Terraced Plantings: Elevate Your Garden Game on Slopes

Planting terraced beds requires considering retaining wall materials, right plants for conditions, and balance between plantings and hardscaping. Getting plantings right not only provides decorative benefits but prevents hardscaping from becoming too dominating.

Terracing historically is the best way to handle slopes—difficult and dangerous to maintain. A terraced landscape uses a series of retaining walls to create level beds or lawns. From stone and brick for traditional gardens to concrete, metal, and railroad ties for contemporary designs, we have wide material choices, but plantings add real style.

Traditional Terraced Gardens

Traditional terraced gardens reflect the overall garden or house style. Mixed shrubs and perennials provide year-round color and interest while softening hard stonework outlines. The real joy: plants brought up to eye level. This style can be high-maintenance, especially with herbaceous perennials needing attention throughout the growing season. Low retaining walls and wide terraced beds allow safe maintenance.

Dividing terraced beds with wide steps and landings solves maintenance. Random patterns in stone walls and paving replicate in tapestry planting within raised beds. Different-size beds accommodate large and small plants without excessive competition.

Contemporary Terraced Gardens

In contemporary gardens, hardscaping often overrides design. Simple concrete retaining walls dominate; plantings emphasize clean lines. Grasses like Festuca become low-maintenance ground covers needing minimal irrigation.

White retaining walls almost dominate, but strong architectural plant shapes balance the design—plantings are more than fill-in.

See more of this terraced Sydney garden

Grasses soften uncompromising Cor-Ten steel retaining walls; height and color harmonize with rust finish.

Ornamental grasses can be good for freely draining terraces, but selection is important—choose those happy in existing conditions.

Again Cor-Ten steel for retaining walls. Glaucous succulents contrast well with metal; perfect for dry conditions. Gravel mulch aids drainage, prevents evaporation, and provides textural contrast.

Terracing links house to garden and landscape contours. Retaining wall size and height must balance with house and garden; plantings shouldn't overpower hardscape.

Precise plantings in this terraced front garden link beds of differing height and size through same color and tone.

Integrated planting design in this enclosed garden uses green as predominant foliage color. Low retaining walls echo Mediterranean treatment for sloping sites. Horizontal beds lead the eye out, creating illusion of width while providing usable space.

Terraced plantings are minimalistic on lower levels—manicured lawn stepping up to ornamental grasses—creating theater for the living wall at the rear.

Tall, loosely foliaged bamboo reaches from lower levels to top retaining wall. Simple yet very effective.

More: Terraces Beckon the High Life