We have a steeply terraced garden @n33na2002 (about an 8ft drop from the top terrace to the patio). I wouldn't recommend anything that steep for most people, however a terraced garden is generally a great thing to have. Visually, different levels are more interesting and dramatic than a flat garden.
When you go up or down steps, it is usually to enter or leave one space for another. When you go up some steps in a garden, psychologically your mind tells you you are leaving one garden space for another (and that you are not in the house). It makes for different garden rooms, and you can accentuate that with planting.
Creating or removing terracing is expensive and messy. I would keep your terracing, especially as it is not that steep. As other have suggested:
1) You could replace the paving with something nicer 2) You could selectively remove some paving and plant in those spaces 3) You could plant a hedge or mixed border along the edge of the top terrace, to accentuate that it is a different space from the patio, and could put an arch (or something similar), as the entrance to the upper terrace. 4) If you don't fancy digging up and replacing paving, then you can use troughs and pots to break up and soften the paving. Don't underestimate how spectacular a garden can be just using pots and troughs (but be mindful of greater water and feeding requirements).
Here are some photos to show you how we have used planting/pots/troughs to soften our patio/stairs/terracing.
Thanks @Loxleyfor helping me out by remembering who it was with the lovely terraced garden, and thanks @KeenOnGreen for posting more pics of your lovely garden.
And @Safflower's lovely garden shows another way of coping with that change in levels
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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When you go up or down steps, it is usually to enter or leave one space for another. When you go up some steps in a garden, psychologically your mind tells you you are leaving one garden space for another (and that you are not in the house). It makes for different garden rooms, and you can accentuate that with planting.
Creating or removing terracing is expensive and messy. I would keep your terracing, especially as it is not that steep. As other have suggested:
1) You could replace the paving with something nicer
2) You could selectively remove some paving and plant in those spaces
3) You could plant a hedge or mixed border along the edge of the top terrace, to accentuate that it is a different space from the patio, and could put an arch (or something similar), as the entrance to the upper terrace.
4) If you don't fancy digging up and replacing paving, then you can use troughs and pots to break up and soften the paving. Don't underestimate how spectacular a garden can be just using pots and troughs (but be mindful of greater water and feeding requirements).
Here are some photos to show you how we have used planting/pots/troughs to soften our patio/stairs/terracing.
And @Safflower's lovely garden shows another way of coping with that change in levels
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.