#1-Where are you located?

You could grow some cascading plants over the edge of the cement of the drainage ditch. Nothing that would over-grow the space like ivy but some sedums or creeping phlox that can be easily controlled with a periodic "haircut".

For the bank some flowering shrubs, ornamental trees and then ground covers in between. The grasses would need to be cut back yearly and they do go thru an ugly stage in late winter. Lots of mulch to prevent weeds/make them easier to pull up.

That is an unusual construction - a not so attractive wood retaining wall with a cement ditch on top.

There are way too many unknowns happening here for practical advice, like location, property lines, use of the slope, what is happening below the wall, why the ditch, where does it go, is it on a corner lot and on and on.

I think I see cement below the wood wall and sprinkler heads on the slope. There must be a reason for someone to go to the expense and trouble of moving water across this slope. It sure would be nice to know why.

I will say, at this point I do not think it would be wise to fill the cement ditch above the wall with creeping plants that will block the water flow.

The ditch is no doubt there for a reason and should be left alone. Plant the slope in an interesting way and draw attention away from the ditch. I'd choose low growing shrubs well adapted to your area rather than anything you will have to cut back annually. Not a fun task on sloped ground.

first pic.. is that a camera trick... or are those boards really bent around a 90 degree angle ... ive seen nothing like that ... ever ... in other words.. your eyesore.. is .... imo.. the most impressive thing there ... i would sure hope it was all engineered for the purpose ....

we need big city name .... for recommendations ...

one of the biggest problems on a slope .. is watering .. and how to get water down into the given root zone ... before it runs down the hill ...

you may want to think about things.. that once established.. dont need a lot of water ...

ken

and when in mentioned engineered... i was thinking if you could talk to the engineer you might begin to understand what was built.. and why ... it might be a whole water shedding system.. rather than a plain old wall ... and if you change the cement you dont like ... you might be creating huge problems ...

it might have even required a permit.. so maybe the city has plans on file or info on who did it ....

You might want to terrace it if you want to do something more than a minimalist treatment. Otherwise I would install some ground cover coniferous planting if compatible with your climate. We had a creeping kind of cedar that did the trick for us on a slope.

And keep the ditch clear of any obstruction—you absolutely don’t want a back up of your drainage system.

IMO you need a landscape designer who has worked with this type od drainage . IMO the retaining wall will collapse and then you will have a mess . So I would start by building a new retaining wall from stone look blocks with all the proper datinge buitin to it . We have a retaining wall with a hill behind if but when it was built there was drainge buitlinto the hill beind the wall alomg with gravel and big O type drainage. The wall is 13 yrs old and has never had an issue with the integritiy of the wall or the drainage.We did plant ivy on the hill at the top of the wall becuase I did not want to see all the fake stone exposed The hill goes up quite a lot from the top of the wall. The whole hill is planted with thyme for a ground cover and shrubs .And at the top we have a pond.

Thanks all!!

frankielynnsie I'm in California Zone 9b/10a Thank you for your ideas I looked up the plants and I like the idea of planting cascading plants

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 This is camera trick (panoramic mode on Iphone) :)

Patricia Colwell Consulting I LOVE your backyard. It's so organized and the wall looks very solid and beautiful.

What's the reason for the pvc pipe that's running the length of the drain?

Maybe the easier way to hide the ditch/drain would be to add something along the top of the retaining wall.

Hi Monika-

I think you need a very experienced landscape architect. Someone who knows a lot about irrigation systems and their engineering. That might even be a different specialty.

If you could somehow get hold of the person who built your system to find out why they did what they did, that would be very helpful.

Is there some way you can contact the people that sold you your house? Maybe they have the contact info for that person, and can shed some light on the process for you.

And talk to the people on your block, too.

Sometimes neighbors talk to the laborers and/or the contractors as work is being done.

It never ceases to amaze just how much information about us is known by our neighbors!

Another thing you might want to do in preparation for planting is to make your own little microclimate map/guide to your land where the sun is what time of day, where the shade is, and what part of the year. You will know this better than any stranger to your yard.

Was it like this when you moved in? See if there are permits on file. Asking the neighbors is smart!

Is that a driveway? Looks like there are some planter boxes at the end. Perhaps a few more along the wall will make it more appealing to you. Attach a trellis even. You can stain or paint it, too.

The ditch probably keeps muddy water from running over the wall and into the driveway. More subtle options can probably be found. It doesn't look that bad in the photos though. I wouldn't worry about that wall coming down and it looks no worse interlocking blocks.