A close up view of the semi-formal bed.
This is an example of a small contemporary backyard partial sun garden in London.

Josephine Remodel

WA Design Architects

wa design
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard partial sun formal garden for spring in San Francisco with a vegetable garden and gravel.

Luxury Aluminium Pergolas & Outside Kitchen

Luxury Garden Design

Photo of a large contemporary backyard partial sun garden for summer in Surrey with natural stone pavers and a metal fence.

New build garden - Olympic park Stratford

Melanie Hick Garden Design

This blank canvas space in a new build in London's Olympic park had a bespoke transformation without digging down into soil. The entire design sits on a suspended patio above a carpark and includes bespoke features like a pergola, seating, bug hotel, irrigated planters and green climbers. The garden is a haven for a young family who love to bring their natural finds back home after walks.

The Lodge, Fulham Cemetery (Grand Designs)

Harry Holding Studio

The back garden for an innovative property in Fulham Cemetery - the house featured on Channel 4's Grand Designs in January 2021. The design had to enhance the relationship with the bold, contemporary architecture and open up a dialogue with the wild green space beyond its boundaries. Seen here in spring, this lush space is an immersive journey through a woodland edge planting scheme.

The Hines Residence

IRI Landscape

© Jude Parkinson-Morgan All Rights Reserved
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary sloped partial sun xeriscape for summer in San Francisco with a retaining wall.

Barton Hills Contemporary Curb Appeal

Native Edge Landscape

After this home was completely rebuilt in the established Barton Hills neighborhood, the landscape needed a reboot to match the new modern/contemporary house. To update the style, we replaced the cracked solid driveway with concrete ribbons and gravel that lines up with the garage. We built a retaining to hold back the sloped, problematic front yard. This leveled out a buffer space of plantings near the curb helping to create a welcoming accent for guests. We also introduced a comfortable pathway to transition through the yard into the new courtyard space, balancing out the scale of the house with the landscape.

Small Garden Rooms, Hamptons, NY

Hotbotany

Beautiful view outside the kitchen window and pathway to backyard. Shades of green foliage and flowers give an peaceful moment.
Inspiration for a small contemporary side yard partial sun xeriscape for summer in New York with gravel.

Best of Gallery

Pineapple Interiors

Design ideas for a contemporary partial sun garden in London with a wood fence.

Three Tier Flower Beds

Archer Services

Three tiers of flower beds have been crafted from stone and stone pavers to create a magical look and feel. A multitude of textures and colors fill the beds, inviting butterflies and passersby to stop and enjoy.

West Norwood Family Garden

Tracey Parker Landscape Design Ltd

This family garden was redesigned to gives a sense of space for both adults and children at the same time the clients were extending their home. The view of the garden was enhanced by an oversized picture window from the kitchen onto the garden. This informed the design of the iroko pergola which has a BBQ area to catch the evening sun. The wood was stained to match the picture window allowing continuity between the house and garden. Existing roses were relocated to climb the uprights and a Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Charles Lamont’ was planted immediately outside the window to give floral impact during the winter months which it did beautifully in its first year. The Kiwi clients desired a lot of evergreen structure which helped to define areas. Designboard ‘Greenwich’ was specified to lighten the shaded terrace and provide a long-lasting, low-maintenance surface. The front garden was also reorganised to give it some clarity of design with a Kiwi sense of welcome. The kitchen was featured in Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine, March 2019, if you would like to see more.

Contemporary Hill Country

Waterloo Outdoor Design Build

Expansive contemporary front yard partial sun driveway in Austin with with path and concrete pavers.

Custom Steel Retaining Walls

Eden Garden Design

Custom steel and limestone boulder retaining walls with xeric Texas planting. Photographer: Greg Thomas, http://optphotography.com/

Contemporary yard for a contemporary house

Blue Hibiscus Gardens

IPE wood at installation has the redder color.
Mid-sized contemporary front yard partial sun xeriscape in San Francisco with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Modern Backyard

Alterra Landscape Design

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary backyard partial sun garden in Dallas.

Chalet en Santa Clara

Idearte Marta Montoya

This is an example of a contemporary side yard partial sun xeriscape in Seville with a garden path.

Large Family Garden in Chiswick

Aoba Landscapes

Cedar Slatted Fencing and Large Lawn
Inspiration for a large contemporary backyard partial sun garden for summer in London with natural stone pavers and a container garden.

Contemporary Moorpark

Aurora Outdoors

Photo of a large contemporary backyard partial sun xeriscape in Los Angeles with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Thorndon - a garden apartment in the city

HEDGE Garden Design & Nursery

We divided the long corridor into garden rooms and ran a jasmine espalier along the fence line to green up the walls. Designed by HEDGE Garden Design & Nursery. Photo: NZ House & Garden.

Small modern garden landscaping in Clapham

Positive Garden Ltd

Small modern garden landscaping in Clapham. Porcelain tiles, drainage, painting, lighting. Water feature wall cladded with multi slate panels. Raised beds constructed from hollow/solid dense concrete blocks, rendered and painted. Designer: Honor Holmes Garden Design Positive Garden Ltd

Contemporary Partial Sun 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.