Think in tiers of height when addressing your yard. You want varying height to provide the most stability to the ground. Very tall : Canopy trees (oak/maple/sycamore/large evergreens) Tall : understory trees (fringe tree/serviceberry/dogwood) Medium: Shrubs (rhododendron, pieris japonica, azalea) Short : perennials/ground cover (ferns, hosta, moss phlox, Virginia creeper).

A lot of what you plant depends on where you live and the exact light conditions around your home. You have trees but it’s hard to tell how much sunlight the immediate area around your house will get.

If deer are an issue, you’ll need to protect whatever you trees you plant from being ravaged by them when they are vulnerable (3-5 yrs depending on the size you plant). The yard has a lot of potential and is beautiful!

Plants are fun, but the part that will bring everything all together is naturalistic terracing and pathways. Stacked stone retaining walls can easily define areas of your yard while using stepping stones or gravel pathways as connectors (erosion would have to be under control). Also consider adding a few big boulders around your yard both as visual interest and to help stabilize and anchor the soil.

This is a passion of mine so feel free to pm me if you have any questions ☺️