Make the earth move Take your garden to the next level – literally

Who wants a level playing field when you can have hills in your garden? Landforms – or contours – have their most dramatic impact in a big space, but a smaller garden setting can open up many opportunities in terms of design, plant selection and lifestyle by changing, creating or learning to love your existing levels. So instead of levelling a di cult site or terracing a slope in your lawn, why not contour it?

Sculpted mounds can be formal or informal, grand or humble, dramatic or subtle. They catch light and cast shadow and you can add texture with a path or stepping stones. Or, dot the space with plants, although traditionally, mounds are just grassed.

It’s just moving dirt around, but the e ect can be dramatic. And imagine the fun your kids will have as they roll down the slopes of your own mini-hill.

An inventive way to deal with a sudden level change – particularly on a rocky coast – is to create a landform with steps stitched into it.

A crescent shape, cradling a circle, lets your views and perspectives change – especially of a natural water feature such as a dam – as you walk around and over the mounds. You can do the same thing at home with a pond. Contouring the land into gentle rolling waves allows this home’s angles to se le into their environment, with harmony between so and hard, straight and round. Lawns don't need to be level, and grass holds a slope together, preventing erosion. Pretend you're at the beach by contouring your lawn into smooth, undulating waves. Plant sedum on the crest of your waves to imitate sea foam.