Bonnie Jenkins Photography
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary front yard full sun xeriscape in Sunshine Coast with with rock feature and gravel.

Walkway

Peakview Outdoor Living

backyard.
This is an example of a small contemporary backyard xeriscape for spring in Denver with with rock feature, concrete pavers and a wood fence.

Timber Cove Patio

Shapiro Didway

Patrice Jerome
Mid-sized contemporary garden in San Francisco with gravel and with rock feature.

Altadore #10

CLS Landscape Supply

Low Maintenance Meets Functional Spaces We worked with CNJ Developments on this low-maintenance yet highly functional landscape design in Altadore. We added curb appeal to the front yard with contrasting charcoal mulch garden beds that highlight the trees and shrubs. The backyard space was designed for entertaining, with functional and relaxing seating areas, including one dining area. Plantings and contrasting rock, break up the spaces creating both a harmonious space and clear low-maintenance areas for entertaining. This project includes: Charcoal mulch with shrubs and trees Dimensions 12, Tofino grey paving stone from Expocrete Gas fire bowl Forester Feathered Reed Grass Three Sterling grey Lexington tile slabs 20mm Tan Rock 20mm Washed Rock

Wells Design Melbourne

Wells Design Landscapes

Inspiration for a contemporary sloped garden in Melbourne with gravel and with rock feature.

Modern Retreat

Sweet Smiling Landscapes

This small suburban yard was filled by a large swimming pool. The homeowner is extremely sensitive to the sun so she decided to trade out the pool for this intimate garden space. When this client is not traveling, she is hosting visitors, watching friends’ dogs, or hanging out with her grandchildren. Our job was to create an inviting space that is low maintenance, drought tolerant, and kid- and dog-friendly. Using gravel, concrete pavers, and a simple planting plan consisting of Mediterranean-adaptive plants, we created this design to fit the mid-century home. The gravel allows for the absorption of rainwater while providing a space for kids and dog to romp and play. Olive trees help shade and cool the space, providing a cozy area to gather with friends. The minimalist plantings survive on very little irrigation and require little more than an hour or two of puttering in the garden per season to maintain.

Sonoma

Urban Botanics

Inspiration for a large contemporary front yard shaded xeriscape in San Francisco with with rock feature and river rock.

Andover Pool

Sudbury Design Group

60' contemporary lap pool set in woodland setting with ledge outcrops and ornamental bamboo plantings. Cascading stairs lead to a lower fire pit area and continue into the pool below. Stainless steel fountains and ornamental grasses frame the pool edge. Photography: Michael Lee

Banyon Tree Design Portfolio

Banyon Tree Design Studio

Banyon Tree Design created a new front entry from the sidewalk to the front steps of this new contemporary home. The rockery was renovated with plants highlighting colors of the architecture.

Memorial Garden

Changing Landscapes

Paul Hartman
Design ideas for a contemporary sloped garden in Denver with with rock feature.

Ландшафтный дизайн Московская область, Раменский городской округ, Шувайлово

Авторский сад

Декоративная композиция
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary courtyard full sun xeriscape for summer in Other with with rock feature and mulch.

Key

Banyon Tree Design Studio

Urban landscape masterplan and installation. We created continuity of color, texture, and form starting at the street and front yard, and reaching to the rear yard and alleyway. Contemporary and naturalistic plantings blur the lines of rigidity and formality of this modern garden, while the structure of hardscaping holds the composition together year-round.

Злаковые травы в дизайне участка.

Ландшафтная мастерская Алены Арсеньевой

Злаковые растения быстро развиваются и могут в короткие сроки воплотить в реальность представления долгой жизни усадьбы, убрав впечатление «новодела», что всегда выглядит неприятно и немного жалко. Автор проекта ландшафтного дизайна - Алена Арсеньева. Реализация проекта и ведение работ - Владимир Чичмарь

Contemporary Landscape - Brookfield, WI

Ginkgo Leaf Studio

Close up of the seed heads on one of the carex plants. Renn Kuhnen Photography
Design ideas for a large contemporary front yard full sun garden for summer in Milwaukee with with rock feature.

Chadsford Final

Hammer & Hoe Outdoor

Client requested a front yard curb appeal project. They were sick of the heavy, over-crowed landscaping that was installed by the builder years ago and wanted a fresh and modern design that wasn't crowded, provided lots of colored foliage, and was low maintenance. We removed a queen palm that was on top of the existing triple palm and added an amazing boulder at the front entrance.

Observatory Hill

Wichman Landscape & Construction

Located at the top of the hill is a 28 sqft irregular shaped Pea gravel patio surrounded on the back side with Sandstone boulders and is reached via a grass switchback that leads off the upper patio. The switchback is about 2’ in width and ~ 105 ' long and snakes its way up the hillside. The tiered Thermal Bluestone paver patio is shaped like a bowling pin with the larger section sized at 147 sqft and the smaller section sized at 114 sqft. The step between the two (2) patios is a single run of a Thermal full color Flagstone.

Elegant Entrance

The Narrow Lane

This is an example of a small contemporary side yard partial sun garden for spring in Boston with with rock feature and river rock.

Modern Rustic Front Yard

Laurel Landscapes

Small contemporary front yard xeriscape in Denver with with rock feature.

Atelier 216

Z Builders

An elegant, eco-luxurious 4,400 square foot smart residence. Atelier 216 is a five bedroom, four and a half bath home complete with an eco-smart saline swimming pool, pool house, two car garage/carport, and smart home technology. Featuring 2,500 square feet of decking and 16 foot vaulted ceilings with salvaged pine barn beams.

Drainage Challenge Solution

Ecoscape Environmental Design

Eco-Products reached out to Ecoscape with a new project in the spring of 2019. They were looking for help with water/drainage diversion challenge at their commercial property in central Boulder. The company's employee break room is adjacent to this parking area, so there was hope to make an outside 'break room' as part of the scope of work. End result is a robust drainage channel for the rooftop gutter water to flow-thru, and a low-maintenance patio space for the employees to enjoy!

Contemporary Garden Design Ideas with with Rock Feature

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.