9 Design Moves That Give a Flat Yard More Depth or Height

Sunken patios, stacked beds, berms and other features add interest to outdoor spaces

Lauren Dunec Hoang February 17, 2019

Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and in-house designer for Sunset's Editorial Test Garden. Her garden designs have been featured in the Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping, Sunset Western Garden Book of Easy-Care Plantings (cover), Inhabitat, and POPSUGAR.

Houzz Editor; landscape designer and former garden editor for Sunset Magazine and... More

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Rises and dips in a landscape’s topography can draw the eye, creating a dramatic, dynamic view. Many of us, however, contend with an almost flat garden plot since the typical urban or suburban lot doesn’t feature much in the way of level changes. For inspiration, take a look at these nine ways designers on Houzz have built up or dug down (or just created that illusion) to bring flat ground to new heights.

E2 Homes Ltd

1. Try a Sunken Patio

Instead of building up, consider digging down to add level changes to a flat lot. This backyard in Vancouver, British Columbia, features a sunken seating area around a fire pit. Dropping the height of the patio visually makes the yard appear larger, and the level change allows for casual wraparound seating around the fire pit in the evening.

Tip: Sunken seating areas require a solution for drainage. It’s best to work with an experienced landscape professional for design and installation.

Find a landscape contractor in the Houzz pro directory

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2. Stack Raised Beds

This courtyard garden in Oklahoma City uses a series of raised beds at staggered heights to create level changes. The raised design adds drama and creativity to a classic planting of spring bulbs, box hedges and mixed edible greens.

Shop for raised beds on Houzz

Living Designs By Linda

3. Add Berms

Building berms (raised mounds of soil or mixtures of sand and gravel topped with soil) can be an effective way to add subtle level changes to a flat planting bed. For this San Diego planting, landscape designer Linda Bresler created low berms, varying from 1 foot to 1½ feet high, before planting to add modest height changes to the bed.

In addition to adding interest to flat gardens, Bresler says that she uses berms to create an ideal growing environment for dry-garden plants. “Succulents do not want wet feet, as they can rot,” Bresler says. Planting them on a slight mound of soil allows for proper drainage. “Plus, smaller succulents are better showcased on a slight slope, where you can admire their beauty more thoroughly,” the designer says.

Before Photo

Living Designs By Linda

Before: Here you can see the underlying berms beneath the bed of succulents. After planting the berms, Bresler usually tops the soil with finely ground mulch, small stones or pea gravel. “This tends to discourage weeds and keeps some moisture for the plants in a hot, dry environment,” she says. The shallow roots of the succulents hold the soil of the berm in place, but over time, Bresler says the berm will soften and slightly flatten out.

Note: Adding berms or otherwise changing the topography of your landscape can affect drainage on your property. Hiring an experienced landscape professional to map out berms and redirect drainage into a swale, if needed, can prevent unwanted drainage issues down the line.

Moynihan & Associates Inc.

Berms also work well in traditional and cottage-style borders, where creating a layered look of foliage and flowers is desired. This side garden by Moynihan & Associates features alliums, geraniums and ornamental grasses.

Mackenzie Wheeler Architects & Designers

4. Go Vertical

Draw the eye upward with vertical elements, such as climbing vines, narrow trees, arbors or other features that emphasize a height change. In this single-level London garden by Mackenzie Wheeler Architects & Designers, the eye is drawn up to steel beams draped in climbing roses, a dynamic contrast to the smooth surface of raked gravel below.

Sage Ecological Landscapes

5. Suggest a Stream Bed

Dry stream beds use a combination of raised berms and sunken areas lined with rocks and gravel to create the illusion of a stream running through a garden while adding dynamic level changes within the yard. In this garden by Sage Ecological Landscapes in San Luis Obispo, California, the designers suggest water with a dry stream bed that can be traversed by a small bridge.

Annie Elliott Design

6. Create Curves

Winding pathways combined with layered plantings of varying heights can create the illusion of land rising and falling, as shown in this level backyard in Washington, D.C. Emphasize this trick of the eye even further with the addition of low berms in the planting beds and a few vertical elements, and a yard that started out as flat will feel more dynamic.

Browse more path inspiration

OUTHOUSE design

7. Invest in Built-In Planters

In a tight city lot — where there’s no room for berms, sunken patios or winding pathways — built-in planters may be your best bet for instant level changing.

When design-build firm Outhouse Design came on to reimagine this backyard in Sydney, the space — measuring 11½ feet wide by 20 feet long with 10-foot-tall walls — felt like a concrete box.

OUTHOUSE design

The addition of large built-in planters creates height variation for plants and an anchoring point for a space-saving bench. The plants themselves — dwarf magnolia trees on one side and climbing vines on the opposite wall — help draw the eye upward, while a wood-paneled wall adds depth.

Tate Studio Architects

8. Add Boulders

Large rocks placed in a landscape can help change the topography by creating miniature hills and mountains within a planting bed. A sprinkling of small boulders amid cactuses and desert shrubs works well to add drama to the landscape surrounding this Phoenix home by Tate Studio Architects.

Tip: If you’re planning to add boulders to your landscape, leaving one-third to two-thirds of the boulder underground will make it look more naturally anchored in the garden. Placing plants nearby, some nestled up against the boulder, also can help make it look more at home.

Exterior Worlds Landscaping & Design

9. Play With Landforms

If you are willing to experiment more with your landscape, consider introducing landforms in shapes of your choosing. These can be created on a relatively grand scale, such as this raised, curved lawn edged with steel by Exterior Worlds, or in smaller configurations.

London Garden Designer

In this whimsical London garden, Sara Jane Rothwell of London Garden Designer used soil left over from the garden remodel plus topsoil and sand to create grassy mounds beneath a small grove of trees at the back of the garden.