"We can’t remove the path ..." and "... but the height of the path/ground there will still need to come down to meet the rest of the lawn ..." Doesn't "come done to meet" sound like, at least, a partial removal? Have you explored the footings of the existing wall behind the path in order to verify their depth? Have you considered how the land drains and how the new patio will drain? Can you share it with us? (Keep in mind we can't see the overall property and don't know the lay of the land.)

Hi @Yardvaark. Thank you for your reply. Sorry, by saying the height of the path needs to come down I mean that alongside the patio, the concrete pathway is approx. 2' higher than the patio and what will be our lawn, therefore we need an elegant solution for the two to come together in the middle. Maybe a sloping lawn? Or stacked planters?

We did explore the footing and the advice was to leave as is.

The new patio has aco drains and gravel channel with french drains around the perimeter of the house so drainage all sorted there.

The lay of the land is that effectively the whole garden is one level, with the patio slab being laid to that same level/laid flush. The only exception to this is that the concrete path and some ground running alongside the patio raises up. That means there is a mound we want to hide/design around that also includes a pathway which runs into the rest of the garden.

I hope that makes sense.....

"We did explore the footing and the advice was to leave as is." The footing .... or the soil around/above it? I'm not asking so much if you explored it ... I'm asking more about the result of the exploration ...??

I don't think there is a good solution that doesn't remove 30' to 40' of the walk. A berm would be OK. But a berm with a walk hidden in it, not OK.

Build a short retaining wall along the ugly cement path side of the patio with steps where/if needed for patio access. Bring that side level to the cement path and plant the space between patio and the ugly walkway.

Keep in mind the obvious, and many, weepers (drainage holes). The "path" is preventing that area from becoming a muddy mess.

I don't think a slope would be bad. But not with a walk buried in it, and that makes is potentially unplantable for some likely solutions, whether they're now or in the future. Groundcover on a slope makes more sense than mowed lawn.

@Juli I will definitely check out the plants you have suggested, thank you.

@Yardvaark Thank you for the image - great work! We don't really want to put large trees there as it will block sunlight. We've been thinking long and hard and wonder what everyone's thoughts are on building raised beds onto the path (c.18" high with open but agriclothed base). We can adjust them to make them sit level on the bumpy path. We will then lawn the area between the planters and sleepers which will sweep down to meet the lawn (see sketch, not as whizzy as your CGI pic I'm afraid!) We want to allow the drainage @chiflipper has spoken about.

No sketch showing. You must allow the picture to become full color before submitting. It takes a few seconds. (Not as "whizzy" ... I'll be using that. :-)

I wouldn't think of the plants I drew as "large trees," but more as large shrubs. And then, there'd be all manner of smaller shrubs available as alternatives. Regardless of size, the tree FORM seems, to me, to best address the existing neighboring background. But I sense you are on a quest with ideas already in mind and therefore, not too steerable. It's hard to imagine your vision because, as I look at the site, it seems largely over-exposed ... like a hard desert. If some shade doesn't come, I won't be able to sit there and enjoy myself. :-)

Hi @Yardvaark sketch showing now? We need to bring in top soil after scraping back what was almost a field and sow a lawn. The overexposure is just old ground.

What are these "vertical, staggered height sleepers" you speak of? Is that not a curved height, short retaining wall between the patio and the ugly walk that slopes into the main grade at both ends?

I'm not sold on putting raised beds there when you have a huge yard, a new patio coming and at least three feet of space to plant in that will hide a decomposing cement walk you don't care about and is a fine garden maintenance path for whatever is planted in the new bed created between the wall with fence and patio.

Why grass there? You got a yard full of it and a new level patio to walk across. Plant something nice to frame the patio.

Rock Garden. Go to a local nursery, ask about purchasing cool looking rocks. Also, ask about low maintainous rock garden plants that are hardy to where you live. By the way, if they are pricey, some of them will really spread after a couple years.

Some awesome suggestions that work great for me was St. John's Wort, spreads great and you really do nothing to it, sedum, they are great, and even little spirea plants! Hardy little plants! Have fun!