15 Panorama Design Concepts for Difficult Gardens

Landscaping in challenging sites requires creative design, resourcefulness, and sturdy plants. Fortunately, plants have the tenacity to overcome numerous obstacles. Rugged areas become beautiful challenges, transforming a space or situation into a garden opportunity.

These new and improved spots foster a connection with nature and benefit the immediate environment in an otherwise overlooked or lacking space. In some cases, challenging sites give the chance to improve conditions like soil structure and biodiversity over time.

Sometimes, landscaping challenges overlap and require several tricks for design enhancement. Solutions can be unorthodox and unconventional, and therein lies the fun. Here are 15 ideas for the most difficult parts of your property.

Slopes

Clever design helps lessen erosion, stabilize soils, mitigate runoff, and beautify the zone.

• Think about water flow
• Incorporate anchor species
• Use groundcovers and trailers
• Add specimens for texture and variation
• Consider terracing for steep grades

Landscaping on a slope is a beneficial design challenge. It helps lessen erosion, stabilize soils, mitigate runoff, and beautify the zone. Water flow is a key consideration of sloped areas. How and where does water travel through the site? If the slope is steep, does the slope need to be shorn up with terraces, grading, or retaining walls? 

With the bigger questions of drainage observed, the ideal sloped garden has robust root systems to stabilize embankments and absorb rainfall. These include anchor plants like small trees and shrubs to help control erosion with long, deep roots. You may have existing anchor plants or a blank slate ready to house erosion-mitigating specimens. 

Strong, nonintrusive root systems help perennials protect surface soils. Fast-growing ground covers root and cover an area quickly. 

Species that crawl, ramble, and run help fill sloped gardens. Choose selections with varying heights, colors, and textures as you would in a garden bed. Consider low-maintenance options. Use native rocks as features to complement plantings and further stabilize soils.

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Deep Shade

Depending on the scale of the full shade area, a solid plant palette helps.

• Rely on attractive foliage and form
• Plant in groups for impact and variety
• Let plants colonize and naturalize

Many species thrive in partial shade and dappled light. In exceptionally shady areas, whether under a heavy tree canopy, an awning, or an ever-present shadow, low-light options are still available.

Depending on the scale of the full shade area, a solid plant palette helps. To organize the zone, bank on varieties that tolerate deep shade and arrange them in groups or clusters for impact. Think woodland aesthetic with understory plantings.

Use color to brighten the shade through blooms and dynamic foliage. There are fewer full-shade bloomers than those in full sun or even partial shade, but unique textures and forms bring high interest.

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Deer Visitors

Some species contain toxins as defenses to deter predators naturally.

• Select plants with specialized qualities that deer find distasteful
• Fence food crops
• Avoid particularly favorable plants, place them near high-traffic areas, or interplant with distasteful selections

Many of us welcome local wildlife into our rich ecosystems. Deer, however, can devour leafy stems and blooms in a single sweep. No plant is completely deer-proof, but the first line of defense is choosing plants that aren’t particularly appealing to our cloven-hoofed visitors. 

Plants with aromatic foliage and textured leaves and flowers (fuzzy, rough, spiny) are good options in deer-prone areas. Some plants contain toxins as defenses to deter predators naturally. Natural repellents help, but plants that hold their own are the best investments.

Deer visit the garden for a variety of reasons. Lean seasonal food sources, habitat loss, population increase, and easy picking may be reasons for deer predation. 

Deer especially favor new, tender shoots of growth; fortunately, plants often recover from this initial nibbling. Protect young plants and tender trunks with a wire mesh barrier.

Deer Resistant Species

Boxwood shrubs are deer-resistant throughout the year.

Challenging landscape designs require hardy plants that can survive herbivorous predators. These selections rarely or seldom severely damaged by deer are the best options against a tasty food source. Some gardeners disguise deer favorites among other less appealing plantings.

While it may not be feasible or attractive to fence the whole yard, install fencing six to eight feet high as a barrier if your vegetable garden is under heavy browse. This may deter deer and rabbits but won’t affect squirrels, rats, mice, or climbers like raccoons. Place one to two feet of the fencing below ground level to prevent digging.

If deer are hungry enough, they’ll eat whatever is available, even if it is not a favored plant. We’ve all seen deer ignore the “resistant list” and try anything from hollies to camellias to perennials and annuals, even those with slight toxicity levels.

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Annuals

Small Spaces

To achieve balance in small sites, select plants scaled with their surroundings.

• Add dimension by going vertical
• Play with color for visual appeal
• Choose plants to scale
• Hone your garden style(s) to keep spaces consistent and uncluttered

Small sites offer big opportunities because they give us a chance to curate our gardens in detail. Still, it can be challenging to design an attractive landscape in a tight area. Determine the uses of your space, whether a seating and lounge area, display garden, herb and vegetable plot, etc., to design within its purpose. 

To achieve balance in small sites, select varieties scaled with their surroundings. Varying heights and forms are ideal if they won’t outgrow the area or compete with other plants. But it’s important to properly space your plants because overcrowding can lead to reduced vigor or disease issues.

Go vertical for added dimension. Tall plants, hanging baskets, living walls, trellises, and obelisks can take a small area to new heights.

Use color to make the area seem larger. Color is one of the first things our eyes process. Instead of a sea of green, landscape color comes from unique flowers and foliage as well as elements like containers and furnishings.

Keep the color palette simple and repeat hues for cohesion. Soft pastels like blues, whites, and pinks recede, making an area appear more prominent. Bright hues like red and yellow appear closer. Use pops of these in the foreground with pastels in the background for an expansive look.

Dry Shade

Look for drought-tolerant, shade-loving growers.

• Concentrate on cultural requirements
• Grow more of what works
• Pick colonizing and non-aggressive spreading varieties for large areas

A dry, shady spot is enough to make most plants wither. Fortunately, landscaping in a dry or light-challenged area doesn’t need to be a design headache. Plenty of species thrive in these harsh conditions. Dry shade selections boast flower and foliar interest to revitalize the site.

Look for drought-tolerant, shade-loving growers. Once established, many perennials form lovely colonies or clumps. Use existing trees as the structure around which to arrange your understory and ground covers. 

Generally, shallow-rooted plants won’t compete with tree roots, while deeper-rooted shrubs may need more space. Use layered plantings for a full display.

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Wet Sites

Many plants don’t withstand “wet feet” and succumb to fungal problems like root and crown rot.

• Repeat groups of moisture-loving plants
• Create a bog garden
• Include a water feature

Areas with poor soil drainage pose often pose the greatest challenge for landscape design. They include sites that stay saturated occur along pond edges, stream margins, wetlands, or where condensation drips continuously, among others. Whatever the cause of the soggy bottom, there’s likely a plant to suit it.

Tolerating wet sites is a specific cultural condition. Many plants can’t handle “wet feet” and succumb to fungal problems like root and crown rot. Coincidentally, when roots sit in water, they lack access to oxygen and have trouble uptaking water. But those adapted to thrive in moist sites handle soggy soil better than others.

An enchanting way to embrace wet zones is to create a bog. Bogs are diverse and showcase unique specimens, from tall and flowering to low and carnivorous. They can be small and stylized or large and naturalistic. Bobby species grow in damp soils or peat decomposition.

A water feature, too, blends into isolated wet areas. It can be as simple as a container filled with aquatic plants to catch rain and runoff, a shallow pool for birds, or a puddler for butterflies.

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Poor Soils

They dry out quickly and require more frequent irrigation to attain regular moisture.

• Incorporate raised beds and containers
• Rely on native and durable species
• Adjust watering schedules based on drainage

Poor soils need more nutrients, may drain poorly, contain contaminants, and hold salts. Fortunately, adapted species handle poor soils. Degraded, challenging soils don’t necessarily mean you must design a landscape devoid of plants.

Sandy and clay soils are common deficient soil types. Sandy soils are the fastest-absorbing and fastest-draining. They dry out quickly and require more frequent irrigation to attain regular moisture.

Clay has a slow absorption rate, slow drainage, and holds water. Water permeates slowly through the clay, retaining it like a pot. Clay soils may stay overly wet at shallow levels.

Straightforward remedies for poor soils include amending with loads of organic material over time or working with raised beds and pots. The beauty of raised planters is that they allow the gardener to control organic richness and moisture. Thankfully, they work no matter the soil type. Raised beds give architectural structure while making way for cut flower gardens, ornamental displays, fruits, herbs, and vegetables.

For in-ground plantings, experiment with native species or those known to be rugged landscape performers. Add mulch and compost to break down and enrich soils over time.

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Wet and Dry Soils

Seasonal rainfall may create situational prolonged moisture in otherwise dry areas.

• Allow water to infiltrate and move through the site
• Create a rain garden or bioswale
• Experiment with plant selections
• Mound soils to elevate some areas

Seasonally wet and dry soils require plants that grow with extreme fluctuations. Soil may remain wet in winter and become dry in summer, creating a challenging landscape design feat. Seasonal rainfall may create situational prolonged moisture in otherwise dry areas.

Rain gardens and swales manage water on-site. Rain gardens capture and store rainfall, while swales channel it to other areas. Plants in both situations absorb water, improve soils, and reduce runoff and erosion.

Mound soils or incorporate raised beds to create areas of higher ground. Use rocks to stabilize soils as water moves throughout the site. Mulch plants to regulate soil temperatures and retain moisture. 

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Rocky

To turn a rocky site into a showcase, look for plants well-suited to your zone and theme.

• Turn rocks into sculptural features and focal points
• Incorporate a variety of scales
• Layer plantings for a naturalistic look
• Use spreaders and trailers for hard-to-plant zones

Whether you’re looking to support a slope, utilize existing boulders, go xeric, or showcase the stately geologic elements of your area, rock gardens create dynamic solutions to problem areas and provide high visual interest as landscape features. To turn a rocky site into a showcase, look for plants well-suited to your zone and theme (high altitude, dry basin, slope, desert, Asian-inspired, etc.).

Rock gardens allow the incorporation of plants of varying scales, from tall shrubs and perennials to low-growing ground covers and miniature varieties. Include plants to nestle between rocks and to soften edges. Layer plants for a naturalistic look, or opt for a high structure with clean lines and strong plant forms (agave, cacti, ornamental grasses) that highlight the rocks.

In areas where you can’t dig large holes but want to soften the look, rely on ground covers and crevice plants with shallow roots. As with other poor sites, installing raised beds limits impossible digging.

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Coastal Exposure 

Use plants that sway and move in the garden to capitalize on breezes.

• Embrace movement in the garden
• Incorporate light, natural materials, and vibrant color
• Use containers to display tender plants
• Consider pergolas or awnings to shade reflective areas

Coastal gardens must withstand varying soil types, moisture levels, salt spray, sun, and winds. These landscapes may seem challenging to design, but many plants are accustomed to the coastal weather. Better yet, the hardy, adaptable plants for coastal regions aren’t limited to the seaside; they also make a splash in the landlocked garden.

Use plants that sway and move in the garden, like ornamental grasses and palms, to capitalize on breezes. These often also persevere during windstorms and hurricanes. Rely on solid anchor plants to bring form to the site while embellishing with potted accents like tropicals and annuals.

Use cooling shades of blue, white, and peach with pops of brighter color for interest. Incorporate light-colored pebbles or gravel and stonework for a shore-side feel. Consider oyster shell hardscapes (tabby) for natural authenticity.

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Concrete Jungle

Consider container placement, creating a single focal point or a clustered grouping.

• Rely on containers
• Vary plant sizes, heights, and textures
• Add fragrant selections
• Employ trellises, arches, or taller growers to reduce reflective surfaces

If a concrete pad or other non-soil surface is your gardening space, look to containers and raised planters to design for all seasons. Containers are mobile architectural elements that feature plants for color, fragrance, and form—all adding seasonal interest, natural connection, and beauty. Showcase trees, shrubs, and perennials, and move them around at will to vary your aesthetic. Play with annual designs to keep arrangements exciting.

Consider container placement, creating a single focal point or a clustered grouping of varying sizes. Hanging baskets, too, introduce a vertical element.

Place containers for close viewing, emphasizing entrances like doorways, gates, walkways, and seating areas.

Window boxes are another way to tie the house to the garden. Use annuals, anchoring evergreens, and perennials to vary the seasonal displays. Window boxes hung along a fence or a wall to soften the space.

Containers are valuable, too, in times when the garden is quiet, like winter. Use them for specialty design interest in an otherwise colorless, challenging landscape.

Xeric

For a xeric garden, consider incorporating native plants adapted to your climate zone.

• Feature specimens with attractive foliage and form
• Use simple compositions of materials like stone and gravel for interest
• Celebrate native plants and natural elements
• Reduce or eliminate turf
• Select drought-tolerant species to conserve water

Xeric landscapes are water-conscious. For many of us, the need for naturally drought-adapted plants is increasing. Xeric zones teem with life and adaptability to withstand temperature and water extremes. These plants need little to no supplemental irrigation. For a xeric landscape, consider incorporating nature-based design features and native plants adapted to the challenges of your climate zone.

Drought-tolerant plants suit a variety of landscape needs these days, making Mediterranean or desert themes fitting styles. Incorporate succulents, cacti, and drought-adapted perennials, 

Extractions of natural hues dominate desert and Mediterranean landscapes. Use terracotta and ceramic planters to embellish and overwinter tender plants in protected areas. Invite color through vibrant plantings and accessories like tiled pieces or a painted wall. Gravel makes a prime surface for outdoor seating areas and minimizes lawns.

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Walled

Living walls and pocket planters bring endless creativity.

• Embrace vertical growing methods
• Improve air circulation

Walls are a blank slate for vertical features. Plants, hanging pots, sculptural elements, murals, or a single color embellish the site. Accessories like seating and colorful containers bring interest.

A simple wire trellis allows vines and ramblers to grow upward. Living walls and pocket planters bring endless creativity as long as a water source is available. Anchoring pots to the wall gives a suspended look while being relatively low-cost and manageable to maintain. Growing taller in-ground specimens brings upward expansion.

The biggest challenges of walled gardens may be air circulation and light conditions. Avoid overcrowding plants and leave space between stems and leaves and walls themselves. Irrigate at the soil level early in the day to reduce fungal diseases. Observe the sun’s movement through the space to select appropriate plants. Walls may be hot and reflective, deeply shaded, or both.

Unappealing Features

Aside from hiding anything unsightly, planted screens add beauty and enhance privacy.

• Create a plant screen to blend with the surroundings
• Distract with interesting specimens, colors, and accents

Unsightly elements like heating and air units, utility boxes, and garbage cans can be utilitarian. They may also include a neighbor’s driveway, fence line, or the underside of a porch. Things that detract from a space’s overall visual appeal benefit from a planted buffer or “screen.”

Aside from hiding anything unsightly, planted screens add beauty and enhance privacy. Use them to define spaces and sculpt the view.

Planted screens are as easy-going as a perennial border, a single shrub or shrub grouping, or as structural as an evergreen hedge. Repeat plants from other massed areas of the garden.

Evergreen hedges give the garden structure and variation year-round and stand out in winter when the form is more exposed. To create defined borders, rely on staple, hardy evergreens like boxwood, holly, osmanthus, and yew.

Evergreen hedges can be single species for a uniform look, often pruned in the fall to make a tidy row. Mixed evergreen screens bring a looser feel to the garden, with varied textures and colors.

In addition to screening unattractive infrastructure, you can use distraction to direct the view in another direction. Colorful containers, hanging baskets, and accents draw the eye and divert attention from unappealing elements.

Vast Spaces

Emphasizing focal points draws the eye in a specific direction and punctuates the space.

• Employ focal points
• Create garden zones
• Reimagine turf
• Use strong lines to define beds
• Incorporate paths or hardscapes

Opposite of the small space challenge is the wide, open landscape. These undefined sites may be sweeping lawns, bland yards, or open fields.

Focalization relies on landscape features to capture attention. Emphasizing focal points draws the eye in a specific direction and punctuates the space. These punctuations contribute to the order of the overall garden and reflect the garden’s scale. They include a unique plant, a cluster of containers, a stately tree, a well-situated bed of blooms, sculptures, and water features.

When deciding what to emphasize, consider the garden from all viewpoints. Ensure there aren’t too many focal points, which can be confusing or cluttered when the eye tries to find the intended landing spot.

Use grassy areas to define the space. Lawn areas give a pleasing break for the eye. Avoid the vast, overly uniform lawn by accenting it with planting beds. Keep turf areas small, or consider converting your lawn into alternate groundcovers. Have a grassy slope? Add appeal by planting the slope with visually pleasing and soil-stabilizing plants.

Whether curved or straight, opt for strong garden lines rather than small movements in zigzags or waves. They’ll define the space cohesively. Garden lines include paths, bed edges, walls, patios, and pond edges. They form the framework of the space and how we move through it visually and physically.

Employ hardscapes, such as pavers, step stones, walls, steps, and other built features, to bring order, structure, and definition to the landscape. These features emphasize how to move through a space, where to gather, and where to direct the eye.