saucer magnolia, with a preference for the former. 5 trees in a double staggered row (3 at back, 2 at front would do it.) A super cheap groundcover would be virginia creeper as you can find it everywhere and start your own cuttings. It's pest free and grows about 12" tall. You'd be able to incorporate other plants at edges, once some shade is up and running, and in the sunny areas.

alabamanicole said: :.. relieve some pain points when mowing -- there are a couple of nasty slopes." "I am thinking of long shallow "steps" made with landscaping timbers" These issues of grade modification should be worked out first, since all that follows will be dependant on it. The use of a series of timbers in a stepped arrangement will be difficult to transition to the areas of original grade and would be very tedious to mow and maintain. It is the transition of the modified areas to the drive and house foundation/walls that is the most difficult in this case. Ordinarily, to lessen a steep slope one lowers the highest grade and fills the lower grades. But here the highest grade abuts the drive and a sheer drop at the drive edge would not be wise. Also grade changes at the house perimeter may not fit with the foundation footer and brick exterior. Another consideration of cost is to balance the amount of soil removed from one area to match the fill in another area. I suggest you plan the area in back of the house along with the plans for the front. I think it likely that any plan will result in extra soil needed for the front and the place to get it is in the back. Below is one of perhaps many plans that might satisfy your goals. It includes a new plant bed in front of the porch and a retaining wall further out. Note that there is some grade transition at the west edge of the new planter bed to match drive grade and little grade transition needed where the retaining wall nears the drive.

To me, it seems as there is less conflict in it now. Still, I am bugged to bits by the landing area of the steps. The landing area seems compromised and it's relationship to lawn seems like an upside down prioritization. In general, I think hardscape is dominant and planting is subordinate. One should make the landing be what it needs to be and make the lawn adapt to it. It may be more evident if you remove the lawn from the picture and replace it with the grey stuff that you have everywhere else. Then one ends up wondering why the landing is the way it is. At least, I do. It looks suddenly malformed and shrunken. At another location, the way the stone path passes by the last "block" (surrounding fire pit) on its way to the back door seems awkward. At ground level it creates a small triangle of whatever-the-grey-stuff is. (Gravel?) The small triangle should be eliminated.

So long as the walk reaches the beginning and end destinations you can build anything you like. But when the scheme of hardscape starts working against the lay of the land, the cost usually starts climbing rapidly. I can see that some curvature is possible, but not of the gently descending nature as in the picture you recently added. We always like to break runs of steps up with some landings to make them more appealing and user-friendly. But if the lay of land isn't cooperative, the cost might radically skyrocket. Maybe we should start out with the budget. Is it $15K or $30K? EDIT: I'm returning to add, we can only see one view and that could be misleading. Maybe the slope is less severe than it looks. The possibilities and end price will depend on what is actually there, in addition to what you do. If the picture is at all misleading, you might want to update the thread with new information.