A good hillside landscaping project would involve having steps running up the hillside as well as a retaining wall. The presence of steep slopes is a challenge to anyone that has hillside landscaping acumen because the novice would often end up wasting time and money on unsuccessful attempts at hillside landscaping. Very often, soil is lost due to erosion and, for this, it may be advisable to install a dry creek bed. In case one has a property having a slope from which excess water flows down and thus erodes the soil as well as a drainage problem then the best solution to getting rid of puddling is by building a dry creek bed.

Many first time owners of property do not have hillside landscaping as one of their top priorities, especially as they may be more taken up with paying off their mortgages. Nevertheless, with a little bit of ingenuity and some helpful guidance, the hillside landscaping problem may be solved and a near perfect vertical landscape would be created that would be able to convey such hillside landscaping ideas perfectly.

Before beginning the hillside landscaping experience, one needs to determine how much area is to be used and what would be the usage of such an area. It could mean having a meandering slope or stairs or even ladders, if the terrain permits, and it is also possible to create a m'lange of the three. One should also make a conscious effort to use material that is indigenous to the area as it would make seamless integration of the overall appearance, easily achieved. One should also not use plastics as well as bright colors unless absolutely necessary. In addition, one may also bet on wood, rocks and wood chips to embellish the hillside landscaping.

One also needs to pick and choose the right plants as all plants are not suited for inclines, though it is less true of flowers and small bushes and is of vital importance when planting trees. A good hillside landscaping tree is the conifer which has a robust root structure that enables them to be exposed to a greater degree and can also survive off poor soil and they also provide some much needed color all year round. One can also layer the slopes through alternation of large plants with small bushy ones and it will enable the concealment of the terrace and provide a seamless quality to the hillside landscaping also. Potted plants should also be used to stand out and catch the eye.

What is most important, however, is tackling soil erosion. The bigger plants that have greater roots can hold the soil in place and will also absorb water that may have otherwise washed away valuable nutrients. Large plants also provide shade as well as shelter from winds and are vital to avoiding erosion by wind.