What to do at the top of a very tiered garden? Pic included.

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Currently in the process of trying to make our garden more low maintenance. We have a small daughter and another on the way. As much as we love being outside we just don't have the time to maintain the garden.

The very back of the garden is causing us issues and we've no idea what to do up there. Doubt it will get used much due to it being dangerous with the steps and just getting things up and down there is hard work.

We don't have side access to the house, and the gate at the back doesn't actually go anywhere so that's not an option. It's a large area and very sloped.

I've tried to include a few photos to show the area. We've put the wall in ourselves just stuck where to go from here...

PS don't want to go down the route of artificial turf.

Would provide the basis for a lovely waterfall, with lots of luxuriant ferns at the back

Really like they first reply for an waterfall. Maybe you could even use a rockery to keep it lose maintenance and incorporate the water feature into that. Could even have a small patio or breakout area up there as well and that keeps the costs down as you're not patioing the whole thing.

Looks like the perfect place for a wildlife/woodland area. I would put in a couple of trees to tie in with the trees behind the fence, lay down bark mulch and plant woodland plants underneath. Then I would just let it be a bit wild.

Reduces maintenance, is great for nature, and the dc will love it as they grow older.

You don't go up there but I'm sure your DCs will as they grow older? I'd turn it into a play area for them.

Or even get a summer house type building and have an outside area to sit in the summer when they are playing and it can always double up as an office/den as they get older. You may be grateful when they have friends round to have somewhere to banish them too

My parents have a similar gargen and the top bit is like a wild meadow area. Lots of wildflowers. It looks beautiful and very low maintenance

I like the sound of a waterfall or trees. I love Indian Bean Trees after seeing them on Gardeners World. You can get them grafted to stop them getting too big and they make a lovely bright feature tree. I have a dwarf eucalyptus (france bleu) in my back garden which should grow to 2-3m. I like that it's evergreen and every once in a while I go chop bits off to use as filler for vases. It lasts several weeks in a vase.

You could plant some herbs that do well in a rockery like thyme and rosemary alongside alpine plants. They'll look after themselves.

There was a question about a terraced garden on GQT on Friday. Link here, FF to 19 minutes. Discussion of plants and design tips.

With young kids that tiered garden is crying out for a little slide! Steps up one side, walkway along, slide at the other end - just down one level. They'll love it!

Aka this

I love the idea of a mini woodland/wildlife area. A few trees, underplanted with woodland planting (snowdrops, bluebells, ferns) could be beautiful and low maintenance.

Agree with the idea of a woodland/wild area at the top, but what really draws my eye is the shed!!!

Might I suggest you stain all the fences a mid-dark brown, and do the shed in the same colour. It is much more likely to fade into the background if it is darker rather than lighter. You could put a tall trellis or a big shrub in front of it to disguise the view of it from the house, or grow honeysuckle or something up it.

I agree re woodland and wildlife!

Lots of ferns, a couple of evergreens and trees chosen for striking shape or pretty peeling bark. Then lots of bulbs and wildflowers in spring and summer

My ex Pil had a tiered garden and they levelled a bit and put a tiny summerhouse/ shelter thing there to sit in and look over the garden. Was lovely.

Oh read again and realised you won't go up there much so no good. Personally then I would turn in into a little wild bee-friendly patch, lots of lavender and stuff.