Nestled on a challenging steep, rocky incline with breathtaking ocean vistas, this backyard was initially nearly unusable due to its limited flat areas. The homeowner's vision was to transform it into a multifunctional space capable of hosting large gatherings of family and friends. The transformative design boasts four terraced decks: two featuring cozy fire pits, one equipped with a hot tub perfectly positioned for sunset viewing, and another for daytime relaxation, alongside a hidden deck designed especially for children's play. The space is further enhanced with an outdoor kitchen, a cascading water feature adorning the slope, seating nestled under a waterproof deck, and built-in wooden seating with cleverly integrated storage, all centered around a playful and inviting pool.

Black Mulched Flower Beds

Archer Services

Black mulched beds are home to bright green plants of varying types, including tropical varietals.
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard partial sun formal garden in Houston with with flowerbed and mulch.

lake shore access

Landscapes by Tom LLC

Lake home has easy access to the dock and lake. Paver patio is under the upper deck, a raised bed disguises the sell, and a set of steps and landings in the side yard provide easy walking access all around the property. There's even a paver walkway that connects the paver patio to both sets of granite steps at the lake.

Walled Garden

Outerspace Creative Landscaping

Inspiration for a contemporary backyard full sun garden for summer in Other with with raised garden bed and natural stone pavers.

Mt Olympus Stylish Urban Oasis

Bosler Earth Design

Day time top view of the fire pit area including a Plumeria and Palos Verde.
Photo of a large contemporary backyard xeriscape in Los Angeles with a fire feature and river rock.

Landscape Design

WINN Design+Build

This is an example of a contemporary backyard full sun garden in DC Metro with a retaining wall and natural stone pavers.

Contemporary Garden for entertaining

jackie gough garden design Ltd

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard garden in Hertfordshire with natural stone pavers.

E17 Secluded Family Garden

Sarah Kay Garden Design

The pergola will semi shade the patio in the Summer
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary backyard partial sun garden for summer in London with with raised garden bed and natural stone pavers.

Small town garden no lawn

amandashipman.com

Amanda Shipman
Photo of a small contemporary backyard partial sun garden for summer in Hertfordshire with a garden path and brick pavers.

Small town garden no lawn

Amanda Shipman

Amanda Shipman
Small contemporary backyard full sun garden in Hertfordshire with a retaining wall and brick pavers for summer.

Small town garden no lawn

Amanda Shipman

Amanda Shipman
Photo of a small contemporary backyard full sun garden for summer in Hertfordshire with brick pavers.

Cacti in the garden

Red Berm

succulents and agave from various projects
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary backyard full sun xeriscape in Los Angeles.

Sitting Area with Fire Pit- Back Yard

Bosler Earth Design

Rear seating area with fire pit against a retaining wall. ©Daniel Bosler Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized and australian native contemporary backyard xeriscape in Los Angeles with a fire feature and concrete pavers.

Will

Huettl Landscape Architecture

This is an example of a contemporary backyard garden in San Francisco with a fire feature and natural stone pavers.

Camelback Mountain Contemporary | Backyard

Greey Pickett

This “Arizona Inspired” home draws on some of the couples’ favorite desert inspirations. The architecture honors the Wrightian design of The Arizona Biltmore, the courtyard raised planter beds feature labeled specimen cactus in the style of the Desert Botanical Gardens, and the expansive backyard offers a resort-style pool and cabana with plenty of entertainment space. Additional focal areas of landscape design include an outdoor living room in the front courtyard with custom steel fire trough, a shallow negative-edge fountain, and a rare “nurse tree” that was salvaged from a nearby site, sits in the corner of the courtyard – a unique conversation starter. The wash that runs on either side of the museum-glass hallway is filled with aloes, agaves and cactus. On the far end of the lot, a fire pit surrounded by desert planting offers stunning views both day and night of the Praying Monk rock formation on Camelback Mountain. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Higgins Architects Builder: GM Hunt Builders Landscape Contractor: Benhart Landscaping Interior Designer: Kitchell Brusnighan Interior Design Photography: Ian Denker

Sonoma in the City

dSPACE Studio Ltd, AIA

Tony Soluri Photography
Contemporary backyard garden with decking.

Woodland Garden- Los Feliz

Ketti Kupper Conscious Life Design

Decomposed Granite path between Giant Sequoias leads to repurposed, reshaped and stained rear concrete slab. Micro-climate appropriate plants complete the picture. Photo by Ketti Kupper.

Streatham Garden

Tom Howard Garden Design and Landscaping

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard full sun garden in London with decking.

Carroll Gardens Backyard

Staghorn NYC

Total renovation for a small backyard garden in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn. The scope included a bluestone patio, horizontal cedar fence with built in planters and bench with storage. Overhead cafe string lights and a pendant fixture allow this family to enjoy their garden after dark. Low maintenance flowering perennials and grasses as well as herbs and vegetables fill the planted areas.

Heritage Semi No 1 - Manly

Archisoul Architects

David Taylor Photography
Photo of a contemporary backyard full sun xeriscape in Sydney with decking.

Contemporary Backyard Garden Design Ideas

Get Inspired by Contemporary Gardens on Houzz

A lot of the time when you get home from a long day at work, all you want to do is wind down. Where better to do this than in your very own contemporary garden at home? If you do it right, a great garden design can send you right into holiday mode. But where to start? There’s so many styles to choose from when it comes to garden design. Whether you want to create a tropical, modern, contemporary, beach style or country garden - or something else entirely - the large garden image gallery on Houzz has got you covered. Get inspired and collect your ideas to narrow down your desired garden style and features.

How to Create a Contemporary Garden for Your Home

Depending on which style you’re going for, be sure to know what makes a contemporary garden and if it’s appropriate for your climate. You may want to consider adding a deck or other landscaping features, but the plants you choose will mostly dictate your style and what kind of ongoing maintenance is required. Don’t worry if your backyard isn’t very spacious - there are many plants that can thrive even in a small space and allow you to turn your space into a little paradise of your own, regardless of size.

Decide which plants to use

The greenery you choose is critical to your look. For example, if you’re trying to create a tropical garden palm trees and bamboo are your go-to options. Other popular options are golden cane palm trees and fern for ground cover. From there you can add some colour with bright flowers like frangipani, hibiscus or bromeliads. All these are actually quite hardy plants, so once established, your tropical garden is actually quite easy to maintain. Use this structure and apply it to your style. Research which plants you need to set your base for a contemporary garden and go from there.

Add some decor

If the plants don’t quite do it for you yet, or if you want to add some extra wow-factor, consider adding some extra features. Even if you can’t accommodate a swimming pool, hot tub or pond, you could look at smaller water features. Simple rocks can also have a great effect, while statues and gnomes will add some extra character. Don’t forget to add some furniture so you have a nice place to sit and enjoy your garden!

Need some help?

Once you know what you want your garden to look like, it may be hard to make it a reality on your own. If that is the case for you, consider consulting a professional to help you with your contemporary garden design. Every photo you find on Houzz will lead you to the local pro that did the job, so you won’t have a problem picking the perfect person to help! Whether you need a gardener in Brisbane, a landscape architect in Melbourne or a fireplace installer in Sydney, you can be sure to find one on Houzz.