Test Garden Tip: Other crevice-loving plants include creeping phlox, rock cress, thyme, hens-and-chicks, sweet alyssum, trailing lobelia, snow-in-summer, and candytuft. Test Garden Tip: Up the drama by building around an existing tree or planting one near the deck. Test Garden Tip: Begin building at the base of your sloped flower bed if you’re not sure where to add your stairs. Try climbing the slope along several different paths until you find the most comfortable route.