With the home set into a hillside, this property is steeply sloped front and back, making it difficult to maintain. In the front yard the turf was removed and the slope partially terraced and stabilized with large rocks before planting with spreading shrubs and groundcovers. In the back yard the crumbling brick steps gave onto a weedy, uninviting space. The steps were rebuilt and a bluestone patio, partially enclosed by a seat wall, was added and surrounded with mixed low-care plantings. Informal paths, one of bluestone pavers, the other of woodchips give access to the patio and the side yard, respectively. The two retaining walls, one stone and one wood, were deteriorating and unsightly, but a limited budget precluded complete replacement. We rebuilt the stone wall, increasing the distance between the two walls, and creating a gentler slope when back-filled. It was planted with stoloniferous shrubs that would spread readily, holding the soil and hiding the rear wall from view.