Ground with a steep pitch or slope can become a problem area if it is often eroded by runoff water from heavy rains. One way to contain the erosion is by leveling the slope with a terrace, then ...

Flat, even landscapes are often coveted in backyards. However, flat backyards are not always so easy to find. Fortunately, varied terrain does not mean that certain landscaping plans are entirely off ...

Humans have been building retaining walls for thousands of years to create flat, or gently sloping, terraces on hillsides. A lot of my readers have them on their own property — or need to build one — ...

When you’re thinking ahead to outdoor projects, it makes sense to consider the slope of your yard. Many developers flatten sloping sites to make construction more economical and backyards more usable.

Many years ago, when I was young and foolish, I decided to build an 80-foot long terrace for fruit trees, and to edge it with a nice fieldstone retaining wall, using stones I could find on my property ...

This is the last of three stories on terracing hillsides. To read the first two stories, "Slippery slopes" and "Know your hillside," go to sfgate.com and type in Deborah K. Rich. "Almost all ...

Nobody enjoys wrestling with a steep lawn. Transform this hillside with terraced planting beds along rough stone stairs rather than turf grass. For year-round texture and color, fill the tiers with ...