Instead of Flattening This Sloped Yard, They Built Stone Steps Right Into the Hillside
The side yard dropped from the upper lawn toward a brick patio beside the house, with a short set of masonry steps handling only part of the grade change. Grass covered much of the slope, while the route between the two levels stayed close to the brick wall.
Landscape company @wheatslandscape excavated the hillside and replaced that route with a longer set of stone steps that follows the existing grade. Large boulders were set beside the path instead of building tall retaining walls around a straight staircase.
Wide stone slabs climb through the slope in several sections, changing direction as the grade rises toward the upper yard. Planting beds, grass, and boulders fill the ground between the steps and house, turning the former side-yard passage into part of the garden.
Brick Patio Met a Steep Side-Yard Slope
Brick paving covered the lower area outside the sliding door, while several narrow masonry steps climbed beside the house. The upper lawn sat well above the patio, leaving a steep section of ground between the two levels.
The existing route followed the house and reached the upper grade within a short distance. The new project expanded into the hillside, creating enough room for a longer path rather than rebuilding the stairs in the same footprint.
Excavation Opened a Route Through the Hill
Much of the grass and soil was removed before the new steps went in, exposing the amount of grade between the patio and upper yard. Crushed stone formed a base across the lower section, while timber forms marked a circular feature with a drain line running through its center.
Excavation also created space for large boulders along the route. Several stones were set into the soil near the house and path instead of being placed on top of the finished grade after construction.
Large Boulders Were Set Into the Excavated Ground
Large rocks were positioned beside the future steps while the hillside remained open. Flat stone pieces rested on the prepared base as workers checked their height with levels and adjusted the surrounding stone.
Setting the boulders during excavation allowed part of each piece to sit below the finished soil line. The stones became fixed points around which the steps, planting beds, and new grade could be built.
Irregular Stone Slabs Climbed With the Grade
Wide slabs formed individual treads from the lower patio toward the upper lawn, with each piece following a slight change in direction. The route bends through the excavated ground rather than climbing the entire hill in one straight flight.
Boulders sit beside several treads, while exposed soil remained open for the planting work that followed. Wider landings interrupt the climb and connect the lower run with the next section of steps.
Planting Beds Filled the Ground Around the Steps
Once the stonework was set, mulch and new plants covered the bare soil between the staircase and brick wall. Hydrangeas occupy the bed beside the house, while smaller plants fill gaps near the path and between the larger rocks.
The boulders remain exposed above the planting beds and mark the changes in direction along the route. At the bottom, the stone steps meet the paved patio without a separate straight walkway between the two surfaces.
Grass Replaced the Excavated Soil Beside the Path
New grass filled the center section beside the lower steps, leaving planting beds along the house and around the boulders. The stone path now runs between lawn on one side and the planted slope on the other.
Individual slabs vary in width and depth as the path climbs, with several broad pieces creating short pauses between groups of steps. Large rocks remain beside the route where the excavation had exposed the steepest sections of the hill.
Finished Stone Path Connects the Patio With the Upper Yard
From the patio, the complete route can be seen climbing through the landscaped slope before turning toward the upper lawn. Stone treads, boulders, grass, and planted beds occupy ground that had been dominated by the steep grade and short masonry stair.
The hillside was not cut into one flat terrace or hidden behind a tall retaining wall. The finished path uses the change in elevation as part of its route, carrying the steps through the slope from the lower patio to the yard above.
Would you keep a sloped yard like this and build the steps into it, or level the space first?
Image credits @wheatslandscape