A garden that slopes to one side can present a bigger challenge as you may feel you need to level the whole length of the land. However, look on the slope as an opportunity to create something really special. Level part of the garden to create a walkway and then use the slope to create a natural-looking rockery or Alpine-style display. A series of raised beds works well too – but do think about how you are going to access the upper beds, or fill them with low-maintenance plants. And for families, a very steep horizontal slope is the perfect base for a children’s slide!

The biggest problem you may have with a garden that slopes uphill away from the house is drainage. The last thing you want is a flooded patio every time it rains, and water draining down towards the house can ultimately cause structural damage. Whatever design you choose, make sure you install adequate drainage. This may require taking the advice of experts, but it will be worth the expense.

It’s also worth spending extra time designing the far end of the garden. This may be the steepest part, and you may not visit it often, especially in winter, but it is the part of the garden that is most visible from the house. One idea is to create a “living mural” using an array of plants that will provide interesting foliage and changing colour all year round.

One big advantage of a garden that slopes downhill is that you can hide things at the bottom! Assuming you have external access, it’s a great place to store unsightly wheelie bins so they aren’t so visible from the house. If you decide to terrace a downward-sloping garden, bear in mind the height of the garden fence – if you build the lower terraces too high, you may find you’re overlooking your neighbour’s garden! And, of course, safety is a priority, especially if your terracing results in large drops from level to level.

If your garden has a steeper slope you may want to create terraces. In fact, this can be a great way to divide the garden into themed areas. For example, you could create a seating area for entertaining at the top, overlooking an ornamental lawn, with a separate play area, and a kitchen garden. Get creative – your only limitation is your imagination!

The easiest way to create terraces is by using a “cut and fill” technique. This is where you dig earth out to level the first terrace, and then use that earth to level the next layer, and so on. It can be used on both uphill and downhill slopes. Keep each terrace in place with a retaining wall –brick-built walls, concrete blocks (that you can paint, if you wish), rocks, stones and railways sleepers all work well. Don’t use wooden planks, as these will rot and cause problems in future.

Link each terrace with steps. These should, ideally, be wide and shallow, but if you end up with narrow or steep steps, consider adding handrails for safety. These could be incorporated into a rose-covered pergola, which would also be an attractive garden feature.

Decking is a practical way to overcome a sloping garden as it can be levelled without needing to move earth. In fact, decking on a very steep slope can serve a double purpose as you can create storage spaces beneath for garden toys or tools. Decked areas aren’t just effective when adjoined to the house – depending on your garden’s aspect, a deck at the bottom of the garden can provide a lovely seating area that captures the sun for longer, or as a place to site a children’s play area, or a workshop, summerhouse or shed. You could even deck the whole garden and include built-in planters and lighting for a special effect. And, of course, decking can be enhanced with pots and tubs. However, do keep safety at the forefront – if there is any sort of drop off the edge of the decking, make sure you include railings.

Finally, a sloping garden is the ideal place for a wonderful water feature. The sound of water trickling over a series of falls into a pool is so relaxing, and it will bring the wildlife to your garden too.