landscaping help.....picture heavy

[Parrothead]

i purchased this house early in the year. I had a privacy fence added and it has left me with some areas of my yard that are very difficult to maintain. I dont want to kill off the grass because i dont think my neighbor would like to look down on it. I dont like weedeatin' it every week either. Any suggestions would be welcome.

The shurbs in the background are at the edge of my neighbors property line.


This is the area in detail that give me the most trouble. The elevation change is more drastic than it appears in the picture.




OK, next area.....I have thought about building a retaining wall and adding fill dirt to level out the front yard. I'm not sure if this is the best way to go at it. The bank itself is mostly rock and it does one hell of a number to a lawnmower blade.




Thanks in advance for the help. I have "possible solutions" but i would really love to hear some new ideas.........other than "learn to love with the weedeater'"

[haha]

Maybe look a planting spreading ground cover shrubs along the fence.

A retaining wall sounds like a good idea out front. You could have the hill re-sloped from the tree to the porch then just put a retaining wall around (semi-circle) the front of the tree itself. Just have to be careful not to damage the root system on the big tree.
Or cut the tree down and re-slope the whole front yard.

[Bsktball55]

For the hill along the fence I would look into some ground cover like English Ivy or something similar. You won't have to mow it and it will keep the erosion from happening. In front, it looks like a retaining wall would work, but like was said don't put any more dirt on top of the roots of the tree or it could kill it.

[jseasor]

ben, i would go with a retaining wall around the front of the house and around that tree, fill in with gravel and make you a nice flower bed up to the tree. as for the fence, id go with an ivy. it'll get thick but i usually trim mine with a weedeater each time i mow and it keeps it from getting real thick and growing up the fence.