Question
Hi Ronald,
Thank you for your time.  We have a backyard that is sloping down away from the house, which is good as the rain water to flows away from the house. We were thinking of putting down mulch with a plastic landscape edging ontop of the soil starting from the house and out about 5ft,  Our concern is; will this still let the water flow away from the house or will is cause water to pool?  Another thing, how much of a downward slope is recommended- could we just add more soil at the house end to create an even higher decline?  Right now, just by looking the slope is noticable but we haven't measured it. What do you recommend?
Thank you once again.
Daina

Answer
You have posed a complex question. To answer it, you should examine carefully.
What do I want to achieve? A mulched area around the house? An area to install plants? To stop erosion?
Each will have a different answer.
I would like to continue the dialogue.