With innovative hillside landscape ideas, such as terraced beds and low-maintenance plants, you can make the most of a sloped or hilly yard. A sloped yard doesn’t have to be a landscaping challenge.

A couple wanted to build a house on a sloped lot in Washington State, but they didn’t want to cut into the hillside to lay a foundation. They found a better solution.

Like the simple architecture of Sea Ranch in Northern California, which connects to the landscape, Los Angeles architect ...