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How to Landscape A Hill (or Uneven Ground) with Awesome Results

Whether you’re wondering how to landscape a hill or what to do with your uneven ground, we’ve got some ideas for you! From terracing to bespoke garden designs, and more. Not every garden comes perfectly flat and ready for landscaping. In fact, in Brisbane much of the topography is hilly, with even the CBD partially elevated by Taylor Range. We also have the D’Aguilar Range, Mount Gravatt, Whites Hills, Mount Ommaney and more. This hilly topography means that many, many of us living in Brisbane and the surrounding areas will be working with sloped spaces in our gardens. And this comes with its own unique set of challenges… and opportunities. So, how do you landscape a hill or uneven ground and still achieve awesome results? Let’s dive in! sloped-garden-design

How to Landscape A Hill (or Uneven Ground) with Excellent Results

Utilise Terraces

When it comes to how to landscape a hill, terraces are one of the oldest landscaping solutions in the world. Ancient peoples have used this technique to make better use of fertile land and enable themselves to grow on hillsides for centuries. And it will work equally well in your own home garden. With this technique your goal is to create multiple level surfaces out of the hillside. You can do this in two ways.
  1. Excavation – where you cut a series of terraces into the side of the slope.
  2. Infilling – where you fill in an area to make it level.
In each case, you’ll need to build a retaining wall at the base of each terrace to support it and prevent the soil from eroding. And with the infilling option, you’ll also need to ensure you have enough soil on hand to fill the space. But once that’s done you’ll have multiple level surfaces for patios, garden beds, feature plantings or whatever else you may like! beautiful-deck-design

Build a Deck

Decks are a fantastic way to landscape both a hilly space, and a space with uneven ground. With this solution you can maintain or create access to views while raising above the awkward slopes in the garden. And with a deck you can create a flat, useable space that is functional, beautiful and can be designed to meet your requirements. You can choose the size, colour and type of wood that suits you best, and even do a lot of the work yourself. water-feature

Consider a Dry Creek Bed Feature

Unlike a water feature you might use in a flat area, in a hilly area you have the opportunity to create a dry creek bed feature. With this solution you would dig out a small trench in the hill and then add drainage if necessary. You’ll then want to line it with landscape fabric and use rocks and pebbles to create the appearance of a natural water feature. Along the edges you can plant ornamental grasses or flowers, or just add bigger rocks or even statutes or other design elements. ground-cover

A Creeping Ground Cover

If you’re keen for a low maintenance garden, you can cover the hillside with a drought-tolerant ground cover and mulch. A creeping ground cover, such as Creeping Boobialla or Casuarina glauca ‘Cousin It’ will help you easily landscape all those hard to reach areas as well. So you won’t have to spend as much time trying to work on a steeply sloping space. mulch

Filling in the Space

If you are working with a heavily uneven ground, but not necessarily a steep hillside, consider filling in the space with topsoil and mulch. Both of these can be used to make uneven spaces more flat, and bring a uniform look to your garden. Once your space is more even, you’ll be able to consider planting – whether it’s a full garden bed, or thoughtfully placed plants that might further even out the appearance of your garden. multi-level-garden

Create a Bespoke Garden Design

One way to take advantage of your uneven – but utterly unique – site, is to create a bespoke garden design. This is a design that takes advantage of the features that make your garden distinct. So, for example, if you have a raised area in your garden, you could build a berm and plant it out with a feature ornamental tree. This raised area will then become of focus – and incredible talking point – of your garden. Or you could use low lying areas to create ponds or water features, while higher areas could feature drought-tolerant plants. In that way you might have several types of garden beds in your space. A low water needs, arid area, surrounded by a more verdant environment with water and shade loving plants. With careful planning you can turn your difficulties into beautiful opportunities with incredible results! Whether you’re wondering how to landscape a hill or what to do with your uneven ground, we’ve got some ideas for you! From terracing to bespoke garden designs, and more. And don’t forget to check out our how to guides for more fantastic ideas. Your garden can be as awesome as you want it to be! Don’t see what you’re looking for? Get in touch with our expert Rock n Soil team who are ready to help!