How to Design a Terraced Garden

Terraced gardens offer a unique solution for sloped landscapes, transforming challenging terrain into a beautiful outdoor space. These gardens have multiple levels that maximize usable area, add visual interest, and can even improve your home’s resale value.

In this guide and the video above, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada demonstrates key techniques for creating a stunning terraced garden.

*Cost information in this article sourced from Angi.

Planning Your Terraced Garden

Plan your terraced garden carefully before breaking ground to ensure your design is beautiful and practical.

Types of Terraced Gardens

You can tailor your terraced garden to fit your preferences and the contours of your landscape. Here are just a few options:

• Formal terraces with symmetrical designs and straight lines
• Informal terraces with curved edges and natural materials
• Stepped terraces that follow the land’s natural contours

Assessing Your Space

Evaluate your yard’s slope, sun exposure, and existing features. Factor in how you want to use the space and what features you’d like to highlight or hide. Accounting for these variables will influence your terraced garden’s layout and your choice of plants.

Designing the Layout

Sketch out your terraced garden plan, including the number of levels, their dimensions, and the materials you’ll use for retaining walls. Remember to incorporate paths for easy access between levels. We recommend using graph paper or a garden design app to help you visualize your ideas.

Choosing Materials

Select materials that will complement your home’s architecture and hold up well in your local climate. Here are some popular options:

• Concrete blocks for a modern feel
• Gabion baskets filled with rocks for a contemporary edge
• Natural stone for a timeless look
• Timber for rustic charm

Creating the Terraces

Building the terraces is a crucial step in bringing your design to life.

Excavation and Grading

Start by excavating the slope to create level surfaces for each terrace. Make sure your yard’s grading directs water away from your home’s foundation. Proper excavation and surface grading establishes a sturdy base for your terraces and helps prevent future issues.

Building Retaining Walls

Construct sturdy retaining walls to support each terrace level. Follow local building codes. We recommend enlisting professional help for walls over 4 feet tall. 

Adding Drainage

Install a drainage system behind the retaining walls to reduce the risk of water buildup and structural damage. Gravel and perforated pipes can help improve drainage.

Planting Your Terraced Garden

With the structure in place, it’s time to bring your terraced garden to life with plants. Here’s how.

Choosing Plants for Each Level

Select plants based on the sun exposure and soil conditions of each terrace. For example, use sun-loving plants on top tiers and shade-tolerant varieties on lower levels. Nawada recommends using taller plants on lower terraces to avoid obstructing your view of higher terraces. 

Creating Visual Interest

For year-round beauty, incorporate plants with varying heights, textures, and bloom times. Nawada suggests using grasses as a backdrop and adding colorful perennials throughout. Mixing annuals and perennials can also provide a dynamic and ever-changing landscape.

Planting Techniques

Here are some of Nawada’s tips for planting:

• Dig holes twice as wide and just as deep as the root ball
• Space plants appropriately to allow for mature size
• Tease the roots before planting to encourage outward growth

Adding Mulch and Ground Covers

Mulch helps retain moisture and suppress weeds. Ground covers such as thyme or creeping sedum can also help fill gaps and reduce soil erosion. These elements protect your garden’s health and improve its appearance.

Plants Used in the Video

In the video, Nawada helps a homeowner in Boston create her terraced garden with the following plants:

• Astilbe: In addition to beautiful blooms, astilbe prefers partial shade and features interesting foliage, which makes it a nice decoration year-round.
• Baptisia: Nawada plants baptisia, or false indigo, in a sunny spot on the terrace’s corner.
• Bleeding heart: This plant prefers shade and produces striking flowers.
• Butterfly bush: Nawada puts this tall plant on a lower terrace level to avoid obstructing views. These bushes attract pollinators and need six to eight hours of sunlight a day.
• Hens and chicks: These succulents do well in sandy or rocky soil and need around six hours of sunlight a day.
• Japanese painted ferns: These plants do well in full or partial shade, so Nawada plants them around the base of a tree.
• Miscanthus grasses: Otherwise known as maiden grass, miscanthus prefers full sun and grows to about 5 feet tall, making it ideal as a backdrop.
• Rose, salvia, and echinacea: Nawada uses these plants for a burst of color. These flowering plants bloom from spring to fall and all do best in full sun.
• Semicefuga brunette: Otherwise known as snakeroot, Nawada chooses this shade-loving plant for its interesting purple foliage.
• Thyme: Nawada chooses thyme for the front of a planter, as this herb will creep over the edges and help soften the look. Thyme plants like warmth and sun—adequate sunlight will make the herb more flavorful.

Enhancing Your Terraced Garden

Elevate the look of your terraced garden with thoughtful features and accessories that are both beautiful and functional:

• Lighting: Install outdoor lighting to highlight key features and ensure safety after dark. Use solar-powered lights along pathways, spotlights on focal plants, and string lights for a magical touch. 
• Pathways and steps: Pathways and steps can seamlessly connect different levels. For a cohesive look, use durable, weather-safe materials such as stone, bricks, or wooden planks that match or complement your retaining walls. 
• Seating areas: Create seating areas to enjoy your garden from different vantage points. Options include benches, garden chairs, or a small patio. 
• Water features: Consider adding a small fountain, pond, or waterfall. The sound of flowing water is calming and attracts wildlife. If your garden has standing water, we recommend incorporating mosquito-deterrent plants.

Terraced Garden: Maintenance

Regular maintenance will keep your terraced garden looking its best.

Watering

Proper watering is crucial, especially for newly planted areas. As Nawada mentions in the video, you should water your new garden daily for the first two weeks and then adjust your schedule according to rainfall patterns. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses can help with consistent watering.

Pruning and Weeding

Regularly prune plants to maintain their shape and remove any dead or diseased foliage. Keep terraces weed-free to prevent competition for nutrients.

Monitoring Soil Health

Check soil health periodically and amend it as needed so your plants have the nutrients they require to thrive. You can buy soil test kits at many gardening and hardware stores, and staff there can help you interpret the results. Compost, organic fertilizers, and soil conditioners help keep soil fertile and productive.

Addressing Structural Concerns

Regularly inspect retaining walls and pathways for signs of wear or damage. Promptly addressing any issues will prevent minor problems from becoming costly repairs. 

Terrace Garden Ideas: Seasonal Care Tips

Each season brings specific maintenance tasks to keep your terraced garden flourishing:

Happy gardening!

Tools

Resources

Nawada installed various plants, depending on their location in the garden.

She also planted maiden grass to minimize the fence and add a backdrop to the rest of the garden. To anchor the stairs, she planted two boxwoods and two butterfly bushes. For color, she planted blue hill salvia and orange echinacea. She planted hens, chicks, and lemon thyme to add texture to the lower planter.

Nawada planted snakeroot, Japanese painted ferns, false indigo, and bleeding hearts underneath the tree because they are shade tolerant and will do well under the tree.

You can find all of these plants at nurseries and home garden centers.