Ahh yes the challenge a front yard like that. Well, I have many different ideas. I dream of being able to landscape with a hill like that. I find slopes that angle down and towards the viewer present such a vast array of opportunities for the landscaper and gardener. Budget would be my first point of concern. Working on a hillside can get expensive. Becuase any terracing or grading is a project in an of itself. But if it were my yard.... I would start off with about 3 small rock terraces. I would NOT run a straigh line across the yard and make a short wall (IE what a typical terrace invokes in most peoples mind). I would do a small semi circle wall say about a 5 radius in near proximity to where the steps level out and go near the garage. I would terrace out a small area and us a punch accent tree/shrub with small ground cover. I would probably go with a smaller serpenting wall near the top. about half way down I would try and do the most difficult part of the project and cut in a few small medium/ large boulders for a rock outcropping (particullarly effective fromthe Middle TN plateu east). Finally at the bottom I would do another small stone wall. If I were real adventurous would probably add a small pond / water fall at the rock out cropping. Since I would be more interested in the moving water than standing water, I would go cheap, such as getting a couple 55 gallon drums and burying them or a Water Trough from TSC (Tractor Supl company) to catch the water, using a big pump to push it up the hill and have a high flow rate. All of this work would be trying on the hills side. Take some time. Probably require some professional assistance / advice depending on your involvement level etc.... Naturallly I will answer any questions you might have. Of course you have a plethera of planting choices nad I have just as many ideas, but it depends on your tastes and interests. Well so does the rock work.

The back yard looks to me as if it could benefit from placing a taller retaining wall across the lot and backfilling with additional soil to lessen the slope. I don't know if you are using this is a full time home or a second vacation home, but if it were my permanent residence, I would seriously consider rethinking the entire slope and plantings to make it more inviting. I know you didn't ask for that sort of advice, but the yard could be a lot more inviting than it is now, and just placing gravel over what you have isn't going to make it look a whole lot better. Wouldn't you rather have something green to soften the glare, rather than a light colored rock next to your new patio? There are a wealth of low water using ground covers that you could use in the flat areas as well as the slope, that in my opinion would be a nicer complement to the patio than a whitish gravel. You might check out some of the lower growing Dalea species, Baccharis x 'Centennial', Arctotheca calendula, perhaps interspersed with accent plants such as Hesperaloe, Agave parryi, Golden Barrel Cactus, etc. I'm pretty sure there is a local water district demonstration garden in the Palm Springs area, that could give you better ideas on what to plant. Also, there is certainly no shortage of great gardens in the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area, and I would be tempted to play up the desert aspect with appropriate plantings, while also trying to give the house and patio some year round shade to reduce your air conditioning costs, and make that patio more useable. Had you considered adding any trees such as Palo Verde, Honey Mesquite, or perhaps some palms such as the vivid blue Bismarckia nobilis? Some fast growing desert/heat tolerant vines against the walls could also really help, such as more Bougainvillea, Cat Claw Vine, Podranea ricasolaena, etc.

Sort of repeating what others are saying here, but wonder how you feel about retaining walls? Also, how aware are you of the drainage issues? It sounds like this might be a new home? What has the builder done to insure that water flowing down that slope won't be a problem for your home? Also, I disagree with Ronbre. Not about the drainage concern, but about just handling that before you think about landscaping. Heavens, that is a part of the whole landscaping process. If you throw in a French drain and then decide you need the retaining wall Well, itÂs a classic example of why one needs to make a careful comprehensive plan for your property before you put in an fd or go out looking for plants. The spacing seems problematic to me, but I can imagine a higher and lower tier to your property, divided by a retaining wall. Such a wall can be extremely lovely, but if it were designed in your space, it would be more important for its function of protecting your home. Each "tier" of your yard that the retaining wall would create would be more or less level. The lower level -- though virtually flat -- would be properly graded with a slope away from the foundation. If possible, this wall would follow the contours of your property or would be designed to look as though it does. Steps would need to be designed to allow for access to the sidewalk / mailbox. The frentch drain  which, by the way, is a sort of artificial underground stream bed, often not visible at the surface -- would be at the base of the retaining wall some 10 to 12 feet ? from your foundation. Cost? Not cheap. I have no clue if thatÂs what your situation needs, but addressing the significant negative slope toward your home is at least as high a priority as screening for privacy and planting for shade. ThatÂs where doing tons of background research on the landscape design process is needed to help make sure you arenÂt missing something. The cool thing is that once you are clear about what has to be achieved in your front yard design in order for you to be happy, certain solutions will start working together. If, after youÂve considered the worse gully washer that could happen, you decide that some sort of drainage work needs to be done, then whatever choice you make about it could also work with other objectives. I can imagine, for instance, a retaining wall enhancing the sense of shelter. Paying for it? Ah, thereÂs the rub. But if you know what your dream front yard needs to be, then you might be able to work toward achieving it. Hope so. Wellspring

You'll return the wall back into the grade. (It looks like those blocks will make a 45* turn.) Be sure to keep the wall face behind the step, where it meets the steps. I doubt very much that tilling up your yard is going to be a good experience for you, or be good for you. Consult with some brains in the lawn care forum before you do this. I'll bet there is a better way to get a good lawn.